WEST JORDAN, Utah — Days after Autumn Mercado was found dead inside her West Jordan, her family continues to deal with the tragedy while hoping she's remembered as a radiant soul in the community.
“Autumn is someone who lights up a room,” said Autumn's sister, Summer Christiansen.
With her smile and demeanor, Christiansen says Mercado's light was resilient.
“Not only was she beautiful but inside of her soul was huge. Her heart was ginormous," she shared. "I want people to remember Autumn as the daughter, the sister, and the mother that she was and the everlasting effects she has on everyone that she’s left behind.”
Police are still investigating, and only shared how they found Autumn dead at the bottom of the stairs in the house Monday morning when a coworker called for a welfare check. Carlos Mercado told police that he found Autumn and thought she had fallen, and that he tried to wake her before covering her with a blanket and going out to get beer, leaving their children alone.
As of Thursday, Carlos Mercado has not been charged in the death.
Autumn was a registered nurse who hoped to become a nurse practitioner, something her family says would have been a great career path for her caring nature.
“I remember when she was a kid she wanted to go feed the homeless or help people who didn’t have a place to live. She was always trying to help individuals,” Christiansen said.
Christiansen remembered how she and her sisters were always laughing and often the loudest in any room. And it’s those memories that she’ll cherish for a lifetime.
“We loved so hard, and we loved to be around each other,” she said.
Above all else, Christiansen shared, Autumn loved being a mom, saying her sister always wanted to spend time with her three children and see them succeed.
“That’s what she lived for was being a mom," Christiansen said. "She loved her kids and she never wanted to let them go.”
For now, Christiansen says her sister’s children are not allowed back into the home until the investigation is over. It’s why they’re hoping to raise funds for the family.
“We want to give them, not a new life, but something better," Christiansen said. "And make sure they knew who their mom was.”
Christiansen added that to know Autumn was to love her.
“It’s not fair. She left too soon. But she was amazing.”
