Man Shot Wife Multiple Times Before Posting Picture to Facebook
Published at
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(MIAMI) — The Miami man who was arrested earlier this month in the shooting death of his wife told police he shot her “six to eight times” before posting a photograph of her body and a confession to his Facebook page, according to a newly released search warrant obtained by the Miami Herald.
Two cellphones, three computers and an iPad were seized from the town house where Derek Medina, 31, allegedly killed his wife, Jennifer Alfonso, 26, during an Aug. 8 domestic dispute, according to the warrant as reported in the Miami Herald.
Medina is charged with first-degree murder and is scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 29.
The killing of Alfonso sent shockwaves around the world after photo of a woman in a black outfit, slumped over backward in the kitchen with blood on her left arm and face, was posted on Medina’s Facebook page around the time of the shooting, along with the apparent confession.
“I’m going to prison or death sentence for killing my wife, love you guys miss you guys, take care Facebook people. You will 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,” the post on Medina’s Facebook page read.
Friends replied to the post in disbelief and asked Medina what had happened.
His Facebook profile was removed about five hours after the shooting, according to ABC’s Miami affiliate WPLG-TV.
The couple had a verbal dispute around 10 a.m. Thursday, at which point police said Medina told them he’d pointed his firearm at Alfonso, according to an arrest affidavit obtained earlier this month by ABC News.
According to the affidavit, Alfonso walked away from the argument and returned a few minutes later to tell Medina she was leaving him.
Medina said he followed his wife into the kitchen to confront her, at which point she began punching him, according to the affidavit. Police said Medina told them he then went upstairs, grabbed his gun once again, and held it in his right hand as he walked downstairs toward Alfonso, who responded by grabbing a knife.
Medina grabbed the knife and put it in a drawer, according to the affidavit, at which point Alfonso began punching him, prompting Medina to allegedly fire multiple shots into his wife.
After Medina killed his wife, according to the affidavit, he changed his clothes and went to his family’s home to confess before he went to the South Miami police station and told the person working the front desk that he had shot her.
Medina was taken into custody after police found Alfonso’s bullet-riddled body in the kitchen area, according to the affidavit.
Alfonso’s 10-year-old daughter from a previous relationship was found unharmed at the residence with her mother’s body, according to police, who quickly escorted her out of the house.
Medina’s occupation was listed as property manager on the arrest affidavit, but his Facebook page also listed him as an actor on USA Network’s show Burn Notice. He reportedly appeared as an extra on one episode of the show.
Medina seemed to share his life openly online and posted videos to his YouTube channel of his kicking a punching bag, sailing and singing the song “Ain’t No Sunshine.”
He also wrote six e-books on spirituality and self-help topics, which he touted on his YouTube channel and on his website. Among the list of long-winded titles is How I Saved Someone’s Life and Marriage and Family Problems Thru Communication.
A summary on his website said, “This book is a great book to learn how to make your marriage and relationship with others better by understanding the meaning of life and the purpose of living and being there for loved ones.”
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio