Subscribe Love

Two plead guilty in Mejia murder

by | Jun 11, 2015 | Latest

By Joe Reavis

[email protected]

Two former Wylie East High School students pled guilty to murder Monday in the March 8, 2014 death of classmate Ivan Mejia.

Adam Staup, 17, and Brenden Bridges, 18, entered the pleas with no plea bargain agreements, known as an “open plea,” before 401st District Judge Mark Rusch. The judge explained to the defendants that he had complete leeway in assessing punishment up to life in prison.

The two have been jailed for more than a year in the brutal death of Mejia, who was a senior at WEHS. Bridges and Staup were juniors and were both 16 years of age. They were ruled to be tried as adults last July.

“Did you commit this crime exactly as it is set out in this indictment?” Rusch asked, and received affirmative answers in reply.

Facts of the case state that Bridges and Staup lured Mejia to a location behind Wylie East High School on March 8, 2014, where the victim was strangled and beaten. The motive for the murder was a romantic rivalry between Bridges and Mejia for the affections of a girl.

After Mejia was killed, his body was placed in the trunk of a vehicle and transported to a site, near Firewheel Mall in Garland. Attorneys from both sides noted that a grave had already been dug at the site.

In opening statements, defense attorneys painted their clients as immature and lacking the sophistication to fully understand their actions, or the consequences of their actions.

The defense asked for 20-year prison terms. The range of the punishment on a murder conviction is 5 to 99 years.

Rusch swore in nine witnesses who started testimony Monday afternoon after the court reconvened from a lunch recess.

Subscribe Love

0 Comments

Related News

Cultivating family, growing dreams

Cultivating family, growing dreams

Colby and Ashley McClendon, along with their two daughters, live in Lavon. McClendon Farms has been in operation since 1887 and Colby is a sixth generation farmer. Ashley teaches at Wally Watkins Elementary in Wylie. Courtesy photo For two families in Collin County,...

read more
Wylie ISD students qualify for All-State Choir

Wylie ISD students qualify for All-State Choir

Wylie East All-State Choir qualifiers include, from left, Nathan Jacob, Parker Smith, Logan Drum and Isabella Cavalier.  Courtesy photo Wylie ISD choir students became eight of the hundreds of All-State Choir members after the final round of auditions on Saturday,...

read more
Legislative session underway in Austin

Legislative session underway in Austin

Dallas and Collin County lawmakers have begun work in the 89th Texas Legislature with Rep. Angie Chen Button authoring several bills, Rep. Candy Noble visiting the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Rep. Jeff Leach meeting with multiple groups, individuals and constituents...

read more
Ordinance ordering general election approved by council

Ordinance ordering general election approved by council

Officially ordering elections and a couple of housekeeping items were the main topics for this week’s Sachse City Council meeting. During their Monday, Feb. 3 regular meeting, council unanimously approved a general and special election for May 3, 2025. The general...

read more
Murder Mystery Dinner returns

Murder Mystery Dinner returns

Citizens of Sachse and its surrounding communities are being called for jury duty - for a case that happened nearly 100 years ago. Sachse Historical Society’s Murder Mystery Dinner gives couples, friends and family members a dinner and a show where they actively...

read more
Zoning ordinance notifications amended by council

Zoning ordinance notifications amended by council

Several items were discussed, including changes to zoning notifications, lighting upgrades for Salmon Park, and an upcoming street maintenance election, by city council last week. The first item up for debate during the Jan. 21 regular meeting was a proposal from the...

read more
New elementary school brings new boundaries

New elementary school brings new boundaries

National Merit Commended Scholars from Wylie High and Wylie East were recognized at the Jan. 20 board of trustees meeting. From Wylie East, two students, Magnolia Volp and Mya Mwebi, earned commendations. There were 18 Wylie High students (not pictured) who earned...

read more
Incumbents file for May council, GISD elections

Incumbents file for May council, GISD elections

Each of the incumbents for Sachse’s upcoming May 3 election have filed for reelection. Mayor Jeff Bickerstaff and councilmembers Lindsay Buhler (Place 5) and Matt Prestenberg (Place 6) have each submitted their applications for re-election. In the Garland ISD...

read more
CERT offers disaster response training

CERT offers disaster response training

CERT trainees, such as those from the February 2024 class, will learn how to respond to emergency and disaster situations and much more. Residents interested in helping make a difference in their community during emergencies and other times of need can receive basic...

read more
Subscribe Love