Authorities made an arrest about three weeks ago in connection with the horrific death of Mercedes Vega, an exotic dancer who was discovered dead in a burning automobile on an Arizona highway 19 months prior.
Erika Pillsbury, Vega’s mother, claims that while the development has brought her one step closer to closure, she is still a long way from comprehending the terrible circumstances surrounding the murder, including why her daughter was allegedly abducted, why she died such a horrifying death, and who else might have been involved.
“When I finally get all the pieces of this puzzle together, I don’t know if I’ll be more mad, the same amount of mad, or less mad,” she stated in an interview on Wednesday.
“I’m sure there are moms out there that don’t want to know,” she said. “I want to know.”
Authorities have not provided information regarding a potential motive or Hayes’ connection to Arizona since last month, when the 22-year-old Hayes was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder in connection with Vega’s murder.
According to public sources, Hayes lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
According to an indictment, he was accused with first-degree murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, and theft in relation to the death of 22-year-old Vega on April 17, 2023.
A prosecutor in the case stated that the murder investigation is still ongoing and involves additional individuals, whom she would not name, during his first court appearance in Maricopa County last week.
A Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman acknowledged that there are still a lot of unanswered concerns regarding the case, but he chose not to elaborate due to the continuing investigation. The Maricopa County Prosecutor’s Office representative declined to comment, citing the case’s current status.
While “there is still much work to be done, in collaboration with state, local, and federal partners, we hope this arrest brings Mercedes family one step closer to finding closure from this horrific crime,” Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner said in a statement last week.
Hayes entered a not guilty plea on Wednesday at his arraignment. According to jail records, he is being detained in lieu of a $2 million cash bond. A request for comment was not immediately answered by his attorney.
She and her husband sat right behind Hayes in court, according to Pillsbury, “because we wanted to make sure he knew we were there.”
“We can’t speak to him, but I can stare a hole in the back of his head,” she continued.
Shortly after 9 p.m. on April 16, 2023, Vega, who performed at a strip club in Phoenix and intended to start her own gym and work as a personal trainer, was last saw at her Tempe, Arizona, apartment complex. She was caught on camera going into the building’s garage.
What authorities think happened next has not been disclosed. According to her family, they suspect she may have been beaten and abducted after seeing blood on the garage floor near where she parked her Dodge Charger.
Vega’s body was found in the back seat of a burned-out Chevy Malibu on Interstate 10 close to Tonopah, west of Phoenix, in the early hours of April 17.
According to her autopsy, she had been shot, beaten, and burned. A forensic doctor who examined the record for NBC News said her face looked like it had been covered with bleach.
The owner of the Chevy Malibu is unknown. An incident report states that the car had a salvage title. State Farm Insurance, the vehicle’s most recent owner, has not responded to a request for information.
According to the report, the car was found when a person called 911 after spotting it in the westbound lane of the interstate with flames in the back seat.
Authorities had previously stated that Vega’s Charger was discovered parked in the middle of a street around one mile away from the garage on April 18. Hayes is accused of stealing the car in his indictment.
“Was he following her?” About Hayes, Pillsbury remarked. “Did he accidentally walk up on her?”
“It’s that unknown that can be really hard,” she stated. “The truth will show us what really happened.”
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