A judge is expected to rule as early as Tuesday on whether a confession from a Hialeah teenager accused of killing his mother can be used as evidence at trial.
Attorneys for 15-year-old Derek Rosa are asking the court to suppress his confession, arguing that he did not fully understand his right to remain silent when he spoke with investigators.
Prosecutors insist the confession is critical to their case and should be presented to a jury.
Rosa is accused of stabbing his mother to death in their Hialeah home in October 2023. He was 13 years old at the time of the killing. Investigators say the victim was stabbed 46 times while she slept.
During a lengthy court hearing Monday, the lead detective on the case testified for most of the day. As audio from Rosa’s 911 call was played in court, the teen sat with his head down and at times covered his ears.
In the call, Rosa can be heard telling the dispatcher, “I killed my mom.” He could also be heard telling the dispatcher that he sent pictures of the scene to friends.
Defense attorneys argue that the traumatic nature of the incident, combined with Rosa’s age, made his statements unreliable. One defense attorney told the court that regardless of how the case is viewed, the situation was deeply traumatic for a child.
Prosecutors counter that the confession, along with other evidence, supports a guilty verdict.
In November, prosecutors revealed what they described as new evidence, claiming Rosa had a fascination with blood, gore, and death. They also allege that days before the killing, Rosa told friends he planned to be Jason, the fictional killer from the “Friday the 13th,” a character known for using a machete. Prosecutors noted the attack happened around 11 p.m., roughly an hour before Friday the 13th began.
In another portion of the 911 call, Rosa allegedly told the dispatcher he had planned to kill both his mother and himself, but said he did not want to kill his sister and ultimately did not take his own life.
Rosa’s trial is scheduled to begin on Jan. 20th. In addition to ruling on the admissibility of the confession, the judge is also expected to decide on a defense motion to delay the trial. The state attorney has filed an objection to that request.
Court is set to continue Tuesday morning at 10 a.m.
