April 4, 2020 is a day that will forever be etched in the minds of those who knew and loved Mary Sunshine Collins Amid the throes of the COVID 19 pandemic. The body of the 20 year old was discovered in an apartment in the North Davidson area of Charlotte, North Carolina. The ensuing investigation uncovered a series of events deemed among the most senseless and depraved the city has ever witnessed. In an interview with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Detective Brian Crum, the public got a glimpse of the shocking details. Relatives described 20 year old Mary Santina Collins as a kind, loving, innocent and fragile soul. She had a passion for singing and a smile that could light up even the darkest rooms. Mary was born on July six, 1999, at age three. She was diagnosed with a genetic condition known as 22 Q deletion syndrome, or D. George Syndrome, which caused some developmental delays and cognitive impairment. She also had an internal cleft palate which affected her speech. Although Mary underwent successful palate repair, she was essentially non-verbal until age six. Despite these challenges, Mary worked hard to communicate. She began with sign language at a very early age and continuously worked to develop verbal skills. By age 20, Mary could communicate verbally, although she had a significant speech impediment and lacked the physical ability to scream due to her severe learning disability, Mary was unable to continue public school. In addition, she did not drive a car or live independently and would easily get confused with her location. Despite these challenges, Mary enjoyed learning and playing the guitar. A few years after leaving high school, she briefly dated a teenager named Lavi Pham, whom she knew of through their high school's online channels. Two years after they stopped dating Love his new girlfriend, Kelli Lavery started to harass Mary online with cruel and disparaging comments. Mary's family was unaware of the situation, but the harassment eventually stopped. Kelley later managed to convince Mary they were friends and invited her to the two bedroom apartment she shared with Lavi for a Girls night, filled with scary movies and makeup. Kelly even offered to buy sushi, which was Mary's favorite food. Despite Kelly's past behavior, Mary saw her as a friend and agreed to meet with the couple on Saturday, March 28. Mary, who always looked at the bright side of a situation, was eager to socialize and was in cheerful spirits. We got There's going to be a great day. Wake up. Today is going to be a nice day. Wake up, Jason. To be North Carolina reported its first COVID 19 case on March four, 2020, and Governor Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency just six days later. By March 27, the number of cases had surged, placing immense stress on frontline workers such as nurses, police and retail clerks. As Mary prepared to leave her home on March 28, the country was amid a full blown pandemic, and within two weeks, the US coronavirus death toll would be the highest in the world. On Saturday, March 28, Kelley Lavery arranged an Uber to pick up Mary from her home and bring her to the yards at no to apartments. Mary's grandmother, Mia Alderman, was apprehensive about her granddaughter going anywhere amid the pandemic. She attempted to dissuade Mary from leaving, but Mary was eager to socialize and insisted on taking the ride. As the Uber pulled away, Ms.. Alderman could not shake off her lingering unease. Mary arrived at the Yard's apartments at 2:30 p.m.. She did not respond to text messages from family members that night. The next morning, at 6:54 a.m., one of Mary's relatives sent a text message to Kelley stating Mary needs to call home immediately. Please call this number. Kelley did not reply. Shortly after, the relatives text message lobby posted videos on social media featuring himself, Mary and Kelley chatting and smiling in the hallways of their building. One video even showed the lobby holding a bag of takeout sushi. Yet, despite the seemingly happy footage, Mary had still not responded to text messages or phone calls, and her phone appeared to be off. Unfortunately, relatives buy into the false sense of security. The social media videos were intended to provide. As the hours passed, they anxiously awaited to hear from Mary. At 7:31 p.m. that evening, a relative of Mary sent the text to Kelley that stated, Kelley, Mary's phone is off. We have a family emergency. Police have her call as soon as possible. Thank you once again. There is no response from Kelley. After almost 36 hours without contact, Ms.. Alderman went to the yard's apartments to pick up Mary. Lobby and Kelley initially claimed that Mary had already left and they did not know where she was. Ms.. Alderman sense that they were lying and persistently shouted Mary's name and threatened to call 911. After this, she was allowed into the apartment. Ms.. Alderman thoroughly searched one bedroom, a bathroom and multiple closets, but was prevented from entering the back bedroom. Unfortunately, her search yielded no trace of Mary. That evening, Ms.. Alderman called 911 and stressed to the operator that Mary was endangered and had not been heard from since March 28. Ms.. Alderman also said she could not track Mary's phone location and her bank account had no recent activity. The operator instructed her to return home and complete a standard missing persons report, which was a difficult decision for Ms.. Alderman, as she firmly believed Mary was still in the apartment. Eventually, a police officer was sent to the yard's apartments for a welfare check, but left the scene after knocking and receiving no response. Finally, a separate officer took a report from Ms.. Alderman at her home. Instead of missing persons, detective would contact her. Ms.. Alderman returned to the yard's apartments that night and continued waiting into the morning for the police to arrive and search the apartment. On March 31st, Ms.. Alderman canvased the area as she anxiously waited for the police to arrive. She even persuaded the apartment manager to review the security cameras for any leads. Her hopes were momentarily lifted. When missing persons, Detective Gaskin contacted her, promising to work on Mary's case. But her relief was short lived when Gaskin stated he could not make it to the apartments that day and instructed her to call 911 instead. So Ms.. Alderman dialed 911 once again, pleading for help. When officer number three arrived, he was met with resistance from lobby who denied him entry. However, Levy agreed to allow Mary's mother, who had recently arrived to enter the back bedroom. While the officer remained at the front door, Mary's mother spotted someone lying on the bed covered by a sheet, which Alavi claimed was Kelly. Despite their desperate search, Mary was nowhere to be found, although they were not made aware of a second bathroom in the apartment. Afterward, Ms.. Alderman informed the officer that the property manager was reviewing surveillance camera footage. That's when she discovered that the police had instructed the manager to stop reviewing the footage. The family was upset to learn that detective Gaskin had insisted on a warrant before any further investigation could proceed. The family's frustration mounted as they felt their pleas for help fell on deaf ears. With every passing moment, bringing them one step closer to the worst possible outcome. Mary's relatives were growing increasingly disheartened by the lack of progress in the investigation. By April 1st, 2020, they had become convinced that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department was not prioritizing Mary's disappearance. The family wanted the police to press lobby and Kelley for answers, but instead. Missing persons. Detective Gaskin advised them not to harass the couple as they felt threatened. This response only added to the family's confusion and despair. On the sixth day of Mary's disappearance, Mary's friends, family and community members organized a search party using drones and bloodhounds. They explored train tracks surrounding woods, construction sites and trash bins as they continued to fight for answers. One of Mary's former classmates started an online investigation into Mary's disappearance. She scoured social media and stumbled upon a critical piece of information. A witness reportedly overheard a man named James Salerno boasting about a violent attack on Mary. According to the witness, Salerno had claimed that Mary's body was hidden inside a mattress that LaVey and Kelley had planned to burn. Armed with this chilling revelation, Detective Gaskin visited the yard's apartment complex. Although for unknown reasons, a search and seizure warrant was not requested at that time. Upon arrival at the scene, Detective Gaskin persuaded Lowry to allow a consent search of the premises. As officers watched, LaVey lifted the mattress, revealing nothing. Gaskin looked around the apartment before leaving, confident that he had thoroughly searched the property. During a phone call with Miss Alderman, Gaskin was asked if he had searched the apartment. He said he did and added, Do you understand she's not in there. On the seventh day of Mary's disappearance, and despite multiple attempts by family members to explain the danger she was in, Detective Gaskin had finally issued a missing persons bulletin. The apparent lack of urgency only added to the family's feelings of betrayal and abandonment as they waited for answers. The family decided to take matters into their own hands. They secured permission from the apartment complex corporate office to review the yard security footage, only to learn that a warrant was not required after all. They combed through hours of footage searching for any signs of Mary leaving the building. But their efforts yielded no results. Unfortunately, it would not be long before the family received unsettling news. Then, two days later, the witness called police again, insisting Mary's body was there. This time, detectives went in with a search warrant, shocking neighbors at the Noda apartment complex. I'm losing it. You guys put in someone, Just come after to. On April four, 2020, the police received additional critical information discovered by Mary's former classmate who had been researching her case as a result of her work. Two witnesses went to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department headquarters to give a statement insisting that Mary's body was still in the apartment. Homicide detectives were brought in and this time police obtained a search warrant, as reported by WC and KTVI. Detectives revealed that Mary's lifeless body was skillfully hidden inside a mattress. The mattress springs had been removed to create a space for Mary's remains, which were concealed using a combination of plastic wrap contractor, gray trash bags and duct tape. Clothing boxes and various other items were then arranged around her body to maintain the mattress shape. The edges were secured with duct tape and clothing and blankets were placed on top. The suspects then used dish detergent and pumpkin spice shower gel to mask the odor of decomposition. Miss Alderman and the rest of the family received the devastating news late in the evening. Two officers were dispatched to the house to deliver the information as Detective Gaskin, who had been handling the case and whom they had never met in person, was absent. After enduring eight long days of agonizing mental torture, the family's worst fears were finally confirmed. Their beloved Mary, the light of their lives had been taken from them. The realization was like a dagger through their hearts, leaving them shattered and inconsolable. Mary had been the heart and soul of their family, always bringing joy and laughter wherever she went. Her infectious smile, warm hugs and boundless energy all now just memories to hold on to. Kelly And lot of you were arrested later that evening and interviewed by police into the early morning hours of April 5th. They both gave the same version of events. They claimed that Mary had come over on the 28th but left on the 30th between 11 a.m. and noon to see other friends. They also confirmed that the two of them, along with Mary James Salerno and 18 year old America Deal, whom Salerno had recently met on the Tinder dating app, were in the apartment for the weekend. Afterward, Detective Brian Crime of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department was interviewed by a local news station. Let's talk about this case in general terms. I think most people hear sort of the basics of it and are pretty shocked by it. How would you describe this crime? I think shocking is is the perfect way to describe it. This is a case that there's so many things about it that just, I think, shocked every one of us that was involved with it. You have, you know, such a young victim who had so much ahead of her in life. She was, I think, taken advantage of by people She should have trusted or she trusted. And I think that's what just gets you so much more about this case. And it's just absolutely the nature of the crime is just horrendous. I, I struggle to think of a crime. It's just really more shocking that we've recently looked at. Is there any way to explain this? That's what people keep asking. Why did this happen? You know, that's something I think you'd have to ask the people involved. They haven't told us. You know, the suspects in this case, they've never really come out and explained why. You know, we can make a lot of assumptions. But I think that's that's probably the biggest thing we're all left with is just trying to understand how something so just senseless and just horrendous can happen. That was a search that's done with the permission of the homeowners, which certainly limits our ability to look everywhere that we would want to look. You know, we went everywhere we can, but there are certain limitations When somebody gives you permission to search their home, we can't destroy property. We obviously can't we can't open anything. If they say, hey, not there, you can't do that. And I don't think it's reasonable for them for a homeowner to allow us to start opening and actually destroying property to search inside of it. So in that initial search that the homeowner consented to the missing persons, detectives did look at the mattress. They didn't find Mary's body. Absolutely. So they looked, you know, under the mattress along with the homeowners. There was nothing that was apparent at that time. And this is really at this time, the second time someone has searched the house. So the family's been in the home. We've now been in the home. We didn't see anything that was apparent. And, you know, unfortunately, we're limited to what we could search like we discussed. How did they miss finding Mary's body, though? Mary was very well concealed. I think some of that's reflected in the court record. When we ultimately went in with a search warrant. It wasn't even immediately apparent to us at that time until we began, you know, looking a little bit more closely at things, you know, search, searching things and looking to an extent that we wouldn't be able to do with the homeowner's permission. We ultimately had to open up the mattress in order to find her. You actually had to physically open up. She was fully concealed inside of the mattress. Yes, ma'am. I think most people think, though, a body weighs a certain amount. So you lift a mattress and there be something unusual about it. Sure. It's just the way everything played out. It wasn't obvious. And I can tell you that even my folks, when they went back with the search, with a search warrant, I mean, they were shocked at how well she was concealed. Wow. What does that tell you then about. I think there's a lot of thought that went into this as far as how to hide her and try to take and see what their crime was. I think that they also were willing to speak with us and with family, which is fairly unusual for four people have done something that's, you know, just so horrific. On April 5th, police located and arrested James Salerno at his home in the university area of Charlotte. All three suspects were charged with first degree murder, first degree kidnaping and concealing or failing to report a death. They were each held without bond. A fourth suspect, America deal, had fled the state. The accused are as follows. 21 year old Lovey Pham, Kelli's boyfriend with a history of substance abuse. 24 year old Kelli Lavery is described as the ringleader, a woman from a well-off family with a troubled past, including substance abuse and an arrest record. Multiple people who knew her came forward after the incident to state she had previously spoken of, wanting to know what it's like to kill someone. She was arrested in 2019 on charges of simple assault. 20 year old James Salerno is described as best friends with Kelly and Lovey. He has an extensive arrest record that includes an armed robbery charge in 2017 and multiple marijuana possession charges. And 18 year old America deal, whom James had recently met and with whom he was involved in a romantic relationship. According to court records, prosecutors described text messages between Kelly and Lobby, dating back several months that show the couple intended to lure Mary to their apartment for a threesome. If she refused, they would take her life. Although some sources stated they believed the couple had planned to kill Mary all along as entertainment. After Mary arrived at the couple's apartment on March 28, they allegedly put substances in her drink and food, including Xanax, to debilitate her. Afterward, according to prosecutors, Mary was assaulted, placed in a bathtub and repeatedly stabbed, according to an autopsy report. The medical examiner noted Mary had been cut 133 times. After weeks of investigation, prosecutors were able to build a case against James Salerno. They had phone records that placed him at the scene of the crime both during and after the incident. Furthermore, they found an app on his phone that contained a list of cleaning supplies, which investigators believe James LOVI Kelly and America used to clean up the crime scene. Although America had fled the state following the murder, she was active on social media, including the following post to do Praise the Lord, Break the law, take what's mine, take some more. America turned herself in to local police in Thornton, Colorado. She was then extradited to Charlotte, where she faced charges of felony accessory after the fact and concealing a death. America was held in custody until a bond hearing took place 15 months later, after which the Collins family received the following. Urgent advisory via email. Urgent advisory dated September 18, 2021. Thank you for registering for a victim notification through the North Carolina seven service. This email is to inform you that America deal has been released from custody as of September 18, 2021. The release Reason is bonded out. If you have any concerns about your immediate safety, contact your local law enforcement agency or if you have an emergency, call 911. Mary's family was shocked to discover that not only was America deal free, but she was unmonitored and had once again fled the state in violation of the court order. The family also learned that the Charlotte police had altered their ankle monitoring policy in 2019 for murder suspects released on bail, refusing to assign electronic ankle bracelets. This policy aimed to pressure judges to stop granting bail to murder suspects and was enforced without first consulting judges. Furthermore, the acting police chief, Kerr Putney, stated that judges did not consult with him when recommending electronic monitoring. Therefore, he would not consult with them about the new monitoring policy. Undeterred, the Collins family worked with the district attorney to arrange a hearing to clarify the requirements of America's bond. After reviewing the documents, the judge imposed the following conditions on America's release. She was to obtain third party ankle monitoring, paid for by herself a curfew of 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., no contact with co-defendants, and a psychological evaluation to be completed within 30 days. Despite the court order, the Collins family believes that America deal should not have been extended the opportunity to be free, considering the nature of the charges against her. Unfortunately, it would not be the only legal setback for Mary's family. Two years after Mary's murder, Lavi Kelly and James Salerno were still in jail awaiting trial. On Thursday, June 30th, 2022. Kelly later accepted a plea deal. She pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of murder in the second degree, kidnaping in the first degree and concealment of a body. In exchange for the guilty plea. She received a sentence of 25 to 32 years in prison for the brutal murder of Mary Santina Collins. Her projected release date is June 29, 2047. Mary's family, who attended the hearing, were understandably upset with the plea agreement. She saw the light of my sister and she wanted to put it out because you don't know what life is. Passionate moment is Mary Collins family addressed the court. She couldn't speak very well. She could yell like this. She be swayed free. I don't think she called for me. Family says Collins token Uber and was lured to an apartment in Noda in late March 2020. Her family reported her missing after not hearing from her for several days in April when police returned to the apartment. They found her body hidden inside of a madras. Details that brought the prosecutor to tears. Her body had been wrapped tightly in trash bags and duct tape and then placed back in the manifest from which the box resided or removed. Four people were charged in connection to Collins death. Two of them were in court today. Kelly LaBrie pleaded guilty to second degree murder, concealment of a body and first degree kidnaping charges and accepted the plea arrangement. After LaBrie addressed the court calmly, I want to pray for Mary. She's in peace and that she knows I'm so sorry for what happened to her Lavie fan, who was charged with first degree murder, first degree kidnaping and concealing or failing to report a death was also in court and pleaded not guilty. We spoke to Collins family after court today. Collins mother said this as a mother. It just feels like nothing. Nothing is going to satisfy me. But I want something to be done, if that makes sense. And every day I think about how many more days do I have? Do I have? Because I have to live those days without ever seeing my daughter again. Mary's grandmother, Miss Maya Alderman, spoke about witnessing the plea deal being finalized in court. I'm destroyed. I there's no language for how I'm doing. I haven't got a language to explain that to you. No language exist for this kind of agony. What they did to Mary, what she went through, the depravity, the level of just the heinous, horrible things they did to her, and that I wasn't there. And I couldn't stop them. On January 12, 2023, after being in jail for nearly three years on a first degree murder charge, and despite opposition from Mary's family members, James Salerno was granted bond at $250,000. Mary's grandmother and a dozen friends and family members who appeared on behalf of Collins were furious with the decision. Ms.. Alderman was shaking as prosecutors read the facts of the case in court, including details of Mary's injuries. What Salerno has done is possibly one of the most depraved cases Charlotte has ever seen, she said, adding insult to injury. Not only was bond set at $250,000, but Salerno may be released without additional conditions typically available in murder cases, Ms.. Alderman said. They gave us no protection, no order to stay away from us or America. Deal. There was no electronic monitoring, nothing. In summary, as of the date of this video, Kelly Lavery accepted a plea deal for a lesser charge of second degree murder with a reduced sentence. James Salerno has been granted bond. According to county records, he has not yet made bond. America Deal is released on bond pending trial, and Libby Pham remains in custody. His trial date remains undetermined nearly three years after his arrest. Mary Santina Collins, a 20 year old woman with a full life ahead of her, tragically lost her life in Charlotte, North Carolina, in what many consider one of the most gruesome murders ever committed. Her family, determined to seek justice for Mary, has faced numerous legal challenges, including a lack of urgency in the early stages of the investigation and legal loopholes that allowed some of the suspects to escape accountability. At least temporarily. Yet Mary's family did not let these setbacks deter them from pursuing the justice they deserve and advocating for change on behalf of others through their advocacy group, Mary's Voice. They have been working to improve missing person investigations involving disabled individuals and to give families more influence over determining whether a missing person is in danger. While Mary's tragic story is a reminder of the injustices that can occur, her family's resolve to make a difference offers hope for a better future. If you're interested in supporting Mary's voice, there are a few ways you can help. First, you can spread the word about the organization and their mission to obtain justice for Mary Santina Collins. Share their social media posts. Tell your friends and family about their cause, and encourage others to get involved. If you'd like to offer support in other ways, you can reach out to Mary's voice directly and inquire about other ways you can get involved. Any support you can offer will help Mary's voice continue their important work and honor the memory of Mary Santina Collins.