Mercedes Vega: Parents support death penalty in case of daughter murdered in burning car

PHOENIX – The parents of Mercedes Vega, a 22-year-old woman brutally murdered in April 2023, are speaking out after the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced it will seek the death penalty for the two primary men accused in her death.

Vega was found in a burning car off I-10. The medical examiner’s report indicated she had been shot, had bleach in her throat, and ultimately died of smoke inhalation.

What they’re saying:

Her parents, Tom and Erika Pillsbury, support the decision to pursue the death penalty, calling it an easy choice given the nature of their daughter’s death.

“It’s very hard to feel the emotions of pain, anger and happy all in the same emotion,” Tom said.

This week, on Dec. 3, prosecutors filed notices of intent to seek the death penalty for Sencere Hayes and Cudjoe Young. Young had previously been identified by Vega as a suspect in a separate armed robbery case.

Vega’s parents expressed support for combining the robbery and murder cases to show motive.

“This, I believe, will be the best situation that we can have for justice,” Erika said.

The family, approaching their third Christmas without Mercedes, said the potential punishment fits what was taken from them.

“The times with her siblings and the times with the family and everything that was stolen, deal with your consequences. You chose it,” Erika said.

The parents view the prosecutor’s decision as the first leg in a race for justice they expect could take one to two more years. A third man, Jared Gray, faces separate charges in Georgia connected to Vega’s death.