Trial Date Set For So-Called "Facebook Killer"
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A trial date has been set for a South Miami man accused of killing his wife and posting pictures of her body on Facebook.
During a hearing Tuesday morning, a judge set a tentative trial date of October 14th for Derek Medina. The judge also ruled that Medina will not have to wear shackles when he meets with his defense attorney and he'll be allowed to view the video evidence against him on a Department of Corrections approved laptop.
Derek Medina, 31, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the August 2013 killing of Jennifer Alfonso. Medina's attorneys claim he acted in self-defense.
Medina's defense team has claimed that Alfonso may have been under the influence of synthetic drugs like bath salts the day she was killed.
According to court documents, Alfonso hid bath salt pills in a jar labelled as garlic supplements.
Experts said bath salts can cause agitation, anxiety, anger, paranoia, or panic, just to name a few side effects. In this case, Medina said his wife was hitting him and surveillance video from inside their home backs him up.
The defense also reportedly has a surveillance picture of Alfonso going into the medicine cabinet in the kitchen where the bottle and pills were on the night of the murder.
Investigators said Medina told friends he would kill Alfonso if she ever cheated or threatened to leave. Medina told police she had threatened to leave him that day.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office has said they will not seek the death penalty in this case.
Medina is being held without bail pending trial.
