No Bail for Man Accused of Posting Dead Wife’s Picture on Facebook

10 Aug, 2013

The Florida man who confessed to fatally shooting his wife and posted a grisly picture of her bloodied corpse on Facebook was ordered held without bail on Friday after he was arrested on a murder charge.

Derek Medina, shackled and wearing a short-sleeved green prison outfit, appeared before Miami Judge Maria Elena Verde by video link a day after the death of his wife, Jennifer Alfonso.

He was ordered held without bond pending his arraignment in 21 days, and could face a death sentence if he is convicted of first degree murder.

Medina, 31, gained notoriety on Thursday when he wrote in a Facebook posting that he had just shot and killed 26-year-old Alfonso because she was punching and physically abusing him. The posting was accompanied by a photo of her lifeless body on the floor.

Medina wrote to his “friends” on Facebook, “I’m going to prison or death sentence for killing my wife. Love you guys, Miss you guys … My wife was punching me, and I am not going to stand any more with the abuse so I did what I did. I hope u understand me.”

The author of six online books on topics that include marriage counseling, Medina had been employed as a front desk supervisor on the overnight shift at a luxury Miami-area condominium.

Detective Javier Baez of the Miami-Dade Police Department, confirmed the authenticity of Medina’s Facebook posting, which remained public for hours before it was removed late on Thursday.

Medina’s arrest affidavit said that he confessed to shooting Alfonso multiple times after a verbal dispute that turned violent when she began kicking him and punching him with a closed fist. Medina told police that Alfonso said she was leaving him. A copy of the affidavit was obtained by Reuters.

The couple married in 2010, divorced in early 2012, then remarried a few months later. Medina’s father was quoted by local media as saying the relationship had always been difficult.

Medina told police that Alfonso had armed herself with a knife during their argument, but he said that was after he had gone to his bedroom for a gun with which he confronted her.

According to the affidavit, after Medina knew that Alfonso was dead, he changed his clothes and went to his parents, then turned himself in to police.

Reuters

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