State’s Attorney Steve Ferguson Thursday filed intent to seek the death penalty on two additional first-degree murder charges filed against Anthony B. Mertz on Jan. 3.

Mertz, 25, a former Easter student, has been charged with the June 12 murder of Eastern student Shannon McNamara. He is accused of breaking into the victim’s apartment at 1125 Fourth St., strangling her to death, stabbing her several times and sexually assaulting her with a knife.

Those accusations have led to 16 charges being filed against Mertz: eight first-degree murder charges, six aggravated sexual assault charges and two charges of home invasion. Mertz continues to be held without bond. The defense’s request for bond was denied on Jan. 3.

The sexual assault and home invasion charges were filed along with two of the first-degree murder charges on Jan. 3. The first six first-degree murder charges were filed on June 27.

On Sept. 5, Ferguson announced the prosecution would seek the death penalty on the first six first-degree murder charges, but until Thursday the prosecution had not filed to seek the death penalty on the additional two first-degree murder charges.

The two new first-degree murder charges allege that Mertz committed the murder at the same time as another felony, aggravated criminal sexual assault.

Mertz’s trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection on April 15. The trial was scheduled to begin Tuesday, but last month Coles County Circuit Court Judge Dale Cini approved the defense’s request for an extension.

In addition, last month the defense had Mertz evaluated by Jerry L. Boyd, a licensed clinical psychologist whose office is in Charleston, and the prosecution received permission to view items from Mertz’s apartment at 1128 Fourth St. Apt. 3B.

Those items include books with the following titles: “Pipe and Fire Bomb Design,” “The Anarchist’s Cookbook,” “SS: Blood Soaked Soil,” “Hitler’s Enforcers,” “The Last 100 Yards: The NCO’s Contribution to Warfare” and “Mein Kampf,” which was written by Hitler.