At least three people have been identified in the murder of my daughter, Mercedes Mariana Vega. Two are facing the death penalty, and another faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

As our family continues through this painful court process, we are facing an overwhelming financial burden. I must miss work to attend court, and I do not get paid for that time. We have reached out to every resource we can find, including Victims’ Compensation, but we are still struggling to meet our needs.

I recently learned that we have a Chronis hearing approaching, where the horrific details of Mercedes’s torture and murder must be presented to establish that her death was especially heinous, cruel, and depraved. Our family will have to relive these details in court, potentially three separate times. The attorneys have encouraged me and our family to seek specialized grief therapy to help us prepare for and cope with these hearings. Sessions cost $200 an hour and are not covered by my insurance.

I am doing everything I can to keep going, and I’m hoping to try EMDR therapy. Some days, life still feels like a nightmare I cannot wake up from. I do my best to appear okay, but the grief, trauma, and exhaustion are always there. The added financial stress makes an already unbearable situation even harder.

We are humbly asking for help. If you can contribute toward therapy and the financial strain of attending court, we would be incredibly grateful. If you cannot give, sharing Mercedes’s story would mean just as much to us.

Her story can be found on YouTube, including coverage by Nancy Grace and Dateline.

Beyond seeking justice for Mercedes, Eventually I want to help create change. We need better communication between law enforcement agencies and jurisdictions so that felony charges and criminal histories are visible when decisions are made about releasing individuals back into our communities. I believe better information-sharing could help prevent another family from experiencing this devastating loss.

We cannot change what happened to Mercedes, but I hope we can make a difference in her honor.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story, for caring about Mercedes, and for any support you can offer. Whether through a donation, sharing her story, or simply keeping our family in your thoughts, your kindness means more than you know.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Mercedes’s Mom