CrimeManhunt on for Disbarred Lawyer Accused of Killing His Mother

A nationwide manhunt is underway for a Georgia lawyer who police say killed his own mother.

Richard Merritt, 44, was supposed to turn himself in to Cobb County authorities earlier this month to serve a 15-year sentence behind bars after pleading guilty to stealing $500,000 from his elderly clients.

Instead, police say, Merritt cut off his ankle monitor and killed his mother, Shirley, by stabbing her to death with a steak knife in Dekalb County on Feb. 2 before stealing her car and fleeing the area. He's been on the run ever since, according to officials.

Bail set at $500K for man accused of killing nurse practitioner in Froedtert parking garage

The man charged in the brutal beating death of a nurse practitioner in the Froedtert Hospital parking garage made his first appearance in court Saturday. require(["medianetNativeAdOnArticle"], function (medianetNativeAdOnArticle) { medianetNativeAdOnArticle.getMedianetNativeAds(true); }); Prosecutors charged 27-year-old Kenneth Freeman, who was arrested just hours after the attack, with first-degree intentional homicide. Freeman's appearance was delayed for days because of injuries prosecutors said he received in the attack at the parking garage eight days ago.

A nationwide manhunt is underway for a disbarred Georgia attorney accused of killing his mother . Richard Merritt is seen in an undated photo provided by the U.S. Marshal CNN has reached out to the lawyer representing Merritt in his initial conviction for comment but has not yet received a response.

Police say Merritt then stole his mother 's car and took off. On Saturday, U.S. Marshals released a new image of Merritt at a gas station moments after PLEASE SHARE U.S. Marshals release new picture of Richard Merritt. Nationwide manhunt continues for 'armed and dangerous' disbarred lawyer

Merritt's brother, Robert, urged his sibling to surrender Saturday.

© Provided by CBS Interactive Inc. Cops have launched a nationwide search for 44-year-old Richard Merritt, who pleaded guilty to stealing $500,000 from elderly clients and who they say cut off his ankle bracelet and stabbed his mother to death with a steak knife. "You need to face the consequences of the criminal behavior that you were sentenced for ... and now you certainly need to be held accountable for the brutal murder of our mother," he told ABC News.

The U.S. Marshals are now offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to his capture.

"He could be dangerous to anyone because if he killed his own mother what's to stop him from hurting anybody else?" Marshal Frank Lempka, who's leading the manhunt for Merritt, told Inside Edition.