Jane Doe from 30-Year-Old US Murder Finally Identified
The identity of a New York woman murdered 33 years ago was finally revealed thanks to advanced DNA testing.
The Jane Doe, now known to be Judy Rodriguez, was found dead Aug. 25, 1991, her body covered by a wood board and her ankles bound by a cord, said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz in a news release Monday.
Rodriquez was last seen at her 1-year-old daughter’s birthday party Jan. 23, earlier that year.
NYC woman murdered 33 years ago finally ID’d as missing mom with advanced DNA testing: DA https://t.co/bNLTmuueTD
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Police arrested and charged four suspects within weeks of discovering the body: Their ages were 18, 19, 20 and 20.
“Three decades ago, four men were convicted for a gruesome killing of an unidentified woman,” Katz said. “Though justice was served, the family went 33 long years without any answers about their loved one.
“Thanks to our partners at the NYPD and the Office of Chief Medical Examiner, we have now provided those crucial details, which I hope brings a measure of solace.
“This case is a prime example of the determination of my Cold Case Unit in identifying victims and solving the borough’s oldest, most challenging homicides,” Katz said.
The day of the murder, the four men approached Rodriquez somehow getting her into their car.
During the drive, two of the men tied her up, according to Katz.
At some point, they pushed Rodriquez out of the vehicle before one of them hit her on the head with a big metal flashlight, killing her before driving away.
The men returned two weeks later to conceal the body.
When police discovered the corpse, they were unable to identify it because of its severe decomposition.
It wasn’t until April 2024 that DNA Labs International ran advanced testing on the skeletal remains.
Working with NYPD’s Investigative Genealogy Squad, the body was finally identified.
As for the four assailants, one man pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree in September 1992. He was released from prison in 2009, and his parole ended in 2016.
In October 1992, two men pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment in the first degree. They were released from prison in 1996, with their parole ending in April 1998.
In February 1993, the fourth man pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution. He, too, was released from prison in 1996 and discharged from parole in July 1997.
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