Grand jury indicts man accused of killing mother in Florida

BARTOW, Fla. ( WFLA ) — A grand jury has returned an indictment against the former high school valedictorian turned accused killer .

In the indictment handed up Wednesday, a jury of Emmanuel Espinoza’s peers found evidence he committed first-degree murder and tampered with evidence in connection to the death of his mother, Elvia Espinoza.

The indictment finds he did “unlawfully from a premeditated design…kill Elvia Espinoza…by cutting and/or stabbing Elvia Espinoza with a knife and/or sharp object.”

According to count two of the indictment, the grand jury found Espinoza tampered with evidence by cleaning a knife.

“You’re going be held no bond at this time on both counts,” a judge told Espinoza Thursday during his first appearance.

Espinoza has been held on no bond since criminal charges were filed after the murder.

An indictment adds weight to the existing capital felony case against Espinoza.

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Espinoza, 21, a pre-med student who was the valedictorian of his 2020 high school class in Frostproof, traveled from college to his mother’s home on April 6.

“The second she opened the door, he charged in and started stabbing her. He made the statement that he knew where to stab her for maximum effect because of his biology classes,” said Sheriff Grady Judd during a news conference last week.

Espinoza told detectives his mother got on his nerves, according to the sheriff.

A representative from the state attorney’s office said a decision on whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty will be made in the coming weeks.

Elvia Espinoza, 46, was a grandmother and beloved second grade teacher at Ben Hill Griffin Elementary School in Frostproof.

“It doesn’t make any sense. It’s bizarre. Only, I guess only God would know why something like that would happen. Our town is hurting,” said Chuck Thornton, a neighbor and longtime friend of Elvia Espinoza.

Thornton said Espinoza would often cook Mexican food for her neighbors.

“I could describe Elvia as being just full of grace. She was the sweetest friend, the best mom. We all wish we had moms like Elvia,” said Thornton.

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