Jury selection begins Tuesday in the homicide trial of two men accused of killing 20-year-old Mary Collins, whose body was found stuffed inside a mattress in a NoDa apartment more than six years ago. James Salerno and Lavi Pham each face charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping, and a Mecklenburg County judge ruled on multiple pretrial motions Monday ahead of a trial expected to last about six weeks.
Collins was last seen by her grandmother at her home on March 28, 2020, and was found dead on April 4, 2020, according to WSOC-TV, which reports the case in a new article ahead of trial. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have said Collins was stabbed more than 100 times, wrapped in plastic, and stuffed in a mattress inside an apartment at The Yards at NoDa; detectives cited in the station's report put the number of stab wounds at more than 130. Police timeline records reported by WCNC show Collins traveled to the apartment by Uber on March 28, 2020, before North Carolina's initial statewide COVID-19 stay-at-home order took effect.
A Six-Year Path to Trial
Salerno and Pham are the last of four original co-defendants to face trial. Co-defendant Kelly Lavery pleaded guilty in June 2022 to second-degree murder, kidnapping, and concealing a body, receiving a sentence of 25 to 32 years, according to WSOC TV. A fourth suspect, America Diehl, was charged with felony accessory after the fact and concealing a death and was released on a $150,000 bond; last October, a Mecklenburg County judge denied a prosecution request to revoke that bond despite reported curfew and electronic monitoring violations, per the same outlet's reporting.
Prosecutors have disclosed in court hearings that Collins was lured to the apartment and killed, the report notes. Search warrant affidavits have also revealed that suspects allegedly used Cascade dish detergent and pumpkin spice shower gel in an attempt to clean the crime scene and mask the odor of Collins' body.
Intoxication Defense Faces a High Bar
Lavi Pham's defense team plans to argue he was voluntarily intoxicated at the time of the killing, an argument focused on his state of mind. A first-degree murder conviction in North Carolina is a Class A felony carrying a mandatory penalty of either life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty, per the Marcilliat & Mills PLLC.
Collins had a disability, WCNC has reported. Following her death, Collins's family has continued to speak publicly about the case.
Political Scrutiny Over Bond Decisions
The case has drawn attention beyond the courtroom. U.S. Representative Ralph Norman issued an official statement last October criticizing the local judge's decision to allow Diehl to remain free on bond while residing in York County, South Carolina, calling it an example of soft-on-crime bail policies, according to a statement from the Office of Congressman Ralph Norman. The case has also received coverage beyond the courtroom.
Jury selection in the Salerno and Pham trial is set to begin Tuesday in Charlotte, with the full proceedings expected to stretch across roughly six weeks. Channel 9 has said it will provide ongoing updates as the trial unfolds.
