Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd gives update on Florida pre-med student who allegedly stabbed his mother to death
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the case is "one of the most bizarre" they have ever dealt with.
Chilling new details were revealed about a heinous crime that authorities are calling "one of the most bizarre" they've seen after a Florida pre-med student allegedly stabbed his own mother to death because she irritated him.
During a press conference on Monday, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd played a 911 audio clip of Emmanuel "Manny" Espinoza, 21, allegedly confessing to stabbing his mother, Elvia Espinoza, 46, to death inside her home on Saturday afternoon.
Manny Espinoza reportedly told his mother that he was going to be in Frostproof visiting his grandfather that weekend, so he would visit her. Judd said she invited him to stay at her house and he agreed.
Sheriff Judd said Manny arrived around 2 p.m. at his mother’s home and shared the Ring camera footage from her door, showing him holding a knife behind his back seconds before the attack happened.
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He was also listening to the song "No Church in the Wild" as he approached the front door.
"His beautiful mother, who was so excited to see her son, opened the door. The second she opened the door, he charged in and started stabbing her," Judd said.
Police did not release the audio captured from inside the home, but said Elvia could be heard screaming, "Manny, Manny, Manny!" as he attacked her, while he never uttered a sound.
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During a press conference on Monday, the sheriff played an audio clip of Emmanuel Espinoza allegedly confessing to stabbing his mother on Saturday afternoon. (Polk County Sheriff's Office)
"He made the statement that he knew where to stab her for maximum effect because of his biology classes," Judd stated.
Sheriff Judd went on to say that Manny was described as being a "genius, remarkably brilliant."
Sheriff Judd said he stabbed his mother in excess of 70 times and as she tried to get off the ground, he stabbed her some more.
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A 21-year-old pre-med student at the University of Florida is in custody after officials with the Polk County Sheriff's Office said he fatally stabbed his own mother Saturday afternoon. (Polk County Sheriff's Office)
"He said he noticed her hands were still moving, so he stabbed her some more. And then he told the detectives in his confession that he had cut his hand on the knife while stabbing his mother. And as he is standing at the kitchen sink, washing himself off and the knife, he wanted to ask his mom for the Neosporin, for the cut on his hand, but he noticed she was dead," Judd said.
Sheriff Judd said Manny immediately called 911, and he played the audio for the press. In the audio, Manny can be heard admitting to the murder.
"I want you to understand she was really the perfect mom. I want you to understand she was very proud of his accomplishments. And then I want you to understand that he viciously murdered her and confessed to it," Judd expressed.
Sheriff Judd said investigators then asked Manny if he loved his mom and if there had been any issues.
"We said, ‘Do you love her? and he said ’Oh ya, I love her.' We asked ‘Do you all get along?’ And he said ‘Yea, an 8 out of 10, we get along, but I’ve wanted to kill her for years and I made up my mind when I drove from Gainesville, today is the day,’" Judd said.
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Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd detailed the horrific murder involving a Florida med-student allegedly stabbing his mother to death. (Polk County Sheriff's Office)
The sheriff noted that Manny has no history of drug or alcohol abuse or mental health issues. He said Manny has no criminal history.
Sheriff Judd said Manny was the youngest of three and was the Frostproof class of 2020 valedictorian. He said he was described as a "genius."
"He was quoted at his high school graduation saying, ‘high school was just one of the chapters out of the many we will have throughout our lives. We still have so much to accomplish in the future that will define what kind of legacy the class of 2020 will leave behind,’" Sheriff Judd said.
Sheriff Judd added that detectives have searched his room at the University of Florida and did not find anything that would indicate he was planning to murder his mother.
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"It is one of the most bizarre murders that we have dealt with in a very long time," Judd said. "And when you see that he left a family behind that loved him, a mom that just worshiped her children, and at this very moment, she should have been in Ben Hill Griffin Elementary creating a future and educating our second-graders, is incomprehensible of what happened that day."
Manny Espinoza was booked into the Polk County Jail and was charged with first degree murder.
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