GALLATIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Sumner County jury took just 25 minutes to convict Fernando Mejia of first-degree murder in the killing of 17-year-old Trinity Bostic, whose body was found along a Hendersonville roadside in 2024.
Mejia, who was 17 years old at the time of the murder, was immediately sentenced to life in prison following the verdict in Sumner County Criminal Court.
Investigators with the Hendersonville Police Department opened a suspicious death investigation on July 3, 2024, after Tennessee Department of Transportation workers discovered remains along Veterans Parkway. Trinity's cause of death was a gunshot wound to the face.
Detectives say in the hours before she was killed, Trinity was with her ex-boyfriend, Fernando Mejia, who was 17 at the time. Evidence recovered from Trinity's bank card, clothing, and AirPods — found inside his bedroom — along with the gun that killed her, found inside his car, formed the foundation of the case against him.
After a four-day trial, jurors deliberated for just 25 minutes before returning a guilty verdict.
For Trinity's family, the conviction brought a complicated mix of emotions.
"We're happy and sad at the same time," Trinity's mother, Shelby May, said.
May said the investigation began on her birthday — the same day Trinity was found.
"It was my birthday. They found her on my birthday. And devastated," May said.
Trinity was described by her family as the baby of the family — smart, headstrong and full of warmth. She had dreams of becoming a lawyer.
"She was the sweetest, kindest soul. She was always happy. She, everybody that she ever met, they just loved her," Trinity's sister, Tasha Calcote, said.
Just two weeks ago, Trinity would have celebrated her 19th birthday on Valentine's Day — a day that now carries a different weight for her mother.
"It's supposed to be heart day, our heart was broken. It's been broken for two years. It's probably going to be broken for the rest of my life," May said.
Calcote said she has not yet reached a place of forgiveness, but holds onto hope.
"I don't know yet that I forgive him. I don't, like, but if he maybe showed signs of remorse, like, I just pray for his soul and for him to open up and see, like, what he lost himself and what he took from us and his own family," Calcote said.
The family says while this chapter in court is over, their grief is not. They hope Trinity's story serves as a reminder to young people to know their worth and recognize they are loved. Tonight, they say they will continue saying her name.
"We've been waiting for this day for two years," May said.
This story was reported on-air by journalist Kelsey Gibbs and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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