Trista Spicer was sentenced to 15 years in prison on 27/3 for second-degree murder.
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Trista Spicer hid her boyfriend's body in a makeshift grave under the backyard staircase. Photo: NBCLA |
Previously, in 11/2025, a jury in San Bernardino, California, convicted Trista of murdering her boyfriend, Eric Mercado, 42, at their home in 10/2014.
According to court records, Trista admitted to hitting Eric multiple times with a cast-iron skillet after he complained about the beans and meat she cooked for dinner and then threw food at her. Trista then used a kitchen knife to stab her boyfriend in the neck.
To conceal the crime, Trista asked a friend to help wrap the body in a mattress, then hid it under the concrete staircase in the backyard. Afterward, Trista enlisted another friend to build a brick wall, sealing off the hiding spot.
Eric's family reported him missing in 2014, but his whereabouts remained a mystery. Nearly 8 years later, Trista confessed to her new boyfriend, Waylan Gentry, that she had killed her ex-boyfriend and buried his body under the staircase. She told him she needed to dispose of the body because she wanted to sell the house and move to another state.
Waylan testified that he did not believe his girlfriend's story at the time but contacted police after his mother urged him to do so.
On 23/8/2022, police searched Trista's home based on Waylan's tip and discovered human remains inside a "makeshift grave" on the property, according to a statement from the San Bernardino Police Department.
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Trista Spicer in court in 10/2025. Photo: Orange County Register/SCNG |
Trista's defense argued she had been repeatedly abused by Eric and acted in self-defense. Three former friends of Eric testified, stating they believed Eric was violent and often avoided him.
In court, Eric's family called Trista a "demon" and stated that the mystery surrounding Eric's disappearance for 8 years had destroyed their lives.
According to court records, Trista's lawyers have filed an appeal against the sentence.
Tue Anh (according to Nypost, LA Times)
