A shocking case out of Southern California ended with a 15-year prison sentence for a woman who murdered her boyfriend and hid his body in what authorities described as a “makeshift tomb” in her own backyard — for eight years. Yes, eight.
Trista Spicer, 43, was convicted of second-degree murder in the 2014 killing of her boyfriend, Eric Mercado, 42. According to trial testimony, the incident turned deadly after an argument over dinner escalated into violence. Spicer admitted she struck Mercado multiple times in the head with a cast iron skillet before stabbing him in the neck with a kitchen knife.
During the trial, Spicer claimed Mercado had a history of abuse, alleging he was physically and verbally violent and subjected her to degrading treatment. That argument may have influenced the outcome — but it didn’t erase what happened next.
After the killing, Spicer didn’t call authorities. Instead, she went to extreme lengths to cover it up. She enlisted help to wrap the body in a deflated air mattress, hid it beneath a concrete staircase in her backyard, and later had a brick wall built over it to conceal the remains. Not exactly the kind of thing you forget about — unless you’re hoping no one ever finds out.
Mercado had been reported missing since 2014, and the case remained unresolved for years. That changed in 2022 when Spicer told a then-boyfriend she needed to remove the body because her family wanted to sell the house. The boyfriend alerted police, leading to a search warrant and the grim discovery of what investigators described as a backyard tomb.
In court, the victim’s family delivered emotional statements. Mercado’s sister called Spicer “evil,” saying the crime shattered their lives — a painful reminder that behind every headline is a family still dealing with the loss.
Spicer is currently being held in San Bernardino County jail and is expected to be transferred to a California state prison.
At the end of the day, justice may have taken years, but it caught up. And no matter how deeply someone tries to bury the truth — literally in this case — it has a way of coming to light.
