Pre-medical student ‘stabbed mother 70 times after wanting to do it for years’

Disturbing footage shows the moment a University of Florida pre-medical student hid a knife behind his back before stabbing his mother “in excess of 70 times”.

Emmanuel Espinoza, 21, was arrested on Saturday after he confessed to stabbing his mother, 46-year-old elementary school teacher, Elvia Espinoza, when she opened her front door to him.

Mr Espinoza had been invited by his mother to stay at her house in Frostproof , Florida, before a family event for his grandfather.

In disturbing footage, the 21-year-old is seen wearing a pair of dark shades, light blue jeans and a navy blue shirt as he casually walks up to his mother’s front door at around 2pm on Saturday.

As he waits at the door for his mother to answer, Mr Espinoza can be seen hiding a knife behind his back.

“He knocked on the door, and his beautiful mother was so excited to see her son. She opened the door,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said as he played the footage during a press briefing.

Mr Judd said Mr Espinoza charged into the house and started stabbing his mother the second the door was opened.

The sheriff added that Mr Espinoza told investigators he knew where to stab his mother for maximum effect because of his biology classes.

“We have another audio that we’re not going to play from the inside of the house, where [his mom is] screaming, ‘Manny, Manny, Manny’ and he’s not saying one word. He stabbed her in excess of 70 times,” Sheriff Judd said.

Mr Espinoza allegedly continued to stab his mother as she tried to get up off of the floor. “He said he noticed her hands were still moving, so he stabbed her some more,” Sheriff Judd said.

He went on to reveal that the University of Florida student told investigators that while he loved his mother, he had “wanted to kill her for years” because “she got on my nerves”.

He also told detectives that he had cut his hand on the knife while stabbing his mother.

“And as he was standing at the kitchen sink, washing himself off and the knife, he wanted to ask his mother for the Neosporin, for the cut on his hand. But he noticed she was dead.”

It was at that moment, right after the gruesome murder, that Mr Espinoza called 911 and confessed to dispatchers what he had done.

Sheriff Judd said the 21-year-old has been cooperating with investigators and is charged with first-degree murder.

Following her death, tributes were paid to Elvia Espinoza, who worked as a second-grade teacher at Frostproof Ben Hill Griffin Jr Elementary School.

“Her students and colleagues greatly loved her, and her sudden, unexpected death is a devastating loss. She was a very special part of her school family,” the school district said.

“Elvia was full of life and loved her family, especially her grandchildren. Elvia truly enjoyed spending time with her family and was a light in everyone’s life,” another tribute read.