About this episode
Two defendants accused of the horrifying murder of 22-year-old Mercedes Vega, who was allegedly shot, beaten, had bleach poured down her throat, and was left to die in a burning car, could now face the ultimate punishment. Prosecutors in Maricopa County, Arizona are officially seeking the death penalty against Cudjoe Young and Sencere Hayes, who police believe murdered Vega to prevent her from testifying against Young in an armed robbery case. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber sits down with criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Kurt Altman to get expert insight on what this means for the trial moving forward. Plus, hear directly from Mercedes’ parents, Erika and Tom Pillsbury, as they share their emotional reaction to the capital punishment decision. PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: Download the FREE Upside App at https://upside.app.link/sidebar to get an extra 25 cents back for every gallon on your first tank of gas. HOST: Jesse Weber: https://twitter.com/jessecordweber LAW&CRIME SIDEBAR PRODUCTION: YouTube Management - Bobby Szoke Video Editing - Michael Deininger, Christina O'Shea, Alex Ciccarone, & Jay Cruz Script Writing & Producing - Savannah Williamson & Juliana Battaglia Guest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane Kaye Social Media Management - Vanessa Bein STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK: Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3y Where To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5 Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletter Read Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2Iqo LAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetwork Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrime Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetwork TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrime See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .