More than 30 years after her body was discovered in New York City, police identified the woman, officials announced Monday.
A report by CBS News revealed that Judy Rodriguez was discovered on August 25, 1991. She was found with her ankles bound, concealed under a board in a grassy area near two parkways in Queens. Subsequently, four individuals, aged 18 to 20 at the time, were prosecuted for their involvement in the incident.
The District Attorney’s office, led by Melinda Katz, disclosed that the four men accosted Rodriguez sometime between July and August 1991. As per official accounts, one of the men got out of a vehicle and fatally struck the victim using a large flashlight. After the fatal assault, the perpetrators initially fled the scene but revisited two weeks later to place a wooden board over her remains.
In April 2024, the Cold Case Unit of the Queens District Attorney’s office collaborated with DNA Labs International, as reported by Shore News Network. This partnership aimed to establish a genealogical profile of the victim. Through diligent investigative work in genealogy, law enforcement officers traced the profile back to Rodriguez’s family, conclusively confirming her identity.
“Three decades ago, four men were convicted for a gruesome killing, but the family went 33 long years without answers about their loved one,”Katz said.
The men were arrested in 1991. One pleaded guilty to manslaughter, served 8 to 25 years, and was released in 2009, finishing parole in 2016. Two others served 2 to 7 years for reckless endangerment, both released in 1996.
The fourth man, guilty of hindering prosecution, and released from prison in 1996.
“Thanks to advanced DNA technology and the tireless efforts of our Cold Case Unit and the NYPD, we have finally provided the family with those crucial details,” Katz added.
Rodriquez, who was last seen alive attending her daughter’s first birthday party, was the mother of three children.
[Feature Photo via the office of District Attorney Melinda Katz
