SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A jury convicted a San Francisco woman this week of murdering one of her roommates and dismembering the victim’s body in an attempt to cover up the killing. Lisa Gonzales, 55, was found guilty of second-degree murder following a jury trial, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
“This is one of the most gruesome crimes our city has experienced in recent history,” District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said.
A third roommate said that in mid-April of 2018, Gonzales gave the victim 30 days’ notice to move out, according to the district attorney’s office. Gonzales complained to coworkers that her unwanted roommate was failing to leave, prosecutors said. When told of the various ways she could legally evict her, Gonzales responded, “No thanks, I’ll do it my way,” according to prosecutors.
The victim, 61-year-old Maggie Mamer, was reported missing on June 1, 2018, by friends who had not heard from her for several days. The friends were concerned because of escalating tension between the victim and her roommate, Gonzales.
On June 2, 2018, another concerned citizen went to the San Francisco Police Department to report that a grisly murder happened at a residence on 14th Street, and a body was hidden in a basement storage area.
When SFPD officers arrived at the home, Gonzales invited them inside.
The home where a San Francisco roommate was murdered is shown in 2018. (KRON4 Photo)
“As they all sat in the kitchen, Ms. Gonzalez told them that she lived in the unit with (one) roommate and no one else. She also stated that the victim had once lived in the apartment, but lied and claimed that she recently relocated to Eureka. She also told the officers that she helped the victim move out on May 15, 2018, and she had not seen her since,” the district attorney’s office wrote.
Officers then searched the apartment building’s storage area and found a blue container with Mamer’s dismembered body parts hidden inside.
The SFPD Crime Scene Investigation Team processed the bathroom for evidence and located the victim’s blood spatter all over the scene, prosecutors said.
The third roommate told investigators that when she returned home from work on May 15, 2018, she noticed a metallic smell in the apartment.
“She heard sawing noises coming from the bathroom, which lasted for four hours. The next morning, Ms. Gonzales was still in the bathroom. When the third roommate got home that night, the bathroom door was open, and the apartment smelled of vinegar and bleach. She also noticed that the blue container that once held her dirty clothes was missing, and she observed a hacksaw under the sink in the laundry room. When she asked where the victim had gone, Ms. Gonzales replied that she had left, ‘but not the way she wanted to,’” the DA’s office wrote.
Mamer’s body remained in the blue container until June 2, 2018, when SFPD officers searched the home, prosecutors said.
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An autopsy revealed the victim died as a result of multiple sharp force injuries to her head and heart, including on her face and skull.
“This was a deeply disturbing and heartbreaking case, and I want to thank the jurors for their careful attention to the difficult evidence and their commitment to justice,” said Assistant District Attorney Melissa Demetral. “While no verdict can undo this horrific act, we hope this conviction brings a measure of closure and accountability.”
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins speaks during the launch of Domestic Violence Awareness Month at the City Hall on October 24, 2023. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/ Anadolu via Getty Images)
DA Jenkins said, “The jury’s verdict delivers justice to the victim’s family and friends who continue to grieve and are still deeply impacted by this heinous murder. After nearly eight years, this conviction demonstrates my office’s unwavering commitment to getting justice for victims and holding offenders accountable.”
Gonzales is currently in custody. She will be sentenced at the San Francisco Hall of Justice courthouse on April 24.
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