‘We’re going to keep fighting for her’: Friends, family continue push for justice in murder of Mercedes Vega

PHOENIX — Friends and family of Mercedes Vega returned to the Maricopa County Superior Courts on Friday, marking another step in a yearslong pursuit of justice for the Arizona woman who prosecutors say was kidnapped, tortured, and burned alive.

RELATED: Another suspect in Mercedes Vega murder case extradited to Arizona

The latest court appearances involved two of the three men accused in Vega’s killing, a case that has been delayed repeatedly since her death nearly three years ago.

For one defendant, Jared Gray, it was his first appearance before a judge in connection with Vega’s murder. Gray was extradited from Georgia last week and entered a not guilty plea Friday to all eight felony charges he faces in the case.

Prosecutors allege Gray worked with Cudjoe Young and Sincere Hayes to kidnap Vega in April 2023 in an effort to silence her. According to court records, investigators believe the group tortured and killed Vega before leaving her body inside a burning vehicle along Interstate 10 near Tonopah.

“The fact that somebody is even capable of doing something like this to another person, it doesn’t make sense, because this is something that should have never happened,” Vega’s friend, Makenzie Lockhart, said.

Young also appeared in court Tuesday, though his hearing marked just the latest in a long series of proceedings. Young is charged in Vega’s murder as well as two separate armed robbery cases. Prosecutors announced they will seek to try the robbery cases and the murder case separately, rather than consolidating all charges into a single trial.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has previously filed notice of its intent to seek the death penalty against both Young and Hayes, citing the severity and circumstances of the alleged crimes. Those cases have been pending for several years, while Gray’s case remains in its early stages.

Inside the courtroom, several of Vega’s closest friends sat through the hearings, vowing to attend every court date, a promise they say reflects the kind of loyalty Vega showed them when she was alive.

“She’s not here anymore to defend herself or come and be her own person. So I, at least me and my friends, will always come to defend her, because that’s what she would have done,” Lockhart said.

Nearly three years after her death, the loss still feels immediate. Friends described the ongoing grief of realizing there will never be another response to the messages they continue to send to Vega’s phone, a habit born out of hope that has yet to fade.

The brutality of the alleged crime has also left Vega’s friends fearful for their own safety, forcing them to remain constantly alert. Still, they say their commitment remains unchanged: to show up, bear witness, and look the men accused of killing their friend in the eye.

“We love her,” Lockhart said. “And we’re going to keep fighting for her.”

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