ORANGE COUNTY, NY – A man who confessed to killing a missing teacher from Newburgh in 2019 has agreed to tell police where he dumped her body.
Jessica Lopez was last seen on November 3rd, 2019 at the Windsor Motel in the town of New Windsor. Today police said Matthew Mercado, 39, of Newburgh pled guilty to manslaughter and has agreed to tell police where he left her body.
“Mercado also stated that at the time he saw Jessica Lopez having the reaction to the illegal drugs and failed to obtain medical treatment for her, he consciously disregarded a substantial and unjustifiable risk that she could die from the drugs. Matthew Mercado admitted that had Jessica Lopez received the prompt medical care she could have survived and that his actions caused her death,” the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
Her silver 2005 Toyota Camry was found later at the Showtime cinema on Route 300 in the town of Newburgh. She had recently quit her job to take care of her sick father before she went missing. According to court records, Mercado gave her an illegal mix of narcotics and drugs, which caused her to have a severe reaction that led to her death. The two were reportedly alone in the motel room together at the Windsor Motel.
Her body has not yet been found, but Mercado said he is willing to tell the police where she is. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is seeking a 17 to 19-year prison sentence for Mercado.