Joseph Martinez, aka "Jupiter Joe," was found guilty in a 22-year-old Bronx cold case.

Martinez was found guilty of charges in the 1999 strangling of 13-year-old Minerliz Soriano and the discarding of her body in a dumpster.

The charges are two counts of second-degree murder, one count intentional murder and the other felony murder.

The case was the first New York City investigation using familial DNA technology to come to trial.

The 13-year-old went missing one day after leaving school at I.S. 15 and was never seen again, the NYPD says.

The Bronx District Attorney's Office released the following statement:

"Today, a Bronx jury returned a guilty verdict on two counts of second-degree Murder against Joseph Martinez AKA Jupiter Joe, in the killing of 13-year-old Minerliz Soriano, bringing justice to her family after 26 years.

The defendant sexually abused Minerliz and compressed her neck, causing her death. He took her body in a garbage bag and left it in a dumpster in Co-op City, where she was found on February 28, 1999.

Bronx detectives and my ADAs never gave up in the quest to hold accountable the killer of this beautiful little girl. It was their relentless dedication and compassion, coupled with advanced technology in DNA, that led to the arrest and conviction.

I hope this verdict brings some solace to Minerliz’s family.

The defendant will be sentenced on January 8, 2026, on intentional murder and felony murder."