21 Solved in '21 : Day 2 : Minerliz Soriano
Updated: Jan 3, 2022
13-year-old Minerliz Soriano left her school in the Bronx at around 2:20p on February 25, 1999. Three days later, on February, 28, a maintenance man found her body stuffed into a black trash bag in the dumpster behind a video store at 2098 Bartow Ave. The red jacket and book bag she'd had on her when she left school were nowhere to be found.
In 2018, a familial search application was submitted by investigators, which allowed a DNA sample taken from Minerliz's sweater to be submitted to the New York State convicted offender DNA database. After receiving approval, this search led authorities to the deceased father of Minerliz Soriano's alleged killer.
The believed killer is well known in the community, as he has spent years teaching kids astronomy on the sidewalk. He's been charged with one count of second-degree felony murder, and one count of second-degree intentional murder.
Minerliz Soriano enjoyed writing poetry and reading romance novels. She also loved to roller skate and ride her bike when she wasn't helping her gamily with household chores or acting as a peer mediator at her school.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/04/us/joseph-martinez-arrest-nypd-investigation/index.html
https://www.newspapers.com/image/479124790/?terms=minerliz%20soriano&match=1