Pre-Med Student Charged with Murder After Stabbing His Mother More Than 70 Times

Emmanuel "Manny" Espinoza confessed to killing his mother Elvia while visiting her at her home in Florida on April 6

A pre-med student at the University of Florida has been charged with first-degree murder after stabbing his mother to death.

On Saturday, April 6, Emmanuel “Manny” Espinoza, 21, confessed to stabbing his mother Elvia, 46, and killing her after he drove down from college to see her at her home in Polk County, Florida, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said during a news conference on April 8.

The sheriff said Espinoza had stabbed Elvia "in excess of 70 times."

Judd explained that before the attack, Elvia had suggested coming to visit her son at college as she hadn't seen him in a while, but Espinoza said he would come home as he was planning to visit his grandfather and also had an event in the area.

In doorcam footage shown at the news conference, Espinoza was seen arriving at his mother’s house at around 2:00 p.m. with a knife in hand. After stabbing his mother, he realized he had cut his hand in the process and “wanted to ask his mom for the Neosporin … but he noticed she was dead," Judd said.

The 21-year-old then called 911 and confessed to carrying out the attack, per a statement on the Polk County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.

Audio of the 911 call was also played out during the news conference, with Espinoza heard telling the dispatcher, "I stabbed my mom."

Judd described the case as “one of the most bizarre murders that we've dealt with in a very long time,” adding, “It is incomprehensible as to what happened that day.”

Espinoza, who was a fourth-year student at the University of Florida with plans to become a doctor, told police he had not consumed drugs or alcohol at the time of the attack. Judd also said Espinoza had no history of mental illness.

His mother Elvia had three children, with him being the youngest child, and she was a second-grade teacher at Ben Hill Griffin Elementary School in Frostproof. She was described as "the perfect mother" and "a beloved teacher" by Judd.

Explaining why he stabbed his mother, Espinoza, who is a former valedictorian, told detectives “he had just been angry” and he had “not liked his mother for years.”

Judd added he also said of his mother, “'An 8 out of 10, we get along, but … I wanted to do this for some time but I didn't have the nerve to do it, so I just made up my mind that today was the day.’ ”

Espinoza has been charged with first-degree murder and evidence tampering, per the Polk County Sheriff's Office,

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He was being held in the Polk County Jail on Monday, April 8, according to ABC News.

According to online court documents, per the Associated Press, the 21-year-old refused a public defender in his case.

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