‘Jupiter Joe’ learns fate 26 years after raping and killing 13-year-old NYC girl

A Westchester man known for teaching astronomy to Bronx children was finally brought to justice Friday, more than 25 years after he raped and killed a 13-year-old girl — and used family DNA for the very first time to link him to the sick crime.

Joseph Martinez, aka “Jupiter Joe,” was convicted on two second-degree murder charges for the senseless slaying of Minerliz Soriano on Feb. 24, 1999.

He had enjoyed two decades of freedom before investigators cracked the case in 2021 using advanced DNA technology to link Martinez to semen extracted from the dead girl’s sweater.

Joseph Martinez, 53, was convicted Friday of the 1999 rape and murder of 13-year-old Minerliz Soriano. No Credit

“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,” Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said in a statement.

Martinez, 53, will be sentenced on Jan. 8, 2026.

The amoral astronomer had sexually assaulted the young girl and compressed her neck, killing her, authorities said.

He then put Soriano’s body in a trash bag and tossed her in a Co-op City dumpster, where she was found four days later, on Feb. 28, 1999. 

Minerliz Soriano’s body was found in a dumpster in Co-op City four days after she disappeared. new york post

By the time cops caught up with Martinez in 2021, he was well known in the neighborhood as “Jupiter Joe” and for giving astronomy lessons to children.

Martinez would often stand on sidewalks and even subway platforms with a large telescope — and was even profiled in several YouTube videos that show him discussing space and the moon with young children on city streets.

“I have no words … you never really know people you think you kind of know,” neighbors said at the time.

“I cannot believe this,” said another. “I have known this man for 30 years and never once was he rude or mean or aggressive … This can’t be right.”