ID's In Pursuit With John Walsh: 5 chilling details about the Trisha Beristain murder case

A poster for In Pursuit With John Walsh (Image via ID)
A poster for In Pursuit With John Walsh (Image via ID)

The upcoming episode of Investigation Discovery's show In Pursuit With John Walsh is set to cover the story of Trisha Beristain's murder and another case. Among other interesting things about Trisha's case, one of the most intriguing things is that the killer, although identified by authorities, has still not been caught.

Trisha Beristain was only 19 years old when her jealous boyfriend shot her execution-style after taking her to Big Cottonwood Canyon. Authorities believe that 23-year-old Jesse Vega was responsible for the death, but despite their earnest attempts for years, they have been unable to locate Vega.

Sources now claim that Vega has ties with the Chicago mafia that he uses to evade the law.

In Pursuit With John Walsh will continue the story in detail when it airs on October 12, 2022.


Five quick facts about Trisha Beristain's murder

1) Trisha Beristain was killed over petty jealousy

Trisha was allegedly in a relationship with Jesse Vega when she was murdered. Jesse reportedly became jealous of Trisha's proximity to another male and shot her in a fit of rage.

Her sister Suzette Beristain described the scene saying that Trisha was murdered on November 18, 1998 by a guy who liked her because he got jealous. She added that Trish hung out with the guy even though she didn't like him, simply because the 19-year-old was "so kind with everybody."

Suzette continued to say that the family's "biggest thing is catching him" before he put someone else's family in the same situation as theirs.


2) The police have enough evidence against Jesse Vega

Despite authorities collecting enough evidence to charge Vega with the murder of Trisha Beristain, he has evaded the law and stay ahead of them for over two decades.

A $500,000 warrant was reportedly issued for Jesse Vega's arrest for first-degree felonies.


3) Trisha's family still seeks justice for their dead daughter

Trisha Beristain's family holds an annual vigil for the 19-year-old in hopes that someone will have some information about Vega that would help them get justice for her death.

Trisha's father, Fred Beristain, said:

"We’ll never forget her,...It’s a commemoration of a sad time, a tragic time but it’s also a time to bring family together, friends together...19 years is not too late, he can still pay for his crime, we can have that closure. Hopefully someday somebody’s going to see a newscast and say, hey I know that guy and turn him in."

4) A second person was charged for his involvement in the crime

Though Vega was never found, Diego Cruz Silva was charged with helping Vega commit the crime. There was also a warrant taken out against Silva. However, he was later freed of the charges in exchange for testifying against Jesse Vega.


5) Jesse Vega was allegedly last seen in Illinois

Vega, who has also used several other names and identities, was last spotted in Illinois. Authorities allege that he has ties with the Chicago Mafia and could be anywhere in the world.

So far, no trace of the suspected killer has been found.

ID's In Pursuit With John Walsh will cover the murder of Trisha Beristain in its upcoming episode on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.

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Edited by Madhur Dave
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