Husband of late NC State student charged with her murder could take the stand Friday
The defendant accused in the murder of his wife, who was a student at North Carolina State University, could take the stand as soon as Friday.
Thursday marked day seven in the trial involving the April 2021 death of Christina Matos. She was 20.
Erick Hernandez-Mendez is charged with murder. If convicted, Hernandez-Mendez would face life in prison without parole.
On Thursday, a few new pieces of evidence were revealed, including a Walgreens receipt for Clorox wipes and bleach.
The court played a video Raleigh police had with Hernandez-Mendez just five days after Matos went missing in 2021.
Authorities found Matos dead on April 4, 2021, inside her apartment at the Signature 1505 along Hillsborough Street in Raleigh. Matos' autopsy revealed she was stabbed 16 times in her apartment.
Hernandez-Mendez and Matos got married on March 29, 2021.
In the video, Hernandez-Mendez showed little emotion when the detective says his wife of just five days is dead.
Hernandez-Mendez repeatedly denied killing Matos in the video.
A separate video from inside Signature 1505 was played too. A detective asked Hernandez-Mendez what was inside bags taken inside the apartment.
"I bought detergent and Clorox," he said in the video.
A Raleigh police detective in the video said a solution used to detect blood in the apartment was a very important clue.
"A blood trail from Christina's room went straight to your room and no where else," a police detective tells Hernandez Mendez in the video. [Is there] something you need to tell me?"
"I don' really have an answer to that," Hernandez-Mendez said in the video. "I don't know.
"I would never cause harm to [anyone]."
The defense poked holes in the Raleigh police interview. The defense believes Matos and Hernandez-Mendez's roommate, Kailey Lynch-Firicano could have also killed Matos. Lynch-Firicano is charged with accessory after the fact and obstruction of justice.
"I don't believe there is a super secret, dark ninja at night that did this at night," Raleigh police detective Wilber O'Neal said Thursday in court.
A detective also questioned why there was a knife missing from the butcher block. Hernandez-Mendez said he didn't know.
