PHOENIX — The Maricopa County Attorney's Office will not be pursuing the death penalty for one of the three defendants charged in the murder of Mercedes Vega.
Three defendants are all charged in the 22-year-old's murder back in April 2023.
ABC15 has previously reported that prosecutors filed their intent to seek the death penalty against Cudjoe Young and Sencere Hayes.
Thursday, MCAO told ABC15 they would not be seeking the death penalty in the case against Jared Gray.
ABC15 was told they would not be providing additional information on the reason behind their decision.
Young was found guilty, this week, of robbing Vega at gunpoint years before her murder.
He was also convicted of attempting to rob another woman who worked at the same club where Vega danced.
Prosecutors' filings for both Young and Hayes included an aggravating factor that alleges Vega was killed, possibly to prevent her testimony.
"The defendant committed the offense to prevent Victim M. Vega’s cooperation with an official law enforcement investigation, to prevent her testimony in a court proceeding, or in retaliation for her cooperation with an official law enforcement investigation," says the court filing.
The robbery trial started the aggravation phase on Thursday, and Young's sentencing in the case is set for June 26.
The murder case is set to go to trial in 2027.
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