This week, a 53-year-old Florida man was taken into custody on suspicion of killing his girlfriend after stabbing her many times, including once in the back, and then claiming the injuries were self-inflicted.
Authorities said that Rifet Redzic was arrested on Wednesday and charged with one count of first-degree murder in connection with the death of 50-year-old Nafa Secic.
Deputies assigned to the Patrol Operations Bureau responded to a call regarding an allegedly “suicidal subject” at a residence in the 2700 block of 62nd Avenue North in St. Petersburg, Florida, which is about 20 miles southwest of Tampa, at approximately 9:50 p.m. on the evening of March 9, according to a news release from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
The press release states that the caller reported to the emergency dispatcher that his girlfriend, Secic, had stabbed herself to death.
First responders reported finding Secic in her bedroom with several stab wounds to her abdomen and chest when they arrived at the site. A knife that was discovered there was turned into evidence when she was declared dead at the scene.
Redzic told investigators what he said had transpired while he was still at the scene when deputies discovered his girlfriend.
“He told detectives he was sleeping, and when he woke up, he witnessed Secic go to the kitchen and retrieve a knife before returning to their bedroom where she began stabbing herself,” as per the release. “Redzic told detectives he attempted to stop Secic but was unsuccessful.”
Authorities, however, said that Redzic’s later admissions and the tangible evidence refuted his original account.
Detectives added that as the investigation went on, they discovered another stab wound on Secic’s back. Additionally, they claimed that Redzic “provided detectives with several inconsistent statements about what had occurred” after Secic’s death.
“When detectives interviewed Redzic, he initially maintained the claim that Secic stabbed herself, but then continued to provide detectives with inconsistent statements,” according to the release. “Redzic eventually admitted to stabbing Secic in the back, but maintained the other stab wounds were self-inflicted.”
Detectives said that in a post-Miranda interview, Redzic stated that Secic “first threatened him with a knife then stabbed herself in the abdomen,” according to a probable cause affidavit that Law&Crime was able to obtain. According to the affidavit, Redzic didn’t say “he stabbed her in the back” until after she had stabbed herself.
In the end, authorities found that Redzic was responsible for all five of Secic’s stab wounds, which included three in the chest, one in the belly, and one in the back.
