This past week, some crazy information came out about a man who calls himself Jupiter Joe. This story came from a woman named Kimberly Ortiz. She opened up to People magazine about how her best friend, Minnie Soriano told her that she always wanted to be an astronaut.
She said that there were some times that she would make fun of her about it because they lived in the Bronx and it didn’t seem like a job either one of them would ever have. They would always walk home together from school and one day, but one day Minnie walked alone and was never seen again.
The Story of the Murder
It was February 24, 1999 and Ortiz decided to not walk with Soriano that day. Her body was found four days later and she had been strangled and sexually assaulted. Ortiz told People, “I made a promise to her in front of her casket that I would figure out who did this to her.” Let’s fast forward to 22 years later and Ortiz’s promise has come true.
Jupiter Joe and Murder Charges
A man named Joe Martinez, who was Minnie’s neighbor, has been charged with her murder. Joe is an astronomer and is well-known for his work in the Bronx and is called Jupiter Joe by locals. He offers free lessons on space and the stars to children and adults. With the new technology in DNA, he was caught with the help of familial DNA. Even though his DNA is being used to solve this case, he has plead not guilty. His lawyer said “this doesn’t make sense.”
One of Minnie’s relatives, her aunt, Amelia Soriano, told people, “I felt that it would come to light. It was very sad not knowing, no one seeing anything, no one knowing anything. He threw her in the dumpster like she was garbage.” It does look as if Jupiter Joe was interviewed back in 1999 and he told police that he had seen Minnie getting her mail and selling candy to her neighbors. He was never a suspect and then the case went cold.
We are so glad that the technology can now help to find DNA that can solve these cold cases. We will have to keep an eye on the case and what happens next and if they actually find Martinez guilty of her murder.
We do hope that this can bring some closure to the family and friends of Minnie Soriano.
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