A Southern California woman has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the 2014 killing of her boyfriend, whose body was hidden for years beneath a staircase in her backyard.

Trista Ann Spicer, 46, was sentenced on March 27 after being convicted of second-degree murder in the death of Eric Mercado, 42. The killing took place in October 2014 at a home in San Bernardino.

Prosecutors said Spicer murdered Mercado and concealed his body under a staircase on her property, where it remained undiscovered for years. Mercado’s family had reported him missing shortly after his disappearance, and missing persons posters circulated as they searched for answers.

Spicer initially told authorities that Mercado had left the home following an argument and never returned.

The case remained unsolved until 2022, when Spicer’s former boyfriend, Waylan Gentry, came forward with information that led investigators to the remains.

According to court testimony, Gentry said Spicer told him she needed help “getting rid of” Mercado before revealing that his body was buried beneath the stairs. At first, he said he did not believe her.

Investigators later searched the property and uncovered what authorities described as a “makeshift tomb,” where human remains were found.

At trial, Spicer claimed she acted in self-defense during a violent confrontation. She testified that Mercado became enraged over a meal she prepared, prompting her to strike him multiple times with a cast-iron skillet and then stab him in the neck.

However, prosecutors challenged her account, pointing to testimony that suggested Mercado may have been attacked while he was sleeping.

Gentry testified that Spicer told him she struck Mercado in the head with a frying pan before cutting his neck and hiding his body in the backyard structure.

The jury ultimately rejected Spicer’s self-defense claim, finding her guilty of second-degree murder in November 2025.

The sentencing brings a close to a case that remained hidden for years — both literally and figuratively — until a confession and a tip led authorities to the grim discovery buried beneath the home.