The mother of DaCara Thompson, the 19-year-old Prince George’s County woman found dead after being reported missing in August, is speaking out with a powerful plea for justice and respect for her daughter’s memory.
Carmen Thompson described her daughter as “an outgoing, soft-spoken, kind young lady” who had just completed a year-long internship through Maryland’s Year Service Corps program.
“She was a free spirit. She was a good girl. She was a good kid,” she said in a video shared by ABC 7.
Her remarks came after 35-year-old Hugo Hernandez-Mendez appeared in court this week, charged with first- and second-degree murder in Thompson’s death.
Prosecutors say Thompson was last seen on surveillance video entering a black SUV before disappearing. Court records allege she was killed inside a Bowie home, and her body later discarded off a bridge in Anne Arundel County.
For Thompson’s family, the grief has been compounded by painful speculation online. Her mother urged the public not to spread false narratives:
“Please don’t believe everything you see. Don’t believe everything you hear out of respect for the family and us grieving. Please, you know, approach everything with grace. We would appreciate that.”
She also expressed frustration over learning that Hernandez-Mendez had previously been in custody earlier this year but was released.
“We may not be here today if they did what they were supposed to do,” she said.
In the weeks before her daughter’s body was found, Thompson’s family organized vigils, searches, and prayers for her safe return.
Now, her mother says the fight has shifted toward ensuring her daughter’s life and legacy are not forgotten. “I just want justice served for my daughter,” she said.
Thompson’s family is asking for prayers, strength, and compassion from the community while they continue to navigate the heartbreaking loss of a daughter whose future was just beginning.
