Facebook Murderer Derek Medina Pleads Not Guilty, Trial Set For November

Published December 21, 2016

Derek Medina (pictured left) appears on closed circuit television in a special suicide watch gown before a Miami Dade County Judge. Derek in a Facebook photo holding weapons (right.)

A man accused of killing his wife and then posting a confession and a bloody picture of her body on Facebook has pleaded not guilty in Florida.

Prosecutors say 31-year-old Derek Medina fatally shot 26-year-old Jennifer Alfonso at their South Miami townhome earlier this month. A judge on Thursday set a tentative trial date of Nov. 4.

Medina is charged with second-degree murder, but The Miami Herald reports prosecutors will likely seek a first-degree murder indictment when the grand jury returns in September.

Alfonso's relatives didn't speak in court Thursday.

The murder took place on August 8, after the couple got into a verbal argument in their South Miami home. The argument led to Medina shooting and killing Alonso in their kitchen while Medina's 10-year-old daughter, from another woman, was still inside the house.

Medina said he armed himself with a gun only after Alonso began punching him, and then shot her while she wielded a knife, according to court documents.

Medina is expected to claim self defense, according to the Miami Herald.

Medina took a photo of his dead wife and then posted it on Facebook, along with a confession. In the photo, Alfonso's lifeless body laid twisted, knees bent backward.

Medina's attorney Sam Zangeneh says his team hasn't decided on a defense strategy yet.

Court records indicate Alfonso was shot six to eight times during the argument with Medina.

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.

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