MIAMI – The murder trial for a South Florida man who claims that he killed his wife in self-defense before posting a photo of her corpse on Facebook resumed Thursday after a one-day break for Veterans Day.
Derek Medina is accused of fatally shooting Jennifer Alfonso, 27, in the kitchen of their South Miami townhouse in August 2013. Police said Medina uploaded a photo of Alfonso's body on Facebook after the shooting.
Crime scene investigator Jane Rosello returned to the witness stand Thursday and testified about the evidence found at the scene, enduring a scrutinizing cross examination by Medina's defense attorney.
"If somebody shoots a firearm at close range into the rug, will there be some gunshot powder that could fall on the rug?" attorney Saam Zangeneh asked.
"If there was an exit wound on the back of the victim whose laying against the floor, it's possible," Rosello answered.
Zangeneh was also critical of another crime scene investigator who testified about the blood spatter at the home.
"But you don't know how she was shot," he said to Anabella Pascual during her cross examination.
"No, I don't," she replied.
"You're speculating," Zangeneh said.
Before the testimony resumed, Miami-Dade County Judge Yvonne Colodny reversed a previous ruling and granted the defense an expert witness to testify about battered spouse syndrome.
"I think in the '90s this was a relatively novel issue, and perhaps the court's in a different position because I sit in this courtroom every day and we hear these terms on a constant basis, but perhaps with our jurors, a majority of them clearly was not aware, and I want to make sure it's a clean record," Colodny told attorneys as the reason for her decision.
However, it came with a stipulation.
"Hypotheticals and only hypotheticals can be asked," Colodny said of the expert, who didn't interview Medina.
The trial recessed early because of a court scheduling conflict. It was scheduled to resume Friday morning.
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Derek Medina is accused of killing his wife and then posting a picture of her body on Facebook.