From prison, convicted South Florida murderer Derek Medina told NBC 6 he killed his wife, Jennifer Alfonso, in self-defense.
It’s the first time Medina, who is known as the “Facebook Killer,” talked exclusively to NBC 6 since he was sentenced to life in prison.
“I’m not the Facebook Killer. I’m Derek Medina …The media has created a monster. And I'm not a monster,” Medina said in a series of 12 phone calls, the only way to communicate with him because he is not allowed to give in-person interviews.
Medina’s case gained notoriety because he posted a photo of his wife’s body on Facebook after he fatally shot her.
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“When I posted that picture, I didn't do it with cruel intentions,” Medina said of the South Miami case, which dates back to 2013.
Medina alleged his wife was violent and recalled why he shot her multiple times the night the crime took place.
“If I didn’t keep on shooting my gun, I would have been killed. I would have been deceased. And you would be doing the interview with her instead of me,” Medina said.
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Alfonso’s mother, Carolyn Anderson, tells a different story.
“She was a good person,” Anderson said, scoffing at Medina’s allegations that her daughter was abusive.
Detectives, and attorneys described the couple's relationship as toxic.
“After seeing the recordings, we determined and he even admitted it…he was very jealous and insecure,” said Miami-Dade Police Det. Juan Segovia.
But after the crime took place, in a South Miami Police interrogation room, Medina was adamant he was not a killer and it was done in self-defense.
In multiple interviews with NBC6, Medina pointed the finger at his wife.
“You know, she wrote in her diary about murdering me, you know, wanting to point to murder because she says she claimed that I was watching, looking at another woman when we were shopping,” he said.
During opening statements at Medina’s trial, we learned about the violent end to Alfonso’s life.
“She started punching him in the chest and the arm. And that’s when he shot her. Not one time, to get her off of him. Not twice to make her stop. Not three times to send her a message to really leave me alone because he means business. Not four times, not five times either,” prosecutor Leah Klein said. "No. Ladies and gentlemen, the evidence will show that he emptied the clip, eight shots at Jennifer, causing 21 entry and exit wounds. And by his own admission, every shot hit.”
Detectives said a gun was found near Alfonso’s body. There were also bullet casings scattered at the scene.
This is how Medina described the bloody end to his wife’s life.
“I was in fear for my life every time. If I did not. Put it this way, I shot a warning shot to diffuse, to stop to it. Because she was attacking me with a knife. And she still kept on,” he said.
Alfonso’s mother, Carolyn, describes the day of the murder as one where the couple has been fighting.
When Medina was questioned by police, he was asked if his wife had a knife when he came downstairs.
“Uh-huh. And she had it towards me and then she was like, had it towards her like she was going to commit suicide,” Medina said.
Medina told detectives he took the knife from her and put it in a drawer and that’s when Medina alleges Alfonso started punching him.
"[That’s when] I fired. I fired. I shot her,” he said.
During Medina’s trial, forensic pathologist Dr. Emma Lew testified Alfonso had four wounds on her left forearm.
"The wounds would be consistent with her holding her hand in a way to protect her upper body,” Dr. Lew said.
Segovia admits one of the shocking things about this case is the fact that Alfonso’s 10-year-old daughter was outside a room on the second floor of the townhouse when the shooting occurred.
“She told me when she heard what happened, she thought it was kitchenware being thrown around. She didn’t think it was gunshots what she heard and she wrapped herself in a blanket," Anderson said.
“I told her to stay in her room,” Medina said of his interaction with Alfonso’s daughter in the aftermath. “I locked the door upstairs and I went straight there to turn myself to the police station.”
As for his state of mind, Medina recalls being shocked.
When Medina was told his stepdaughter feels guilty about the whole thing, he says was trying to protect her.
Medina wants a new trial and wants to be set free.
