The South Miami man who allegedly killed his wife and posted a photo of her body on Facebook appeared in court Tuesday, where a judge set his trial date.
Derek Medina's trial is scheduled to begin on Oct. 14. Medina has pleaded not guilty.
Medina, 32, is charged with first-degree murder in the August 8, 2013 shooting of wife Jennifer Alfonso. Medina claims he killed her in self-defense after she continually punched him and pulled a knife on him in their South Miami townhouse, according to his sworn statement to police.
According to a police search warrant, Medina took the knife away from his wife and put it back into a kitchen drawer before the shooting.
He repeatedly shot her at point-blank range as she may have been kneeling and trying to shield her face, according to the medical examiner’s report.
Medina admitted to posting the photo of his wife’s body and an admission on his Facebook page before he turned himself in to police, the warrant said.
Medina has not pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and child neglect charges. He also faces a charge of shooting a deadly missile.
His attorneys also say the surveillance video from the couple's home shows Alfonso acting erratically before, Medina says, he was forced to kill her in self-defense.
Medina is being held without bond.
