Criminal Court: Death penalty for defendant who killed friend after he posted photos of the latter's wife on Facebook

The Public Prosecution charged the defendant with intentionally premeditated murder, with prior intent and surveillance, after he published private photos of his wife on the social media platform Facebook and refused to delete them. He thus resolved to kill her husband, drew a knife, and waited in ambush for him to exit a location at his workplace, which he had previously confirmed the victim would frequent. As soon as he spotted him, he attacked him, stabbing him multiple times with the bladed weapon on his head and body, intending to take his life. The victim sustained the injuries described in the forensic pathology report, which ultimately caused his death, as detailed in the investigative records.

The defendant confessed to the charges before the court, stating that he had a friendship with the victim. However, during one of the victim’s visits, the victim took photos of the defendant’s wife without his consent. He was surprised to discover that the victim had posted the images on Facebook and asked him to delete them due to the presence of offensive comments about his wife. The victim, however, refused to delete the photos and subsequently posted additional images of the defendant’s wife on the same account, which escalated tensions between the defendant and his wife. This led the defendant to take a knife, wait for the victim outside his workplace, and kill him.