Jupiter Joe: The Astronomer's Dark Secret

For twenty-two years, he taught children to reach for the stars—while a murdered girl's DNA waited to expose the truth. ?? THE CASE THAT CHANGED DNA INVESTIGATION In February 1999, thirteen-year-old Minerliz Soriano vanished walking home from school in the Bronx. Her body was found four days later—sexually assaulted, strangled, and discarded in a garbage bag like refuse. The killer left two drops of semen on her sweatshirt. Those drops would wait more than two decades for justice. ?? A PREDATOR HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT While investigators chased dead ends, Joseph Martinez reinvented himself as "Jupiter Joe"—a beloved sidewalk astronomer who set up telescopes for children across New York City. Parents trusted him. Kids adored him. No one suspected the gentle educator harbored a dark secret: he had lived in the same building as Minerliz and shared her love of the stars. ?? THE DNA BREAKTHROUGH When familial DNA technology emerged, cold case detectives finally had a weapon capable of identifying the unknown killer. A partial match to Martinez's deceased father in the state database led investigators to their suspect. An undercover operation secured his DNA from a coffee straw. The match was unequivocal. ?? LANDMARK PROSECUTION This groundbreaking investigation became New York City's first familial DNA case to reach trial—raising profound questions about genetic privacy, surveillance, and justice delayed. On November 14, 2025, after 26 years of waiting, Minerliz's family finally heard the verdict: Guilty. ?? INSIDE THIS INVESTIGATION How familial DNA technology identified a killer through his dead father's genetic profile. The carefully constructed "Jupiter Joe" persona that deflected suspicion for decades. The undercover diner operation that secured the direct DNA match. Legal battles over genetic privacy that may reshape criminal justice. A thirteen-year-old poet who dreamed of becoming the first Latina astronaut from the Bronx. ? REMEMBER MINERLIZ She wanted him to show her the stars. Instead, he threw her in a dumpster. Her aunt's words echo through this case: "She wasn't garbage. She was a human being." For true crime readers who demand forensic depth and human dignity. ?? LIVING EDITION: This investigation receives updates as sentencing, appeals, and policy developments unfold.