An individual who works with Autumn Mercado at the Huntsman Cancer Institute expresses concerns to the police regarding her absence from work, fearing that something may have happened to her. The coworker mentions that Autumn’s husband has a history of domestic violence, which adds to the worries that the situation might have worsened.
West Jordan police officers respond to 7800 South and Iron Core Lane for a welfare check.
When Autumn’s husband, Carlos Mercado Jr., opens the door, he appears visibly intoxicated with the smell of alcohol on his breath. Despite his state, he seems relieved to see the officers, stating that he was just about to contact them. Upon entering the house, the officers discover a woman’s body covered with a blanket at the base of the stairs.
Carlos Mercado Jr. struggles to maintain his balance and speaks with a slurred voice. He explains to the officers that he had found Autumn roughly six hours earlier but had not realized she was deceased. He claimed he thought she was merely sleeping off the effects of the previous night’s drinking. The presence of multiple open alcohol containers in the kitchen and living room catches the officers’ attention.
Mercado says he and Autumn drank heavily late into the night, and he fell asleep around 4 a.m. When he wakes at 8:40 a.m., he finds Autumn at the bottom of the stairs but cannot wake her. He tells police he believes she passed out from vertigo and fell. Instead of calling 911, he covers her with a blanket, orders a Lyft, and goes to a gas station for more beer, leaving their 1- and 4-year-old children home alone with their mother’s body.
Joining Nancy Grace today:
Additional Guess
Summer Christiansen – Autumn Mercado Sister
Sydney Sumner – Crime Online Investigative Reporter
“Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” is also a national radio show on SiriusXM channel 111, airing for two hours daily starting at 12 p.m. EST. You can also subscribe and download the daily podcasts at iHeart Podcasts.
[Feature Photo:Autumn Mercado/Handout]
