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Judge Releases Facebook Killer's Recorded Statement To Police

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A South Miami man who admitted to police that he shot his wife and then posted a picture of her body on Facebook said he did so in self-defense.

On Friday, Miami-Dade Judge Yvonne Colodny ordered that 31-year old Derek Medina's recorded statements to police be released to the public. The order came after defense attorneys removed their objection to the release of the tape recorded statements, deciding that they do not constitute "a confession" on Medina's part.

"He obviously speaks about his defense in this case, and the actual video speaks for itself," said Medina's attorney Maruricio Padilla.

On the day of the shooting, Medina went to the South Miami Police department and told the officers that he had shot his wife. He was led to a cell while officers checked out his story.

WEBEXTRA: Part 1 of Derek Medina's statement to Miami-Dade Police

WEBEXTRA: Part 2 of Derek Medina's statement to Miami-Dade Police

WEBEXTRA: Part 3 of Derek Medina's statement to Miami-Dade Police

After reading his Miranda rights, Medina agreed to speak to Miami-Dade Police Detective Jonathan Grossman without a lawyer.

Medina said he and his wife, Jennifer Alfonso, had been together for four years.

When asked why he turned himself in at the police department after the shooting, Medina replied "Cause I'm not a killer. And it was self-defense. I'm very, I honor my country, I honor my state, I honor my city of South Miami. I do not feel that I'm guilty. This was self-defense."

Medina told Grossman on the morning of the shooting, he woke up around 9:30 a.m. and Alfonso immediately came into his room and started to argue with him.

"She started ranting about, you know, why we didn't, I didn't wak her up at 1:30 after we went out last night to (the) Miami Yacht Club, and I mentioned to her that my stepdaughter was passed out by 10:30 at night."

When asked if she was upset because he didn't follow the plan that she had for him to wake her up at 1:30 a.m., Medina replied yes.

"Yes. Yes. Correct. And then she started throwing stuff, objects towards me as a weapon. And then I pulled out my weapon. And then I told her 'hey, back off or I'm going to call the cops.' And she was go ahead, call the cops, whatever."

Medina said several of the objects she threw at him hit him in the face. When asked if he sustained any injuries, Medina replied "No. Only when she pushing and punching me afterwards. That's when I went back and grabbed my gun."

Medina said he only used the gun to get her to stop hitting him.

"I pointed it towards her, I told her to stop. The safety was on, I took it to her, like I pointed it towards her and then she basically said, you know I told her that the safety was on, but she was like, you're not going to kill me, you're not going to kill me. There's no need for that, but you need to stop punching me. You're not going to kill me and I (said) no, of course not the safety's on, I'm not. That wasn't my motive, I want you to stop touching me and attacking me."

At that point, Medina said Alfonso left the room, went into the bathroom where she started throwing objects and saying she was going to leave him that night. Medina said his wife came into the room several times to agitate him and then went downstairs.

According to Medina's statement, the two argued in the kitchen and Alfonso began punching him again. Medina stated he went upstairs, got his gun and then went back to the kitchen where he found Alfonso holding a knife. Medina said she threatened him.

"She said you're not going to kill me, at first. Then she says I'm going to kill you, you know, you pulling that gun on me."

Medina said he grabbed the knife out of her hand and put it in a drawer.

"She kept punching me like crazy again and then I fired," Medina told Grossman.

Medina explained.

"She just started throwing punches like crazy. She was like really attacking me. Like I was getting out of the way and got hit in the arm and she was like going for my temple. I felt like she was, you know, she was trying just to take me out. She head butt me. And then also she does make threats upstairs about me dying and she hopes I die, and that she'll get someone to kill me, whatever it is. And she did make those threats upstairs."

Grossman then asked Medina about the actual shooting.

"I fired, I fired away. I shot her," said Medina.

"How many times did you discharge your weapon," asked Grossman.

"I want to say six to eight times," said Medina.

When asked if Alfonso said anything as she was being shot, Medina replied no.

"She just kept on trying to attack me. She had an expression like she was trying to lunge at me," said Medina.

Medina added that her mouth was open in an expression of shock and didn't ask for help as she fell to the ground.

A medical examiner's report obtained by CBS4 news partner Miami Herald refuted Medina's claim. It found evidence that Alfonso was on her knees with arms up to shield her from the bullets when she died. Medina's defense attorney declined to comment on the medical examiner's report, saying he had not had an adequate opportunity to review the report.

"Actually this particular document was provided to us yesterday," said Padilla. "We want to try this in a court of law, not in the press."

When asked if he had any injuries from her attack in the kitchen, Medina said he had bruises on his chest and left arm. He said he was more afraid if she punched him in the temple, she would kill him.

Medina said after the shooting, he went upstairs, put the gun in a closet and then told his stepdaughter to stay there, close her door and don't come down stairs. He said he then went downstairs and took a picture of Alfonso's body and locked the door.

When asked why he took the picture and posted it on Facebook, Medina replied to help his stepdaughter.

"So the family would know and be notified and they could rush over there and get my stepdaughter."

Medina said he drove to the home of his aunt, Valerie Medina, and told her what had happened.

"I pretty much informed them that I just killed my wife and she was abusing me. And she said, why.  She was crying. She was a little confused. I advised my uncle as well. And then there I told them to call my dad and stepmom so I could, you know, say goodbye before I go to the police station."

Medina told the detective Alfonso had been abusive to him for years, but he never told his family about it and never thought to involve the police.

Read Derek Medina's Statement To Police

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