Friends and family described Trinity Lei Bostic, a 17-year-old White female, as an intelligent, kind-hearted, and hardworking young woman who was excited about graduating. A senior at Macon County High School in Tennessee, she worked at Walmart and had a passion for music, fashion, and working on cars with her father at his auto body shop. Her friends remembered her as a genuine and loving person who was a bright light to all who knew her.
On June 29, 2024, Trinity was reported missing
from Macon County. A few days later, on July 3, her remains were discovered in a wooded area along a roadway in Hendersonville by a Tennessee Department of Transportation subcontractor who was picking up trash. The location was about an hour away from where she was last seen. Police immediately suspected foul play, and an autopsy later determined that Trinity had died from a gunshot wound to the face. Her death was ruled a homicide.
The investigation quickly led authorities to a suspect. On July 6, police arrested 17-year-old Fernando Perales Mejia of Westmoreland, a classmate with whom Trinity had been romantically involved. Investigators were led to Mejia through cellphone records, which showed that he was the last person to contact Trinity and that their phones traveled the same routes on June 29. Location data placed both of them near the area where her body was ultimately found.
A search of Mejia's residence uncovered a loaded 9mm magazine and a bag containing some of Trinity’s personal belongings, including her bank card, clothing, and AirPods. In his vehicle, authorities found the 9mm handgun that was used to kill her. When first interviewed, Mejia denied having seen Trinity in over two years, but when confronted with the evidence, he admitted to having been with her on the day she disappeared. Dash cam footage from his own car showed him smiling and laughing when he learned her remains had been found.
Fernando Perales Mejia was charged with first-degree murder. In August 2024, a judge ruled that he would be tried as an adult for the killing, and he was held in the Sumner County Detention Center.
On February 26, 2026, after a four-day trial and just 25 minutes of deliberation, a Sumner County jury convicted Fernando Perales Mejia of first-degree murder. He was immediately sentenced to life in prison. Before the sentence was imposed, Trinity’s family addressed the court, remembering her as a beautiful soul who loved her family. As of February 2026, the case is closed.
