It was an emotional afternoon in a Bronx court on Thursday after a man who killed a 13-year-old girl back in 1999 was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
It was an emotional afternoon in a Bronx court on Thursday after a man who killed a 13-year-old girl back in 1999 was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.Prosecutors say Martinez sexually assaulted the girl before strangling her, and days later, her body was found inside a dumpster in the Bronx.
"Three decades of putting on a face that deceived the world. He thought he could outsmart those investigating this crime," Assistant District Attorney John Miras said. Miras said Martinez thought his schtick as "Jupiter Joe" teaching children astronomy in public places would somehow prevent him from landing in the courtroom. He was sentenced Thursday to 25 years to life for sexually abusing and strangling 13-year-old Soriano. "I just want to say that I made a promise to Minerliz in 1999, and I just want to say that today we kept that promise. So I thank everyone, everyone behind me. The detectives, the attorneys, I thank you so much just for never giving up on her and keeping her memory alive," the victim's best friend, Kimberly Ortiz, said.The case had gone cold until November 29, 2021, when investigators had new forensic testing at their fingertips. "A DNA sample from a semen stain on the victim's sweatshirt was submitted and it led to Martinez. Investigators then obtained a DNA sample from the defendant, which matched the DNA found on the victim's sweatshirt," Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said.That means the DNA from the victim's sweatshirt was entered into a database with the hope that a male relative of the suspect would show up and help narrow down who the killer was.Martinez offered his sympathy to the family but said he disagreed with the jury's verdict."We need to keep Joseph Martinez in the deepest pit of the abyss for the rest of his life," the victim's father, Luis Soriano, said in Spanish.Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo,Family desperately searching for missing dog after loved one dies while on vacation
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