Alleged Killer Who Posted Pic Of Dead Wife On Facebook In Court
SOUTH MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The man who allegedly confessed to killing his wife and posting the picture of her bloodied body on the social media website Facebook, went back to court Friday morning.
Derek Medina, no longer wearing a protective suicide vest, was in a red prison jumpsuit and shackles for a brief preservation of evidence hearing.
Medina's attorney asked the judge to preserve evidence by taking pictures of him, including injuries to his body that have reportedly surfaced.
"We're simply asking the court to allow us to preserve any physical evidence on behalf of Mr. Medina," said Saam Zanganeh, Medina's attorney.
Domestic abuse experts said that it is possible that Jennifer Alfonso may have been an example of an abused woman returning to her abuser.
"The sad thing about domestic violence is that it appears to be a cycle and it's very hard for some women to break that cycle," said Theodore Mastos, a criminal defense attorney.
Judge Yvonne Colondy granted the defense's motion Friday telling the Department of Corrections to accommodate whatever Medina's attorneys need to preserve the evidence.
Medina's family was in the courtroom but did not talk to any reporters.
He's being held without bond on a first-degree murder charge in the shooting death of his 26-year-old wife.
Medina was arrested August 8th when he apparently posted a message on his Facebook page in which he confessed to killing wife then posted a gruesome photo of her body. She was slumped over on the floor with blood on her face and arm, her knees bent and her legs bent back behind her.
In his status line, he apparently wrote, "I'm going to prison or death sentence for killing my wife love you guys, miss you guys take care Facebook people you will see me in the news."
Police only found Alfonso's body in their townhouse after Medina turned himself at the South Miami Police Station.
Alfonso's 10-year-old daughter was in the home at the time but was not hurt. She is now in the custody of her biological father, according to authorities.
According to Medina's arrest affidavit, he and Alfonso got into a heated argument in an upstairs bedroom of their condominium, at which point he grabbed a gun and pointed it at her. He said Alfonso left the bedroom, then later returned to tell him she was leaving him. Medina then went downstairs and confronted Alfonso in the kitchen, where she began punching him, the affidavit says.
Medina went back upstairs to get his gun. When he returned with it, Alfonso grabbed a knife. Medina said in the affidavit that he was able to wrestle the knife away and put it in a drawer, but that she began punching him again. It was then that he shot her several times, according to the affidavit.
Jennifer Alfonso's father told CBS4 News that the couple had a rocky relationship. They were first married in January 2010, divorced in February 2012, then remarried three months later.
Medina's arraignment is scheduled for Friday August 29.
