Derek Medina charged with first-degree murder by the court for fatally shooting his wife
A South Miami court slapped first-degree charges on Derek Medina, the accused who killed his wife and posted a picture of her dead body on Facebook, in August.
Medina was previously charged with second-degree murder for shooting Jennifer Alfonso, his wife, dead. Police said that the 31-year-old accused confessed to the crime saying he shot her six to eight times.
During Monday's hearing the prosecutors said the couple got into a spat after which Medina shot her. Their 10-year-old daughter was upstairs.
In the horrific act, Medina posted the slain wife's photo on Facebook. "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," he wrote on the social networking page. "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."
Reiterating what he wrote on the Facebook wall, Medina told the police that he shot Alfonso, 26, in self-defense. But according to an autopsy report submitted by the medical examiner, he shot her at point-blank range as she was apparently kneeling in front of him guarding her face. Forensics found seven bullets and two bullet fragments from Alfonso's body, reported NBC Miami.
He also did not plead guilty to the previous charges pressed against him. "Cause I'm not a killer. And it was self-defense," Medina said. "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 and I feel like this was self-defense."
A plea hearing is set on Wednesday for Medina.
