Wikipedia

Murder of Minerliz Soriano

On February 28, 1999, the body of 13-year-old Minerliz "Minnie" Soriano was found bound and wrapped inside a garbage bag, dumped inside a garbage dumpster behind a video store in the Co-op City section of the Bronx, New York City. She had been strangled and sexually abused, and missing for three days after leaving her middle school.[1] Her case went unsolved for twenty-two years until police, aided by advanced DNA technology, arrested a suspect in November 2021.[2]

Minerliz "Minnie" Soriano
DisappearedFebruary 24, 1999
Eastchester, Bronx, New York City
StatusMurdered
DiedFebruary 24–28, 1999
Cause of death
Strangulation

It was the first time in New York City that a case was solved using familial DNA analysis.[3]

Investigation

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The key piece of evidence in the case was a semen stain found on Soriano's sweatshirt which was preserved since 1999. In 2019, the sample was run through the New York State convicted offender DNA database (CODIS) and linked the DNA to the suspect's deceased father.[3] Investigators later obtained a sample of a suspect's DNA and matched the sample to him.[4]

Accused

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In 2021, New Rochelle resident Joseph Martinez was arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree murder,[5] for the sexual assault and strangulation of Soriano between February 24–28, 1999.[2] He had become a prime suspect in the case through the relatively new technique of familial DNA analysis. Although Martinez's DNA was not in any criminal database, his father's DNA was, due to an arrest years earlier. In 2019, a familial DNA search indicated that the father, by then deceased, was a close relative of the person whose semen had been found on Soriano's sweatshirt. With the possible suspects narrowed to only a few, the police later covertly collected Martinez's DNA, which proved an exact match to that of the semen.[6][7]

As a hobby, Martinez taught children about astronomy, setting up a powerful telescope on busy sidewalks and offering views and lessons to those who wanted.[6] In 1999, he lived in the same building as Soriano.[7]

After a trial that lasted over a month, a Bronx court jury found Martinez guilty of Minerliz's murder on November 14, 2025.[8] On March 26, 2026, Martinez was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.[9]

References

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  1. ↑ Pelisek, Christine (November 30, 2021). "N.Y. Girl, 13, Was Killed on Way Home from School in 1999, Suspect Has Been Teaching Astronomy". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  2. 1 2 "More details revealed after DNA leads to arrest in 1999 cold-case murder in the Bronx". ABC7 New York. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Miller, Jax (December 1, 2021). "Man Known For Teaching Astronomy On NYC Streets Arrested For Teen's 1999 Murder". Oxygen Official Site. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  4. ↑ McShane, Larry (November 30, 2021). "Sex crime DNA sample leads to cold case arrest of amateur astronomer for 1999 murder of Bronx schoolgirl". nydailynews.com. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  5. ↑ King, Ryan (November 30, 2021). "Police make arrest in 22-year-old cold homicide case". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  6. 1 2 Fieldstadt, Elisha (December 1, 2021). "Bronx sidewalk astronomer charged in 1999 murder of 13-year-old girl". NBC News. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  7. 1 2 Wilson, Michael (April 1, 2026). "Who Murdered Minerliz? How a Diner Meet-up Cracked the Case". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
  8. ↑ 'Jupiter Joe' found guilty of 1999 killing of 13-year-old Bronx girl from Bronx News 12
  9. ↑ "Man convicted in murder of 13-year-old Bronx girl finally sentenced nearly 3 decades later - CBS New York". www.cbsnews.com. March 26, 2026. Retrieved March 27, 2026.

Further reading

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