‘Hideous and horrible’: Police allege man ‘mercilessly filmed the last moments’ of woman’s life in ‘stabbing’ snuff video posted on Facebook

Mark Mechikoff appears in a Facebook photo (L) and a mugshot (R) against an image of an apartment complex where a woman was stabbed to death in July 2023

Mark Mechikoff appears in a Facebook photo, inset left, and a mugshot, inset right, against an image of an apartment where a woman was stabbed to death in July 2023. (Facebook via KNTV; San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office; Screengrab via KGO)

Police in California say they have arrested a man for killing a woman with a knife and then posting footage of the crime on Facebook.

Mark Mechikoff, 39, stands accused of one count of murder, according to the San Mateo Police Department. The defendant hails from Pacifica, a small city within broader San Mateo County.

The victim, Claribel Marie Estrell, 41, is said to have known her alleged assailant. The relationship between the defendant and the deceased woman, however, is not yet a matter of public knowledge.