Derek Medina pleaded not guilty in a Miami court on Thursday to killing his wife then posting the photo of her bloody, dead body on Facebook, according to multiple reports.
Medina's alleged crime made headlines in early August when images of 26-year-old Jennifer Alfonso's body went viral on the Internet. He accused his wife of spousal abuse in a Facebook post he published after the alleged crime.
"I'm going to prison or death sentence for killing my wife. Love you guys. Miss you guys. Take care. Facebook people you'll see me in the news. My wife was punching me and I am not going to stand anymore with the abuse, so I did what I did. I hope u understand me," Medina wrote in a Facebook post, which police officials shut down.
Medina, 31, is charged with second-degree murder with a deadly weapon, according to the Miami Herald. A trial date has been set for Nov. 4, but the Herald reports there may be delays to review evidence.
"We haven't seen the evidence. How can we present a defense without having seen the evidence?" Medina's defense attorney, Saam Zangeneh, told reporters after the hearing on Thursday.
However, Medina did turn himself into police the night of the alleged murder. Case documents show he admitted to killing Alfonso in self defense.
"Medina said he disarmed Alfonso, put the knife in the drawer, then shot her several times after she began punching and kicking him," the official report said.
Though Medina claims Alfonso was the aggressor during the alleged crime, a former coworker told the Herald that he was the abuser in the relationship. Alfonso's former boss Amanda Cooper said Medina was jealous and controlling.
"She would be bruised up," said Cooper, adding Medina did not want Alfonso working nights.
