Florida

Testimony Continues in UF Student Slaying Trial

Testimony will continue Thursday in the trial of the Miami man accused of killing University of Florida student Christian Aguilar.

Pedro Bravo faces several charges in the 2012 death of Aguilar, his one-time friend and former classmate at Doral Preparatory High School.

On the stand Wednesday was Erika Friman, Bravo’s high school sweetheart and Aguilar’s college girlfriend.

Friman said Bravo was set to go to college in Miami, but changed his mind and by the summer of 2012, he had moved to Gainesville where Erika and Christian were both in school at UF. Prosecutors said the move was made in hopes of reconciling with Erika.

Friman said she didn’t tell Bravo she was dating Aguilar. Prosecutors say Bravo orchestrated a plan to kill Aguilar because of an obsession with Friman.

Bravo researched ways to kill and get away with it before drugging and strangling Aguilar in a WalMart parking lot, prosecutors said. Defense attorneys said the two had argued, but denied that Bravo killed Aguilar.

Aguilar was reported missing in September 2012, setting off a massive search. The 18-year-old's body was later discovered by hunters in a rural area of Levy County.

Police said they found blood in Bravo's SUV and found Aguilar's backpack hidden inside a suitcase in Bravo's closet. Bravo also bought a shovel and roll of duct tape days before the disappearance of Aguilar, a UF freshman, according to authorities.

Bravo faces seven charges, including homicide, kidnapping, poisoning, making a false report, obstructing a criminal investigation, destroying evidence and mishandling human remains.

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