Derek Medina, the South Miami man who killed his wife and posted a picture of her dead body on Facebook, appeared in court today. He's been charged with second-degree murder after he was arrested on first-degree charges.
Medina has pleaded not guilty.
See also: Derek Medina Kills His Wife in South Miami, Posts Pictures and Confession on Facebook
Prosecutors cannot seek first-degree murder charges without the approval of a grand jury. That grand jury will meet next month, and Medina could still likely face first-degree charges.
Despite confessing to the murder of his wife, Jennifer Alfonso, in an infamous Facebook pos, Medina entered a plea of not guilty. He also pleaded not guilty to a charge of child endangerment. Alfonso's 10-year-old daughter from a previous relationship was in the home at the time, and Medina left her alone in the home with her mother's dead body while he turned himself in. He was also charged with shooting a deadly missile, but did not enter a plea on that charge.
Medina might claim self-defense. In his Facebook post, he said Alfonso had been hitting him and he couldn't take it anymore. Friends of Alfonso, however, said she had long been the victim of physical abuse at the hands of Medina.
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