Southern California Woman Sentenced for Murder
A woman from Southern California, Trista Spicer, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after she cut her boyfriend’s throat and concealed his body in a makeshift grave. This heinous act followed her boyfriend’s complaint about the meal she prepared for him.
In November, a jury in San Bernardino found Spicer, 43, guilty of second-degree murder concerning her then-boyfriend, Eric Mercado, who was 42. The crime took place at their home in October 2014, according to police and court records.
During her trial, Spicer admitted to striking Mercado multiple times on the head with a cast-iron skillet after he voiced his dissatisfaction with dinner. She testified that she then stabbed him in the neck with a kitchen knife.
With the assistance of a friend, Spicer covered Mercado’s body in a deflated air mattress and concealed it under a concrete staircase in their backyard. Additionally, she asked some homeless acquaintances to help her construct a brick wall to bury Mercado’s remains.
Mercado’s family reported him missing in 2014, but it wasn’t until nearly eight years later that Spicer informed her current boyfriend that the family intended to sell their house and needed to remove the body. The police discovered the remains on August 23, 2022, while searching Spicer’s home based on tips from her boyfriend.
“While executing the search warrant, investigators found what looked like a temporary grave on the property,” San Bernardino police stated. “Upon entering, they uncovered human remains.”
In court, Spicer claimed Mercado had abused her, but her family disputed these allegations. Mercado’s sister, Mahila Torres, spoke directly to Spicer during the sentencing, labeling her brother’s killer as “evil.” She expressed the profound impact of her brother’s death on their family, stating, “You took my brother’s life and you shattered our lives.”
Torres further elaborated on how the mystery surrounding her brother’s disappearance had devastated their family, saying, “As time went on, life became more and more difficult for me and my family.” The uncertainty about Mercado’s fate weighed heavily on them for years.
She remembered him fondly, describing him as a loving father who inspired her to pursue her dreams. “I will always be grateful and feel blessed for the love I received from my brother,” Torres shared, reflecting on the lessons he imparted about facing life with courage.
Following the sentencing, authorities took Spicer into custody before transferring her to a state prison.
