Mark Mechikoff: CA man accused of gruesome murder claims AI-generated confession posted on Facebook
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
PACIFICA, CALIFORNIA: Mark Stephen Mechikoff, a 39-year-old resident of Pacifica, who stands accused of a gruesome murder, has shocked the courtroom by claiming that his confession was not a product of his own admission but was, in fact, generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
The horrifying incident unfolded on July 26, 2023, when Mechikoff allegedly stabbed Claribel Estrella to death inside her San Mateo apartment.
Mark Mechikoff posted the final moments of his victim on Facebook
Prosecutors assert that Mechikoff recorded the entire murder using his cellphone camera, capturing Estrella's final moments as she bled on her kitchen floor.
The video was subsequently posted on Mechikoff's Facebook page, sending waves of horror and disbelief across social media.
During a recent preliminary hearing in the San Mateo County courtroom, prosecutors revealed that Mechikoff, while admitting to the killing, vehemently declared that his confession was "generated by AI (artificial intelligence)," reported Fox.
The revelation adds a perplexing layer to an already gruesome case that garnered attention when Mechikoff's Facebook friends, including a woman from Florida, witnessed the shocking video and promptly alerted law enforcement.
Authorities investigate the Facebook video, leading to the gruesome discovery
The Nye County Sheriff's Office in Nevada also became involved when a caller reported watching a video of a woman covered in blood and lying on the ground on Facebook.
The sheriff's office "pinged" Mechikoff's phone number associated with the social media page, and authorities traced it to a large San Mateo apartment complex.
Following an extensive door-to-door search, Estrella was found nearly three hours later in one of the units. The precise connection between Mechikoff and the victim remains undisclosed.
District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe previously remarked that Mechikoff's Facebook post suggested a certain "pride" in the alleged crime, heightening the unsettling nature of the case.
In a recent development, Mechikoff's defense attorneys sought a hearing postponement, citing the need for additional preparation time. The hearing is now rescheduled for March 21 at 9 am.
