Justice served: Man charged in 22-year old cold case
BY DEAN MOSES
Tuesday NYPD offi cials
and the Bronx District Attorney
Darcel Clark offi cially
announced the arraignment
of an alleged child murderer
dating back over two decades.
“For the past 22 years and
nine months and a day, that
burden has weighed heavy
on many who wear the gold
shield,” said Deputy Chief
Timothy McCormack, the
commanding offi cer of Bronx
Detective Bureau, during a
press briefi ng at the Bronx
District Attorney’s offi ce on
Nov. 30.
Thirteen-year-old Minerliz
Soriano disappeared
while traveling to school on
Feb. 24, 1999, her body was
found less than a week later.
Stuffed in a plastic bag and
tossed away like trash, the
young girl was left in a dumpster
behind a video store in
Co-op City, now known as the
Bay Plaza mall. More than 20
years later Soriano’s tearful
family gathered to watch the
announcement that her killer
had been apprehended.
“Investigators used familiar
DNA, the fi rst time the
technology has been used in
New York City to solve this
case,” Bronx District Attorney
Darcel Clark said,
“This beautiful little girl was
treated less than human.”
DNA was tracked to the
father of Joseph Martinez,
which then led investigators
to the 49-year-old who also
goes by the alias “Jupiter
Joe” (a nickname earned for
offering sidewalk astronomy
lessons.) Martinez of 40 Memorial
BRONX TIMES R 6 EPORTER, DEC. 3-9, 2021 BTR
Highway in New Rochelle
was charged on Nov.
29 for two counts of seconddegree
murder, felony and
intentional, and could be observed
leaving the 49th Precinct
in handcuffs.
Family members of the
slain Soriano became emotional
as they listened to the
particulars of a case that has
haunted them for so many
years. However, offi cials say
the DNA technology which
led them to the alleged killer
was only authorized in 2018
and allowed detectives to
search criminal databases.
“It’s been years waiting
for this to come to fruition so
I’m not feeling too well right
now,” Omar Soriano said,
sharing his thanks to the
NYPD and the District Attorney
for their relentless pursuit
of the murderer.
Clark described Soriano
as not just another grim statistic,
but a vibrant child
whose life was taken too
soon. She shared her gratitude
for both the advancement
in forensic technology
but also the steadfast dedication
of the NYPD and her district
attorneys.
“DNA science and technology
advanced over the years
and familiar DNA in particular,
was instrumental in
linking the defendant Joseph
Martinez, also known as Jupiter
Joe, to the murder,”
Clark said, “While the technology
was vital, it really was
to humanity, the dedication
and the compassion of the investigators
and their relentless
drive to get justice in this
case, and for them.”
On Monday, Nov. 29, NYPD detectives lead Joseph Martinez out of the 49th Precinct in the Bronx after DNA
implicated him in the 1999 murder of a 13-year-old girl near Co-op City. Photo Adrian Childress
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