Alleged “ringleader” in murder cover-up given $10,000 surety bail; 7 others involved and 51 indictments

A woman from Northampton who’s being called an alleged “ringleader” in the cover-up of a man’s murder, was released after posting her a $10,000 surety bail.

Mercedes Diaz-Wright, 22, cried in court on Tuesday as the judge set her bail amount. She was released on her recognizance the same day with GPS tracking.

Diaz-Wright is alleged to have played a major role in the hiding of 44 year olds Daniel Cruz’s body, who was shot to death on March 10th. He was allegedly shot and killed by 22 year old Nerkin Morales during an argument. Cruz’s body was found burning in a field later that night.

 

 

 

 

 

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Suhl is alleging Wright-Diaz of “cleaning blood out of the apartment” where Cruz was murdered, hiding the murder weapon in a storage unit that she owned, speaking to other witnesses on the case, so that they all were “on the same page” and helping in smuggling Cruz’s body out of the apartment to the field, where she and the other suspects set him on fire.CAROL LOLLIS

Diaz-Wright is just one out of eight people involved in Cruz’s murder. The other 7 were indicted on Monday. There are 51 indictments so far in this case.

She faces 10 charges that include being an accessory after the fact, improper disposition of a human body, burning personal property, withholding evidence from criminal proceeding (two counts), conspiracy (two counts),unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, misleading a police officer, unlawful possession of ammunition without a identification card, intimidation of a witness and subornation of perjury.