WACO, Texas (KWTX) - A Mart man has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing in the shooting death of another man during an altercation in May.

A McLennan County grand jury last week no-billed Merlin Gonzalez, 40, who claimed he acted in self-defense when he shot and killed Tarance LaRod Sharp, 47, on May 19 on South Commerce Street.

Merlin was released Friday from the McLennan County Jail, where he had been held under $500,000 bond on a murder charge since the night of the shooting.

Gonzalez’s attorney, John Donahue, did not return a phone message Monday.

According to arrest records, Mart police were called about 11:30 p.m. to the 100 block of South Commerce Street, where they found Gonzalez talking on the phone and Sharp suffering from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Police repor

See Full Page