Authorities in Lima, Peru, are investigating a disturbing case involving the murder of 19-year-old Mercedes Sánchez Querevalú, whose remains were discovered buried in a neighboring courtyard after she had been missing for a week.
The suspect, Esteban Chicche Sullo, 51, a motorcycle taxi driver known to the victim’s family, has confessed to the crime. According to police reports, Mercedes left her home in Villa María del Triunfo on April 6, 2025, to meet Chicche, who reportedly owed her money.
Chicche admitted to striking Mercedes twice on the head with a stick, rendering her unconscious. He then took her to his residence, where, according to his own statements, he kept her body for up to 24 hours. Authorities believe she was assaulted and later dismembered in his bathroom over the course of several hours.
The suspect buried parts of her remains in a one-metre-deep hole in the courtyard of a nearby unoccupied property, which he accessed using a ladder. He also disposed of her clothing and phone, and attempted to clean the crime scene with bleach.
Mercedes was a young mother to a two-year-old daughter. Her disappearance was reported by her mother shortly after she failed to return home.
On April 14, 2025, her remains were located in San Juan de Lurigancho, a district in Lima. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are working to confirm all details, including evidence of possible sexual assault.
