Man arrested after posting video of fatal stabbing on Facebook

Someone who viewed the video reported it to the police, leading them to the victim

San Mateo police search an apartment complex for a stabbing victim after a man posted a video of the murder to Facebook (screengrab/NBC Bay Area)

A man in California has been arrested and charged in the fatal stabbing of a woman after he posted a video of the attack on Facebook, according to police.

Police became aware of the attack when an individual in Nye County, Nevada, reported that they saw the video while browsing Facebook, San Mateo police said.

The individual gave police the name and phone number of the individual who posted the video, which led police to an address in San Mateo, according to NBC News.

Police searched for nearly three hours before they located a woman dead inside a large apartment complex.

"Due to the seriousness of the crime, Nye County 'pinged' the phone number associated to the Facebook account and it came back to the area of the 200 block of 37th Ave., a large apartment complex," police said in a statement. "Without an apartment number and with the variance of the ping accuracy, SMPD officers saturated the area and initiated a door-to-door canvass of the complex to attempt to locate the possible victim and/or suspect."

Mark Merchikoff, 39, was arrested in San Jose, approximately 20 miles southeast of San Mateo.

The San Mateo police chief said Mr Merchikoff knew the victim of the stabbing. Police are still investigating to determine a motive for the attack.

“We do know Merchikoff mercilessly filmed the last moments of the victim’s life and posted the video to Facebook, then fled the area,” police said in a statement.

The victim has been identified as Claribel Marie Estrella, 41, according to ABC 7.

San Mateo police search an apartment complex for a stabbing victim after a man posted a video of the murder to Facebook (screengrab/NBC Bay Area)

Mr Merchikoff was arrested on suspicion of homicide. He was previously released from prison in 2018.

It is unclear if the suspect has an attorney to speak for him at present.

San Mateo police spokesman Jerami Surratt said "it's pretty hideous what the video contained," according to NBC Bay Area.

"It's tragic, horrible. It's tough enough when we lose someone in our community," he said. "For someone to post a Facebook video is just hideous and horrible,"

Steven Clark, an attorney and legal analyst, told ABC7 he believed the District Attorney would likely use the video as a centerpiece of their prosecution.

He also noted that "the death penalty is still on the books," despite California Governor Gavin Newsom's typical aversion to death penalty sentences.