GUILTY CA - Sammy Mercado, 16, Sanger, 12 April 2012

KaylynnCouture · Apr 14, 2012

A 16-year-old Sanger boy who reportedly tried to steal marijuana from a southeast Fresno grow site is missing and may have been shot, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said today.

Detectives believe Sammy Mercado and two friends drove to the field at Annadale and Willow avenues about 7:30 a.m. Thursday to steal marijuana, sheriff's Lt. Robert Salazar said at a news conference in downtown Fresno.

Sammy left the vehicle and entered the field's southwest corner, where he was confronted by two men who came out of a hut on the property, Salazar said.

Sammy's friends drove away but returned a short time later. They reportedly heard gunshots and saw Sammy lying on the ground, Salazar said.

Sammy might have been put in the trunk of a four-door white Toyota Camry that a third man had driven to the field, Salazar said. Sheriff's detectives believe that Sammy was shot and injured.

He has not been seen since, Salazar said.

Sammy was reported missing by his family to Sanger police Thursday evening. The sheriff's office was contacted Friday afternoon, Salazar said.

Snipped from: http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/04/14/2799860/missing-fresno-county-teen-may.html#storylink=cpy (Photos of Sammy at link)

summer_breeze · Apr 15, 2012

http://www.cbs47.tv/news/local/story/Search-For-Missing-Teen/iYSxYNXw10GOR-H0C8-5mA.cspx

Reported by: Tony Botti Email: tbotti@cbsfresno.com
Published: 4/14 10:43 pm
Updated: 4/14 10:48 pm

Search For Missing Teen

summer_breeze · Apr 15, 2012

http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-co...ing-after-he-reportedly-tried-steal-marijuana

By Eddie Jimenez
Fresno Bee
Posted: 04/15/2012 07:40:56 AM PDT
Updated: 04/15/2012 07:40:57 AM PDT

A 16-year-old boy who reportedly tried to steal marijuana from a Fresno grow site is missing and may have been shot, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said Saturday.

summer_breeze · Apr 16, 2012

http://www.kmph.com/story/17454142/pot-stealing-teen-missing-may-be-hurt

Posted: Apr 15, 2012 2:12 AM EDT
By Nicole Garcia

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KMPH) -Fresno County investigators fear a missing teenager could be hurt, shot, or worse.

summer_breeze · Apr 18, 2012

http://www.kmjnow.com/pages/landing...ing-in-Missing-Te=1&blockID=600884&feedID=806

April 18, 2012, 11:49 am

Fresno County authorities are asking for the public's help in locating a 21 year old man, wanted for questioning in the disappearance of a Sanger teenager.

summer_breeze · Apr 19, 2012

http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/04/19/2806523/pickups-found-in-case-of-missing.html

By Eddie Jimenez - The Fresno Bee
Thursday, Apr. 19, 2012 | 02:53 PM

Two pickup trucks that belong to the family of a suspect sought in the disappearance of a Sanger teenager were found today in an almond orchard west of Fresno, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said.

summer_breeze · Apr 21, 2012

http://www.cbs47.tv/news/local/stor...ssing-Sanger-Teen/yBRs7GDJtU-UUE-6w2bqFA.cspx

Reported by: Kathryn Herr
Email: kherr@cbsfresno.com
Published: 4/20 9:50 pm
Updated: 4/20 9:53 pm

Pictures of Sammy Mercado are up around Sanger, including at the spot he visited every day the Chuck Wagon restaurant.

summer_breeze · Apr 23, 2012

http://www.ksee24.com/news/video/MISSING-TEEN-148462735.html

By KSEE News
April 22, 2012
Updated Apr 22, 2012 at 7:40 PM PDT

Sammy Mercado has been missing for ten days. He's Phillip's youngest son.

summer_breeze · May 7, 2012

http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=8650661

Sunday, May 06, 2012

SANGER, Calif. (KFSN) -- Family members of a missing Sanger teen are working to raise money for a reward in the case. Sammy Mercado, 16, was last seen on April 12 at a marijuana garden east of Sanger.

summer_breeze · May 15, 2012

http://crimevoice.com/murder-warran...nection-to-sanger-teen’s-disappearance-12348/

By Elizabeth Warmerdam
on Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 at 1:01 pm

FRESNO The Fresno Sheriffs Office issued a murder warrant on Monday for a Fresno man who has been a subject of interest in the case of a Sanger teenager who went missing last month.

SheWhoMustNotBeNamed · Oct 17, 2012

Sammy was added to Charley Project today - http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/mercado_sammy.html

SheWhoMustNotBeNamed · Oct 17, 2012

Sammy Mercado

Endangered Missing from Sanger, California since April 11, 2012

Age: 16 -- Height: 6'1" -- Weight: 140 lbs -- Hair Color: Black -- Eye Color: Brown

Sammy was last seen in Sanger, California at 7:30 am on April 11, 2012. He and some friends went to a 5-acre marijuana farm with the intention of stealing some plants. Sammy was interrupted by two Asian men guarding the fields, and one shot at him. Sammy's friends drove away but later came back to look for him. They saw an Asian man driving a car with the trunk open, but couldn't see what was inside the trunk. When authorities arrived at the scene, they found blood and other evidence indicating Sammy was shot and probably killed. Sammy is believed to be deceased, but his body has never been found.

Charley Project

Facebook - Find Sammy Mercado

Donjeta · Oct 20, 2012

http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/samm...t-california-ernie-chanmany-arrested-17522176

California Murder Suspect Arrested on Pot Charges in Utah
Ernie Chanmany is wanted on murder charges after Sammy Mercado's disappearance.
10/19/2012

summer_breeze · Oct 20, 2012

http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/10/20/3036387/body-of-missing-sanger-teen-believed.html

By Eddie Jimenez - The Fresno Bee
Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012 | 04:32 PM

Investigators believe they have found the body of a missing Sanger teenager in a shallow grave east of Fresno, Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims said at a Saturday afternoon news conference.

summer_breeze · Nov 27, 2012

http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/11/17/3070582/obituaries-for-sunday-nov-18.html

The Fresno Bee
Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012 | 11:04 PM

MERCADO -- Sammy Mercado, 16, of Sanger died Oct. 20. Mass: 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary's New Catholic Church. He was a student and the son of Diana Juarez and Phillip Mercado. Arrangements: Sunset Funeral Services in Fowler.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Rest in Peace Sammy.

OkieGranny · Jun 25, 2014

http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/06/25/3996561/trial-begins-for-fresno-man-in.html?sp=/99/406/

A Fresno murder trial began Wednesday with accusations from a defense attorney that the wrong man is being tried and the prosecution contending the defendant made incriminating statements that put him at the scene of the crime.

Ernie Chanmany, 23, of Fresno is accused in Fresno County Superior Court of using an assault rifle to kill 16-year-old Sammy Mercado of Sanger and burying him in a shallow grave.

If convicted of murder, Chanmany could face life in prison.

OkieGranny · Jun 25, 2015

From July 2014:

http://abc30.com/news/ernie-chanmany-acquitted-in-the-murder-of-sammy-mercado/172803/

A Fresno County jury acquitted Ernie Chanmany of first degree murder- in what attorneys are calling a "bizarre" murder trial. He wasn't the shooter but Ernie Chanmany was held responsible for the murder of sixteen year old Sammy Mercado back in 2012.

Jurors decided Chanmany was not guilty of murder but guilty of growing and possessing drugs. But jurors could not come to an agreement about the second degree murder charge so prosecutors are gearing up for a second trial...

Green maintains that Chanmany was in a pickup truck when Sammy Mercado was shot and killed... Six months after the murder it was Ernie Chanmany who led detectives to the orchard where he admitted that he and two brothers buried the teen's body.

OkieGranny · Jan 19, 2016

Just realized I posted the two updates above exactly one year apart. How weird. :waitasec:

Cannot find any new news, but I wondered whatever happened to the Voravong brothers and found this, from April 2013:

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_23034708/2-brothers-freed-fresno-county-teens-killing

The Fresno County District Attorney's Office did not explain why it asked that charges of murder and marijuana cultivation be dropped against 29-year-old Michael Voravong and his 28-year-old brother Marshall Voravong.

OkieGranny · Apr 26, 2016

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/crime/article73861177.html

On Monday, Chanmany pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter and will be sentenced to 11 years in state prison when he returns to court on May 23 for sentencing in front of Judge James A. Kelley.

Chanmany’s lawyer, Eric Green, said his client is innocent in Mercado’s death, but the District Attorney’s Office was planning to retry him on second-degree murder charges.

OkieGranny · May 24, 2016

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/crime/article79382522.html

A marijuana grower was sentenced Monday to 11 years in prison in connection with the 2012 killing of a Sanger teen who was fatally shot while trying to steal marijuana from a field southeast of Fresno.

GUILTY CA - Sammy Mercado, 16, Sanger, 12 April 2012

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