Shoe Stabbing Trial Hears From The Accused

Shoe stabbings are rare. Unfortunately, domestic violence cases are not. Mix the two, however, and you could end up with a murder trial like the one currently underway in Houston.

The shoe-weapon allegedly used in the stabbing was a stiletto heel, wielded by Ana Trujillo. It left her boyfriend, Alf Stefan Andersson, 59, dead. Trujillo has been charged with murder for the shoe stabbing death of the University of Houston professor and researcher.

Investigators believe she stabbed the victim with the shoe at least 25 times in the face and head.

The shoe stabbing took place at Professor Andersson’s condominium last June. The accused’s defense attorney, as defense attorneys often do, claims his client is innocent. According to the attorney, the accused was actually the victim and just used the shoe to defend herself.

In a video interview taken by police after the incident, the defendant tells detectives that Andersson instigated the shoe stabbing by first coming after her, and she was unaware she’d even really hurt him until she noticed blood on the floor. The interrogation video, recorded a few hours after the killing, was played for the courtroom Wednesday, reports ABC News.

During her video testimony, Trujillo tells detectives that she and Andersson returned to his condo after spending the night out drinking. Once back, an argument ensued, she claiming he was just mad and jealous that another man had bought her a drink earlier.

During the video, Trujillo also says Andersson was abusive after drinking heavily. Meanwhile, earlier in the trial, his friends said he was a kind and good-natured man.

When explaining to Andersson that she was going to visit family in Waco the next day, Trujillo explains in the video, Andersson got mad because he thought she was really just leaving him. That’s when he attacked, she said.

She ran but Andersson caught her and sat on top of her so she couldn’t breathe. Trujillo begged him to get off and at one point he lost his balance, giving her the opportunity to turn the tables.

“He grabbed me. I was hitting him with the shoe, telling him, please stop,” said Trujillo. She struck Andersson with the shoe, she said, because she knew he was going to try to hurt her.

She claimed she hit him with the shoe “a couple of times” before he got a hold of her hand and she dropped the shoe.

On Tuesday a recording of Trujillo calling 911 following the stabbing was played. During the call she is crying while claiming Andersson is beating her. In response, Houston police officer, Ashton Bowie, testified his belief that Trujillo was crying “crocodile tears.”

If convicted, Trujillo faces up to life in prison for the shoe stabbing.