Student accused of killing mother in Frostproof had no history of arrests, behavior issues

FROSTPROOF — Elvia Espinoza called her son on Friday and offered to drive from Frostproof to Gainesville, where he was a student at the University of Florida.

Espinoza often texted with her youngest of three children but had not seen him in some time and missed him, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. Manny, a fourth-year pre-medicine student, told his mother that he was heading to Frostproof for the weekend to visit relatives and would stop by her home the next day.

Elvia, eager to see her son, invited him to spend Saturday night at her house, Judd said.

Manny Espinoza, 21, and a former valedictorian at Frostproof Middle-Senior High School, arrived about 2 p.m. on Saturday, walking to his mother’s front door. Video that Judd played at a news conference on Monday showed the young man wearing jeans, a dark T-shirt and sunglasses as he knocked on the door while hiding an open pocket knife behind his back.

As soon as Elvia opened the door to greet her son, he charged forward and, without saying a word, plunged the knife into his mother for the first of more than 70 times, Judd said. Elvia Espinoza, 46, was dead by the time Sheriff’s Office employees arrived, in response to a 911 call from Manny Espinoza.

“It is one of the most bizarre murderers that we've dealt with in a very long time,” Judd said.

The sheriff held the news conference to provide further details on the alleged murder, which his office had reported on Sunday. No clear explanation had emerged for the killing to which Manny Espinoza had confessed, Judd said.

“We asked him, ‘Are you on any drugs or alcohol?’” Judd said, to which Espinoza answered no. “He said, ‘I've wanted to do this for some time, but I didn't have the nerve to do it. So I just made up my mind, today was the day.’”

Manny Espinoza graduated from Frostproof Middle-Senior High School atop the Class of 2020, with a grade-point average of 4.5, Judd said. Video from the graduation ceremony, held at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, shows Espinoza wearing a red robe and a yellow valedictorian’s stole.

After thanking God and his brother and sister, whom he called “the best siblings ever,” Espinoza expressed gratitude to “my mom and dad for sacrificing so much and for being the perfect role models.”

Espinoza had a first appearance in court Sunday on a charge of first-degree murder. He is being held without bond.

Judd said Monday that Espinoza had no known history of mental illness or substance abuse. He had no previous arrests. The Sheriff’s Office had no record of previous emergency calls involving Espinoza, Judd said.

'Students and colleagues greatly loved her'

Elvia Espinoza was a second-grade teacher at Frostproof Ben Hill Griffin Jr. Elementary School. The school posted a photo of her on its Facebook page Monday with the statement: “We lost a beloved member of the FBHG family over the weekend. Ms. Espinoza will be deeply missed.”

The post was adorned with graphics of flowers in various hues.

Polk County School Board member Justin Sharpless posted Sunday on Facebook: “She was a kind person who cared about her family, students, co-workers, and the Frostproof community. To honor her life, her co-workers have asked everyone to wear hot pink, lime green and/or bright blue tomorrow.

Espinoza previously worked as a secretary at Frostproof Middle-Senior High School, which nominated her for a School-Related Employee of the Year Award in 2009-10.

Polk County Public Schools issued a statement about Espinoza on Monday:

“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. We ask everyone to keep her family and loved ones in your prayers.”

The district had made personal calls to the parents of students in Espinoza’s class to inform them of the tragedy, PCPS said. The district sent a team of grief counselors to Frostproof Ben Hill Griffin Jr. Elementary, and counselors were also available at Frostproof Middle-Senior High.

All Polk County students have access to free telehealth services, including mental health services, the district said.

Haunting video and audio clips

Address directories indicate that relatives of Espinoza live in the tiny Sun Ray community, a few miles south of Frostproof. On Monday morning, a white Toyota Corolla with a University of Florida license plate cover, a vehicle matching the appearance of one Judd identified in a video Sunday as belonging to Manny Espinoza, was parked in the front yard at one of the homes. No one answered at the door.

Neighbors said Manny’s older brother lived a few streets over in the same neighborhood.

During Monday’s news conference, Judd shared a brief clip from a doorbell video that he said showed Manny Espinoza in the moments before the stabbing of his mother. The video shows a spacious and well-tended front yard, with an American flag flying near the porch and a large pot holding red geraniums.

Audio recorded during Saturday’s incident captured Elvia Espinoza repeatedly calling out her son’s name, Judd said. Manny Espinoza did not speak as he stabbed his mother, the sheriff said.

Judd played a recording of the 911 call that he said Manny Espinoza made soon afterward to report that his mother was dead

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“How did this happen?” an operator asked, to which Espinoza replied, “I don’t know. I just stabbed my mom.”

'The perfect mother'

Judd said that Manny Espinoza had driven from Gainesville to attend a family gathering for his grandfather. He said that he had wanted to kill his mother for years and told deputies that he decided on the drive down to do it that day.

Detectives searched Espinoza's room in Gainesville and found nothing to indicate he had planned the killing, the sheriff said.

Judd said that Espinoza gave contradictory statements, telling investigators that he loved his mother and rated her 8 out of 10 as a parent. But he also said she “got on his nerves,” leading him to consider killing her for years.

The student told deputies that he knew where to insert the knife for maximum effect because of his knowledge of anatomy from biology classes, Judd said. The blade seen in the doorbell video appeared to be no more than two or three inches long.

Espinoza continued stabbing his mother after she fell to the ground, Judd said, and when she tried to rise, he resumed his attack.

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

In talking to detectives, Espinoza said he noticed afterward that he had cut his own hand during the stabbings. He stood at the kitchen sink, washing his hand, and wanted to ask his mother where to find antibiotic ointment to treat the cut before remembering she was dead, the sheriff said.

“I want you to understand she was really the perfect mom,” Judd said. “I want you to understand that she was very proud of his accomplishments in going to the University of Florida, graduating number one in his high school class.”

Judd said that others described Manny Espinoza as a “genius.”

In his high school graduation speech, Espinoza told his classmates: “High school was just one of the steps of the many we will have throughout our lives. We still have so much to accomplish in the future that will define what kind of legacy the Class of 2020 will leave behind.”

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: UF student accused of killing mother in Frostproof gave no indications