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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 April 2022
The murder
On 8 August 2013, 26-year-old Jennifer Alfonso was killed by her husband, 31-year-old Derek Medina, in the kitchen of their Miami townhouse. The couple had argued upstairs and Jennifer had thrown small items at him, including a towel and a tube of mascara. Derek claimed that Jennifer told him she was going to pack her things and leave that evening. He went to the closet and took out his gun. He removed it from its holster and threatened to shoot her if she did not stop throwing things at him. She stopped and went downstairs to the kitchen to make breakfast for her daughter, who was staying with the couple at the time. Derek returned the gun to the closet, followed Jennifer downstairs and continued the argument, later claiming that she was punching him during this altercation. Derek then left the kitchen and went back upstairs, retrieving his gun from the closet before returning downstairs to the kitchen. Seeing Derek with the gun, Jennifer picked up a knife. Derek alleges that Jennifer said, ‘Yeah, you’re not going to kill me, blah, blah, blah, you’re a pussy’ (Miami Dade Police Department, 2013, p 10). He took the knife from Jennifer and put it in a kitchen drawer. He claimed that Jennifer punched him several times. Derek then turned the gun on Jennifer and shot her eight times, emptying the clip of his firearm, causing 21 entry and exit wounds.
Movements around the murder were captured on home security video, which was shown to the court during Derek's trial (CCV, 2015a). The camera is positioned overhead, facing into the entrance to the kitchen, where the sink can be seen on the right and the dining area and hallway to the left. Jennifer is standing at the sink, washing dishes. Derek walked down the hallway and into the kitchen. There were a few movements after this; shadows could be seen on the kitchen counter top. Derek then walked out of the kitchen and into the hallway. It appears as though he was struck by Jennifer's arm as he did so. He turned around and went back into the kitchen. He is then seen from behind, backing up into the hallway.
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