Saturday, August 10, 2013

Photo Derek Medina Posted Of His Dead Wife, Jennifer Alfonso, Still Online As Facebook Helps In Miami Police Investigation


Medina, 31, turned himself into police on Thursday after posting a photo of Alfonso slumped on the ground and covered in blood shot dead along with a message admitting his guilt. While the photo was removed from Medina’s Facebook account, which is no longer active, the image showing Alfonso is still circulating the Internet on Imgur. [WARNING: The photo is graphic and contains disturbing imagery.]
Police charged Medina, a property management supervisor in South Miami, with first-degree murder after he turned himself in willingly.
"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 from Medina at 11:11 a.m. read. He then posted the photo of his dead wife shortly after Thursday afternoon with the caption, “Rip Jennifer Alfonso.”
According to The Associated Press, the photo remained on Facebook for more than five hours before it was removed late Thursday afternoon. And according to a spokeswoman for the social networking site, Facebook is working with police in the investigation.
"The content was reported to us," the spokeswoman told The AP. "We took action on the profile - removing the content and disabling the profile, and we reached out to law enforcement. We take action on all content that violates our terms, which are clearly laid out on our site."
Miami-Dade Police said Medina did not call 911 but turned himself in to police after fatally shooting Alfonso at their South Miami home. Authorities went to the home and found Alfonso’s body as well as her 10-year-old daughter, who was unharmed upstairs.
Medina told police the couple got into an argument in the upstairs bedroom before her pointing a gun at her. He said Alfonso left the room and returned to declare she was leaving him, according to the report by Detective Jonathan Grossman. Medina said the argument travelled downstairs to the kitchen where she began punching him. He said he went to retrieve his gun upstairs and came down to see Alfonso holding a knife. Media told police he disarmed her, but she began punching him again so he shot her several times.
Police did not comment on the Facebook posts in the affidavit.
The AP reported Medina and Alfonso married in January 2010 before divorcing in February 2012 and remarrying three months later. The couple lived in a condo together in South Miami since March last year which police have now taped off as part of the investigation.
Colleagues of Alfonso’s said the couple frequently fought before Thursday’s events. “She would be bruised up,” Amanda Cooper told The AP, describing Medina as “controlling.” “He would always come back, begging her … come back,” Cathy LaBella said. “She would say he was going to change. She was in love with him.”
Before Medina’s Facebook page was suspended, he was an active social media user, posting videos of him working out. He identified himself as a supervisor at a property management company and said he acted in “Burn Notice.”
The Miami Herald reported that a man with the same name was the author of e-books on subjects for saving marriages and "humans who are gifted and can see the supernatural spirit ghost world we live in."The Miami Herald said Medina is likely to claim self-defense in the case.


Photo Derek Medina Posted Of His Dead Wife, Jennifer Alfonso, Still Online As Facebook Helps In Miami Police Investigation
Derek Medina, the Miami man who posted a photo of his dead wife online, turned himself into police on Thursday. Though being removed from Facebook as authorities begin their investigation, the graphic picture of Jennifer Alfonso is still circulating the Internet. Derek Medina is shown in this Miami-Dade Police Department handout photo released on August 9, 2013. Reuters
Derek Medina, the Miami man who posted a photo of his dead wife online, turned himself into police on Thursday. Though being removed from Facebook as authorities begin their investigation, the graphic picture of Jennifer Alfonso is still circulating the Internet. Derek Medina is shown in this Miami-Dade Police Department handout photo released on August 9, 2013. Reuters