Four men were arrested and charged in August and September 1991 in connection with a crime detailed by the DA’s office. One of the men pleaded guilty in September 1992 to manslaughter in the first degree and was subsequently handed a sentence ranging from just over eight years to 25 years in prison. This individual was released in 2009 and discharged from parole in 2016.
The remaining three men entered guilty pleas for reckless endangerment in the first degree. They were sentenced to over two years to seven years in prison each. Both were released from prison in 1996 and discharged from parole in April 1998. The fourth man admitted guilt to hindering prosecution in 1993, receiving a sentence of one and a half to four and a half years in prison. He too was released in 1996 and discharged from parole in July 1997.
Despite extensive investigations, the identity of the victim remained a mystery even after the release of all four men from prison and their subsequent discharge from parole. The victim’s body had significantly decomposed by the time of discovery, complicating efforts to establish identification.
Fast forward to November 2023, the Queens DA’s Cold Case Unit in collaboration with the New York Police Department engaged a private laboratory in a bid to gather more information about the victim. This initiative eventually bore fruit in April 2024 when DNA Labs International successfully utilized advanced DNA testing techniques to generate a thorough genealogical profile from the skeletal remains.
The DNA profile was subsequently uploaded to public databases, with the outcomes provided to Detective Joseph Rodriguez of the NYPD’s Investigative Genealogy Squad. Rodriguez leveraged this information to construct a family tree, ultimately identifying an investigative lead. This lead was shared with the DA’s office and the NYPD cold case team, subsequently leading to outreach to potential family members of the victim.
Through these concerted efforts, investigators conclusively determined that the remains belonged to 30-year-old Judy Rodriguez. Judy had been reported missing by her family shortly after her last sighting at her daughter’s first birthday party on January 23, 1991. Notably, Judy had two other children and three siblings. Her parents, who undertook the responsibility of raising her children following her disappearance, have since passed away.
In a statement released, Katz, the District Attorney, remarked, “Three decades ago, four men were convicted for a gruesome killing of an unidentified woman. Though justice was served, the family went 33 long years without any answers about their loved one.” He expressed gratitude to the NYPD and the Office of Chief Medical Examiner for their collaborative efforts, noting the closure that the newly unearthed details may bring to the affected family.
The District Attorney’s Cold Case Unit presently has nearly 50 homicide victims under investigation for identification. Earlier this year, the unit secured a $500,000 grant earmarked for advanced DNA testing and genealogical investigations. Subsequently, 14 of these cases saw the initiation of genealogy.
