The cause of University of Florida student Christian Aguilar's death could not be pinpointed, but strangulation could not be ruled out. 
 
 The cause of University of Florida student Christian Aguilar's death could not be pinpointed, but strangulation could not be ruled out, a state medical examiner testified Tuesday during the murder trial of Pedro Bravo. The examiner also said certain other causes could be eliminated, including gunshot, beating, suicide or natural causes. 
 
 With Bravo, 20, intently looking when photos of Aguilar's remains were shown to the jury, Assistant Medical Examiner Martha Burt explained the condition of the body and how she ruled that it was a homicide. 
 
 "The manner of death I assigned as homicide. The cause of death I listed as homicide by unspecified means," Burt said, adding that strangulation was possible and that strangling Aguilar could have taken more than 10 minutes. 
 
 Burt testified how she traveled to the woods off State Road 24 in Levy County to help collect a body found by hunters in a shallow grave on Oct. 12, 2012. 
 
 Authorities allege Bravo strangled Aguilar on Sept. 20, 2012, in his SUV in the parking lot of the Northwest 13th Street Wal-Mart and that Bravo told someone the strangulation took 13 minutes. 
 
 The state contends Bravo then drove to Levy County to dispose of the body near Cedar Key. 
 
 Several of Aguilar's bones were not found, including one from his neck, Burt said. 
 
 Burt explained under questioning from Assistant State Attorney Bill Ezell how death is faster when strangulation occurs using a thin item such as a cord because the cord cuts blood to the brain faster. 
 
 Burt said Aguilar showed no facial wounds that would indicate a beating and no indication that he was shot. She also ruled out a natural death, suicide or accident. 
 
 A metallic tape was found looped on Aguilar's wrists and in an area where his neck would have been, Burt said. The tape was also found by his feet. 
 
 Marianne Hildreth, an analyst with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, testified how pieces of the tape found by Aguilar matched duct tape that was covering a crack in the windshield of Bravo's SUV. 
 
 Police testified Tuesday on how they used Pedro Bravo's cellphone to track his movements around Gainesville, including trips to the University of Florida, Best Buy and several spots in northwest Gainesville. 
 
 A detective also testified how queries made on the phone included the statement, "I need to hide my roommate." 
 
 The data also showed that the phone was disconnected from the network during the time authorities allege Bravo was driving to a Levy County forest to bury Aguilar. However, an app on the phone that turns it into a flashlight was activated during the time authorities believe Bravo was at the burial site, the data also showed. 
 
 The process of searching Bravo's cellphone was debated by prosecutors and defense attorneys Tuesday because of the advanced capabilities of iPhones and Verizon to map usage and record data. 
 
 Gainesville Police Department Detective Matt Goeckel testified about his extraction of information from the cellphone, including the collection of data from Verizon on the cell towers that the phone used — potentially key evidence on Bravo's whereabouts the day and night Aguilar disappeared on Sept. 20, 2012. 
 
 Authorities allege Bravo killed Aguilar out of jealousy and anger that Aguilar was dating his former girlfriend. All three had attended the same high school in Miami. 
 
 Defense attorney Stephen Bernstein argued the data should not be shown to the jury because he cannot question the Verizon employee who developed it and gave it to Goeckel. 
 
 "I have no ability to confront how it was done," Bernstein said. 
 
 Prosecutor Bill Ezell said police often testify in court cases on information they receive from devices. He cited breathalyzer results as an example. 
 
 Circuit Judge James Colaw allowed the testimony. 
 
 Much of the data fits with Bravo's initial statements to police about the afternoon: meeting Aguilar at UF, driving to Best Buy to get a Kanye West CD and driving to several spots in northwest Gainesville. 
 
 It also details other streets used by Bravo that Goeckel was less specific about, particularly his whereabouts after Bravo said he fought with Aguilar and left him somewhere off U.S. 441 in north Gainesville. 
 
 The cellphone had queries that were made, including "I need to hide my roommate." Underneath that query, which was captured on a screen shot of Bravo's phone, were responses to "where to hide a roommate." The suggestions included reservoirs and swamps. 
 
 Also testifying Tuesday was retired GPD Sgt. Ray Barber, who explained his role in a search for Aguilar near Streit's Motorsports on U.S. 441 on Sept. 21. 
 
 Among the search efforts was the use of a police dog and a police helicopter. The next day, more officers joined in, Barber testified. 
 
 "Our goal was to search the general area," Barber said. "We expanded it to other areas." 
 
 Officers found neither Aguilar nor evidence of a struggle — Bravo had earlier told police he and Aguilar fought in the area and he drove off leaving Aguilar. 
 
 Under cross examination by Bravo's attorney, Michael Ruppert, Barber said that GPD Sgt. Randy Roberts drove Bravo to Streit's during the search, parking on the south side of the business. Roberts testified Monday he parked on the north side. 
 
 Barber also said under cross examination that he did not call for equipment for a forensics team to find evidence of a struggle. 
 
 Ruppert had said during his opening statement that police did not look for other suspects. 

 August 11, 2014 5:32 PM 
 
 South Florida Crime Crime Coverage 
 
 GAINESVILLE (CBSMiami) – The jury in the murder trial of Pedro Bravo got chance to hear what he told police about the disappearance of his friend Christian Aguilar in his own words. 
 
 Bravo is accused of strangling Aguilar, 18, in September 2012 because of his obsession with his former girlfriend Erika Friman. Bravo, Aguilar and Friman all attended the Doral Academy. 
 
 Monday morning after listening to a police forensics expert testify about the dirt found on Bravo’s car, University of Florida police Sergeant Stephen Wilder was called to the stand. 
 
 Wilder conducted the second interview with Bravo after Aguilar’s disappearance. On the video, Bravo tells Wilder that the last time he saw his friend the two discussed his depression and his wanting to commit suicide. He said Aguilar tried to talk him out of it. 
 
 “He’s one of my good friends and he’s one of the only people who could help me,” said Bravo. 
 
 “He’d gone through the same thing and I knew he’d be there for me,” he added. 
 
 He said at one point they picked up a hitchhiker and then dropped him off. 
 
 CLICK HERE to watch Ted Scouten’s report 
 
 Bravo said they got into a heated argument and Christian wanted out of the car so he dropped him off. 
 
 “I made a comment about this girl he liked for three years (not Erica), he got mad and told me to stop the car,” said Bravo. 
 
 “I was angry and stopped the car and said ‘fine, get out’,” added Bravo. 
 
 Bravo originally told police he and Christian had a verbal argument, then he said it turned physical. 
 
 “I was sitting here in the car, and I remember he said something and I just punched him across the face.” 
 
 Bravo said that’s when he kicked Christian out of the car, but the detective was still not buying it. He’s afraid it’s even worse. 
 
 “How many times did you hit him,” he asked Bravo. 
 
 “Once. Just once,” said Bravo later adding, “I don’t want him to be found a skeleton by his parents and not be able to have a funeral.” 
 
 Under questioning as to whether police would find Aguilar alive, Bravo’s story changed. 
 
 “I stopped the car, I got out and started a small fight with him and then I left,” said Bravo. 
 
 Then his story became more defined. 
 
 “I pushed him out of the car, then I got out of the car then I kept punching him,” said Bravo. “I really hope he’s okay. When I left the scene it was me, I was just there whaling on him, then I kept going until I could see he was okay but he couldn’t move anymore. Then I drove away.”‘ 
 
 Aguilar’s body was found dead weeks later, partially buried in a wooded section. Investigators believe he was poisoned in the back of Bravo’s SUV and then strangled, possibly with a belt. 
 
 After leaving Aguilar, Bravo told Wilder “I was really mad and annoyed. I didn’t care to look back.” He said he later regretted not going back. 
 
 Bravo said he had trouble sleeping that night. He said he took four sleeping pills and went to bed. He said he woke up in the middle of the night, checked his phone and went back to sleep. Bravo said he then woke up around 3 a.m. and the power went off. He said he later got a call from Erika asking if she had heard from Aguilar. 
 
 “That’s when I learned he did not make it back to his dorm room. His roommate called and said he was not there. The last I saw of him, I dropped him off,” said Bravo. 
 
 “I couldn’t get back to sleep, I kind of felt guilty, I dropped him off and left him. What if he didn’t get back to his dorm,” said Bravo. 
 
 “I just really hope he’s lost,” Bravo told Wilder. “I’ll be happy if he’s lost.” 
 
 When asked how he felt about Aguilar dating Friman, Bravo replied “Well she deserves the best” and ” I don’t have a problem with them dating.” 
 
 Bravo told police he had duct tape in his car because of a cracked windshield. 
 
 He added that said Friman told him that Aguilar had called his father after he dropped him off. 
 
 Wilder testified that after interviewing Bravo, his department contacted Gainesville police and got them involved. 
 
 Aguilar’s body was found in October 2012. 
 
 Last week, Mark Trahan, a Gainesville Police Department Crime Scene Investigator, testified that he found traces of blood on the bottom of a paint can and a shoe insole from inside Bravo’s car. He added the shovel Bravo bought to bury Aguilar was found under a boardwalk in an apartment complex. 
 
 CLICK HERE to watch CBS4’s noon report 
 
 Prosecutors also played security footage from Walmart and Lowes appearing to show Aguilar purchasing the shovel, and other items, including a knife. 
 
 The state also showed video stills showing an SUV similar to Bravo’s coming in and out of his apartment complex multiple times around one o’clock the next morning – after Aguilar vanished. 
 
 Friman testified Aguilar had concerns about meeting her ex-boyfriend. Friman told the courtroom she was shocked when Bravo moved to Gainesville from Miami and lied to him about dating Aguilar so she didn’t “push him over the edge.” 
 
 According to Friman, she assisted with arranging a meeting between Aguilar and Bravo so that Aguilar could help Bravo work through depression. 
 
 Friman said she and Aguilar had plans later that night for dinner, but he never showed. 
 
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– You know how people like to ask Siri jokey questions, like how to hide a body? Apparently Pedro Bravo, now on trial in Florida for the strangulation death of 18-year-old roommate Christian Aguilar, didn't get the memo, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Police say that on Sept. 20, 2012, Bravo told Siri: "I need to hide my roommate." Evidence presented at his trial yesterday alleges Siri suggested the usual: "Swamps. Reservoirs. Metal foundries. Dumps." Police believe Bravo killed Aguilar over an obsession with Bravo's ex-girlfriend by poisoning him in the back seat of his SUV at Walmart, then strangling him, possibly with a belt, CBS reports. Aguilar's body was found partially buried in the woods three weeks later. Police reviewed the data on Bravo's phone and say he was very active the night of Aguilar's death and not where he claimed to be. The trial—in which Bravo faces seven charges, including homicide and mishandling human remains—should conclude this week.