A teenage boy accused of murdering a young girl earlier this summer will be tried as an adult, a Tennessee court determined this week.
Fernando Perales Mejia, 17, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Trinity Lei Bostic, 17, in late June.
At the time of his arrest, law enforcement did not release the defendant’s name. In mid-July, a police affidavit disclosed new information, including Mejia’s name. Around the same time, prosecutors announced their intention to trial the defendant as an adult.
Sumner County District Attorney General Ray Whitley has now received judicial approval to do just that, following a hearing on Monday. The Macon County Sheriff’s Office reported Trinity missing as a runaway on the evening of July 29. Interviews with family and friends were conducted to determine her possible location.
“Trinity’s cell phone number was obtained, and we immediately began to trace her location, which led to areas outside of Macon County,” Sheriff Joseph Wilburn stated in a press release issued in early July. “We informed agencies in Sumner County where we tracked her down. Efforts to locate were fruitless.
Trinity’s body was discovered on July 3 by a state Department of Transportation worker while clearing up rubbish. The horrific discovery was uncovered along the wood line of State Route 386, near the intersection of Vietnam Veterans Boulevard and New Shackle Island Road in Hendersonville, a medium-sized city about 50 miles southeast of Lafayette, Macon County’s seat.
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A discarded 9 mm shell casing and a live round were discovered near the victim. The girl was shot in the face.
On July 5, Trinity’s remains were identified. The same day, Hendersonville Police Sgt. Nicholas Edwards informed USA Today that the girl’s death was “essentially a homicide investigation.”
On July 6, Mejia was arrested and charged by the Hendersonville Police Department based on cellphone records and GPS data, according to an affidavit obtained by the Gallatin News.
According to records, the final number that called Trinity’s phone on June 29 was one associated with Mejia, authorities say.
A search warrant for Mejia’s records was then executed. According to law authorities, the two cell phones appeared at the same location around 2:30 p.m. on the day the girl went missing, and subsequently followed the same path until 10:39 p.m.
During those eight-plus hours, authorities allege that license plate readers registered the defendant’s vehicle as it drove through Hendersonville. According to the affidavit, Trinity last showed signs of life about 9:21 p.m. on June 29. Both phones’ location data showed that they were close to where the girl’s body was discovered.
On July 6, authorities raided Mejia’s home in Westmoreland, some 30 miles northeast of Hendersonville. Law enforcement claims that the search yielded incriminating results.
According to the affidavit, authorities discovered a loaded 9 mm magazine inside the home as well as a bag containing some of Trinity’s things. Police described the parcel as a “go” bag, a tactical and personal collection of supplies to carry with you in case of an emergency. Investigators allegedly discovered a 9 mm handgun loaded with ammo in the defendant’s vehicle, which matched the bullet and casing located at the crime site.
During the subsequent interview, Mejia struggled to keep his tale straight. He originally denied seeing Trinity in almost two years but subsequently confirmed they met on June 29 — after being faced with the telephone records.
According to Nashville-based CBS affiliate WTVF, Mejia will be handed to the sheriff’s office’s custody following the judge’s decision to allow him to be tried as an adult.
Some of Trinity’s acquaintances told WTVF that she and the alleged killer had previously been romantically involved.
The defendant is scheduled to be arraigned on September 27, according to Nashville-based Fox affiliate WZTV. His bond was set at $2 million.
The woman, described as nice, compassionate, and enthusiastic in comments on her obituary, was from Lafayette. She worked at Walmart when she died and enjoyed music and clothes. She often assisted her father at his auto garage, where the two worked on cars together.
“She had a lot of energy,” her buddy, 14-year-old Khloe Redfield, told WZTV. “She was usually giggling on the phone, on FaceTime. She had the most incredible laugh you could imagine.
Trinity would have been a senior at Macon County High School this upcoming school year. The school’s next graduating class donated slightly over $15,000 for her family through a now-disabled GoFundMe.
Law&Crime contacted the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office for more information on this article but received no answer by the time of publishing.