Polk Co. teacher’s son stabbed her 70 times, used pre-med training to kill her, sheriff says

WARNING: The following story may be too disturbing for some readers.

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Newly released documents revealed disturbing details about what Sheriff Grady Judd called it “one of the most bizarre murders” his detectives have seen in a long time.

Judd releases 911 call about man admitting to stabbing mother to death

At a news conference Monday, Judd said Emmanuel Espinoza murdered his mother, Elvia Espinoza, 46, on Saturday by stabbing her repeatedly until she bled.

According to Judd, Elvia Espinoza contacted her son Emmanuel Espinoza, the youngest of her three children, that morning to see if she could visit him while he was attending the University of Florida as a pre-school student. medicine.

“Mom called Saturday morning and said Manny (the suspect’s nickname): I haven’t seen you in a while. I want to come to Gainesville to see you,” the sheriff explained. “He said, well mom, I’m visiting grandpa this weekend, he has an event so I’ll come to your house. She said it was great. Why don’t you stay with me at home? And he said, sure, I’d love to.

The suspect arrived at his mother’s home in Frostproof around 2 p.m. Saturday. According to probable cause for arrest, he then put on his Air Pods and blasted Jay Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild” as he approached the house.

Ring camera footage showed Emmanuel Espinoza walking toward the front door while holding a knife behind his back. He tried to open the door, but it was locked, so he knocked.

The affidavit says Elvia Espinoza was on the phone with her brother at the time.

The victim’s brother heard him say “I think Manny’s here” and open the door. According to the affidavit, that’s when he heard Elvia Espinoza screaming for help.

“The second she opened the door, he ran in and started stabbing her,” Judd said. “He said he knew where to stab her for maximum effect from his biology classes.”

According to the affidavit, the defendant said he knew that if he stabbed her in or around the heart, her mother would bleed to death. However, detectives said the victim suffered stab wounds all over his body.

The sheriff said Emmanuel Espinoza stabbed his mother more than 70 times. The victim shouted his name several times, while remaining completely silent.

Judd said the violence continued even after Emmanuel Espinoza’s mother became unresponsive.

“He said he noticed her hands were still moving, so he stabbed her again,” Judd said.

According to the sheriff’s office, the suspect cut his hand while attacking his mother and was seen washing his hands and the knife on an indoor camera.

“As he stood by the kitchen sink, washing himself and cleaning the knife, he wanted to ask his mother for Neosporin for the cut on his hand, but he noticed that she was dead,” Judd said.

The suspect then called 911 to tell the dispatcher that he had killed his mother. When the dispatcher asked if his mother was awake, he said she was bleeding, according to a 911 call released by the sheriff’s office.

When officers arrived, the suspect, who was covered in blood, told them he killed his mother because she “annoyed him,” Judd said. According to the sheriff, Emmanuel Espinoza said he loved his mother but had been thinking about killing her for years.

“He made a statement that sometimes mom talks to herself out loud,” Judd said. “She will ask herself questions and then answer her question. This has been going on for years. Well, who doesn’t speak out loud?

“It just doesn’t make sense,” said Elva Mattox, a longtime friend and former colleague of Elvia Espinoza. “She was almost like a walking angel because she was always smiling and had a kind word for everyone who passed.”

Mattox is a former teacher who taught second grade Emmanuel Espinoza.

“There is no behavior that illustrates what happened and that could have given us a clue,” Mattox said. “He was very bright. All his children were brilliant. I don’t understand where this came from or how this happened.

Emmanuel Espinoza was arrested for first degree murder. The sheriff said the suspect had no arrest history or mental issues, and no items were found in his college dorm room showing he planned his mother’s murder at the university. ‘advance. Judd also said Elvia Espinoza had no negative interactions with her son that day and was happy to see him.

“I want you to understand that she truly was the perfect mom,” he said. “I want you to understand that she was very proud of her accomplishments in going to the University of Florida, graduating first in her high school class.”

Elvia Espinoza’s obituary describes her as a beloved teacher at Ben Hill Griffin Elementary School and “a light in everyone’s lives.”

“Elvia was full of life and loved her family, especially her grandchildren,” the obituary said. “Elvia truly loved spending time with her family and was a light in everyone’s lives.”

For breaking news, weather, sports and streaming videos, visit WFLA.