Two Men Sentenced to Life Without Parole in Mary Collins Murder Case

A young woman who went to meet people she believed were friends became the victim of a horrific crime. More than six years later, two men have learned their fate in court.

Two men in North Carolina have been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2020 murder of 20-year-old Mary Collins, a young woman whose family said she wanted nothing more than to make friends.

Lavi Pham, 27, and James Salerno, 26, received their sentences on October 12, 2026, after a jury found them guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping and concealing a death, according to prosecutors.

The case dates back to March 2020, when Collins was reportedly taken to an apartment in the Charlotte area after a rideshare was arranged for her. Prosecutors said she had a cognitive disability and a speech disorder, circumstances that made her disappearance especially concerning to her loved ones.

According to the prosecution’s account, Collins was pressured to participate in sexual activity and was drugged during the night. When she refused, the situation escalated into violence.

Investigators said Pham, Salerno and a third person, Kelly Lavery, were involved in the fatal attack. After Collins died, her body was concealed inside a mattress in an attempt to hide the crime.

Her family reported her missing in late March. Her body was discovered on April 4, 2020, and the investigation eventually led to arrests and criminal charges.

During the sentencing, the judge described the crime in exceptionally severe terms, emphasizing the cruelty involved. Collins’ grandmother also addressed the court, remembering her granddaughter as someone whose spirit and goodness could not be erased by what happened to her.

Lavery had previously pleaded guilty to charges including second-degree murder and received a sentence of 25 to 32 years in prison.

A fourth person, America Diehl, is scheduled to face trial in December 2026, according to PEOPLE. Meanwhile, attorneys for Pham and Salerno have indicated that they intend to appeal, maintaining that the men are innocent.

For Collins’ family, the sentences mark a major development in a case that has remained painful for years. Although the court proceedings have reached this stage, the loss of a young woman whose family says she was simply seeking connection remains at the heart of the story.

Source: PEOPLE