Derek Medina, 31, is the South Florida man accused of murdering his wife, Jennifer Alfonso, and posting a photo of it on Facebook on August 8, reports CBS Miami.
The couple had been married since April 2012, though they were originally married in January 2010. His Facebook page has since been removed by the social networking giant, issuing a statement they said:
The content was reported to us. We took action on the profile – removing the content and disabling the profile, and we reached out to law enforcement. As we lay out clearly in our terms, we take action on any content that violates our terms or policies.
Here’s what you need to know…
1. Medina Sent Out a Chilling Facebook Post
Accompanying the grotesque image that was posted 11:11 a.m. on August 8, was a status update that Medina sent out to his over 150 friends reading:
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 you understand me.
The Miami Herald described the photo:
The grisly photograph shows the woman in black leggings, her legs bent back at an awkward angle. Her left arm and left cheek are bloody. It appears that she fell dead in front of the oven in the kitchen.
See the uncensored gruesome photo HERE. WARNING, it is disturbing.
2. He Turned Himself In
After the alleged murder, Medina went to a local police station to turn himself in. The Miami Herald reported that he drove to the station and told them that he had killed his wife during a domestic dispute.
Later WSVN reported that Medina was driven to the police station by his father, Derek Medina Sr. It’s reported that Medina’s father went to his son’s house as soon as he found out about the Facebook post. When he arrived at his son’s house at 11:00 a.m. on August 8, Medina explained what had happened:
He just said that his wife picked up a knife on him, and they had a big fight, and he shot her, He came to my house, and all he said was, ‘I need to go to the police. I need to turn myself in.
Prior to leaving the townhouse he shared with Alfonso, Medina changed his clothes.
South Miami police have turned the case over to the Miami-Dade police. Medina has now been charged with first degree murder. He is being held without bail.
CBS Miami reports that Medina appeared in court on August 9, clad in a “black protective vest.” They further report that such a vest is used for inmates who are on suicide watch.
The released arrest affidavit read:
Read the full affidavit here:
3. There Was a Child in the Home
According to police, there was 10-year-old child present in the home at 555 SW 67th Ave, Miami, at the time of Medina’s wife’s death. She was seen by neighbors leaving the home, escorted by police, covered in a blanket. NBC Miami reports that the child was the daughter of the victim but not of Medina.
Neighbor, Oliver Thomas, explained the scene when police arrived to find the girl:
When they came here, they rushed inside the house and we didn’t know nothing was going on and then they carried a little girl out to the car and they were asking her questions.
Police have not said if the girl was a witness to the death.
CBS Miami now reports that the girl is in the custody of her biological father.
4. He’s a Self-Help Author
Reports indicate that Medina is an established author of self-help books, his latest entitled: World Just Ask Yourself Why We Are Living a Life Full of Lies and How I an Emotional Writer Made All of My Professional Dreams Come True Blocking Society’s Teachings.
He maintained a website, Emotionalwriter.com, on it he writes:
I gave 6 months of working on 6 books of guidance and self help to saving people’s lives and relating to problems we must over come as one world one nation one country ‘give me the opportunity to touch your spirit’ give me a chance to change your world or make you understand the world we live in ‘these 6 books will change your world in seconds, days, months, years.
His other titles include:
How I Saved Someone’s Life and Marriage and Family Problems Thru Communication
Humans Who Are Gifted and Can See the Supernatural Spirit Ghost World We Live in Called Ghost Haunted Adventures
How a Judgmental and Selfish Attitude Is Destroying the World We Live in Because the World Is Vanishing Beneath Our Eyes
Attention World Save YourselfWorld Just Ask Yourself Why We Are Living a Life Full of Lies and How I an Emotional Writer Made All of My Professional Dreams Come True Blocking Society’s Teachings
If the World Ended Today How Would You React to Saving the World or Helping the World or Would It All Be Over for You
5. He’s Appeared in Burn Notice
Medina claimed on his infamous Facebook page that he appeared in the show, Burn Notice. The thriller-series which is set in Miami and deals with spies working with the C.I.A. In a barely comprehensible description which accompanied his clip’s posting on YouTube read:
florida ballers ceo comes out on burn notice u can see it on www.usanetwork.com
click on burn notice and episode11 freindly fire enjoy it fans
6. He’s a Prolific YouTube Poster
On Medina’s channel on YouTube, he posts a range of different videos.
From the Derek Medina Youtube Channel, here is the suspected murder pummeling a punching bag in a very violent fashion:
Here is a video of Derek Medina sitting in a car with his hood up singing along to Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” as it plays on his cell phone. The reference to “when she’s gone,” is chilling.
Below is a video Derek Medina talking about the March 2013 release of his self-help book.
Here is a video of Derek Medina’s 89-year-old grandmother reading the title of his self-help book aloud.
His YouTube page has now become a venting space for those who are outraged at Jennifer Alonso’s death:
7. A Neighbor Called Him ‘Sketchy’
Neighbors who gathered around the scene of the murder were eager to comment to the media about the type of person Derek Medina is. Yoshi Dade told ABC Miami:
The guy was kind of sketchy, you know, walking around with a gun.
Others said that Medina was the local neighborhood watch captain and was known in the area for walking around with a concealed weapon.
Another neighbor, Paula Trivno, speculated to CBS Miami:
It has to be mental illness, it can’t be someone with sanity.
CBS Miami spoke to another neighbor, Anne Swary, who commented on how “odd” she thought Medina was:
He could’ve knocked on my door and said I just killed my wife and it wouldn’t have surprised me for him to do that. It’s so, so sad and I’m really sorry for her family because she seemed like a lovely woman.
8. Medina and Alfonso Had Been Divorced
WSVN reports that Medina and Alfonso’s marriage had been “rocky.” The station was speaking to Derek Medina Sr, who told them:
They were married for three years, and then they got divorced, and they got remarried last year.
Medina added that if he could talk to his son now, he would say:
I love you, and only God knows the reason that this happened. Only God knows, God sacrificed a lot for us.
NBC Miami reports that Medina bought the home where Alfonso’s body was found in March 2012 for $108,000.
9. Alfonso Showed Her Love For Medina the Night Before She Died
The above photo is alleged to have been posted in the previous 24 hours before Alfonso was found dead.
In her now deleted Facebook account, Alfonso is reported to have changed her profile photo to a picture of her and Medina kissing. Derek Medina Sr says:
Some things you can’t explain, she was a beautiful woman also, his wife. They always had some problems.
A friend, Daysi Fernandez, told CBS Miami:
I hope they have no pity for a coward, I hope that god can forgive you because I can’t, what sick person goes and writes a status about it and says that’s something that they have to do. She never gave up she didn’t even give up on that marriage when she should have a long time ago.
Fernandez was co-worker of Alfonso’s at Denny’s.
10. Medina Once Claimed He Saved His Wife From a Ghost
Facebook Murder: The night they met. Derek Medina & his wife. Police say he killed her, posted it on his profile. pic.twitter.com/ld4J2nnLve
— Carlos Suarez (@CarlosWPLG) August 8, 2013
The summary of one of his books details an instance where his wife was attacked by poltergeist while they were on vacation in New York, he says, “The author can relate to the world of victims who have been attacked by evil spirits…”. Others deal with his experiences with UFOs, and go through, “his comparison of humans and aliens.” While he also expresses his worry that humanity is not working on a time machine. He writes,
Why are we not acting on working to create Technology for a time travel machine? Why cant we build this for the world for an evacuation emergency plan?
The Miami New Times reports:
Other books talk about the end times, the destruction of the world, and the corruption of the court system.
Medina’s neighbor Anne Swary told CBS Miami that Medina told her that: “He would tell me that he thought he had been attacked by demons in his apartment.”