19-Year-Old Charged After Girlfriend’s Dismembered Body Was Found ‘Stuffed’ Under Bed in Frisco, Colorado

A 19-year-old man has been charged in connection with the death of his girlfriend after investigators say her dismembered remains were discovered hidden in a trash bag beneath the couple’s bed in Frisco, Colorado.

Police responded to a midday call on Dec. 29 from the residence that was originally logged as a “medical emergency,” according to the Frisco Police Department. Officers obtained a search warrant during their investigation and found a white trash bag concealed under the bed containing the victim’s remains.

Victim, Suspect and Charges

The Summit County Coroner identified the victim as 20-year-old Griselda Amarilis Lopez-Racancoj. The Sheriff’s Office and local reporting name 19-year-old Luis Antonio Mendez Hernandez as the suspect. Hernandez was taken into custody and appeared in court on Dec. 30.

GettyPolice car (stock image)

Hernandez has been booked on multiple charges, including first-degree murder after deliberation, first-degree murder with extreme indifference, second-degree murder and tampering with a deceased human body. A 5th Judicial District judge set his cash surety bond at $5 million; he is being held at the Summit County Jail.

What Investigators Say

According to a court-unsealed affidavit obtained by local media, officers who returned to the apartment — a residence they had visited before — were told residents believed someone was under the bed. During the search, investigators located the bag containing the dismembered remains.

Officials say they also recovered a blood-covered steak knife from a closet and pillows with blood-stain patterns that the affidavit suggests may have been pressed against a person’s face. A witness told police she had not seen Lopez-Racancoj since Dec. 27 and reported that the couple had argued and separated.

GettyCrime scene (stock image)

Statements and Allegations

The affidavit says a roommate told officers that Hernandez had sent “strange” texts the night before, claiming Lopez-Racancoj was suicidal, and later refused to say where she was. Investigators also noted scratch marks on Hernandez’s neck, arms and chest.

In a post-Miranda interview, Hernandez told detectives he returned from work around 11 p.m. on Dec. 27 and initially found Lopez-Racancoj asleep. He said later he discovered she was cold to the touch and “obviously deceased,” and that he did not perform CPR or call 911 because he was in shock and afraid of getting in trouble. He reportedly suggested another man who had allegedly been “harassing her” might be responsible and also raised the possibility of suicide.

The affidavit further alleges Hernandez admitted wrapping Lopez-Racancoj’s body and concealing it under the bed, and that he researched disposal options on his phone and considered fleeing to Mexico.

Background And Next Steps

Records included in reporting indicate Hernandez previously posted a $20,000 cash surety bond in November after separate charges of assault and child abuse; that arrest affidavit listed his mother and girlfriend as alleged victims. Hernandez and Lopez-Racancoj shared a child.

The Summit County Coroner’s Office has not yet released an autopsy report or a formal cause of death. The Frisco Police Department and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment as of Jan. 26.

Note: The information above is based on court documents and local reporting. Charges are allegations, and Hernandez is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.