New York woman murdered 33 years ago finally identified as missing mother with advanced DNA testing: DA

A woman who was murdered by a group of men in Queens more than three decades ago has finally been identified — through advanced DNA testing — as a mother who disappeared shortly after celebrating her daughter’s first birthday, prosecutors said.

Judy Rodríguez was 30 years old when her family reported her missing on January 23, 1991, shortly after her daughter Stephanie’s first birthday party.

Several months later, on August 25, 1991, the body of an unidentified woman was found hidden under a large wooden board, with a rope tying her ankles, in a grassy area where Cross Island and Southern avenues meet. State, according to the District of Queens. Prosecutor’s Office.

An in-depth DNA analysis revealed, 33 years later, that Rodríguez was, in fact, the victim of the gruesome murder.

“It’s really comforting to have answers,” said Anna Salvadore, Rodriguez’s sister, told NBC 4 New York.

The investigation revealed that four men approached Rodriguez sometime between July 15 and Aug. 15 and took her on a nightmarish ride where two of them tied her up, according to the district attorney’s office.

They took her to the drop-off location, pushing her out of the car, where one of the brutes hit her in the head with a large metal flashlight, prosecutors said.

The blow caused his death, according to prosecutors, who said the four violent men then left.

The crew returned to the scene about two weeks later and attempted to hide the body by covering their victim with a large wooden board, the district attorney’s office charged.

Four men — two in their 20s and the others ages 18 and 19 at the time of the murder — were arrested and charged in August and September of that same year, prosecutors said.

One of them pleaded guilty in September 1992 to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison.

He was paroled in 2009, leading to his release in August 2016.

Two others pleaded guilty in October 1992 to first-degree reckless endangerment and were sentenced to between two and one-third and seven years in prison, the district attorney’s office said.

They were both released in 1996 and paroled in April 1998.

The last suspect pleaded guilty in February 1993 to hindering prosecution and received a sentence of 1 ½ to 4 ½ years in prison.

He was also paroled in 1996 and finally released in July of the following year.

The investigation was revived in November 2023, when the Queens District Attorney’s Cold Case Unit and the NYPD called in a private lab to help them with leads on the victim’s identity.

Then, in April 2024, DNA Labs International used advanced DNA testing of the victim’s skeletal remains to produce a complete genealogical profile, which was uploaded to public databases, the district attorney’s office said.

Detective Joseph Rodriguez of the NYPD’s Genealogy Investigation Team then used the results to construct a family tree.

Salvadore told NBC that her own daughter had submitted a DNA sample to a database and allowed authorities to review it, finally opening the door to answers.

An NYPD genealogist called Salvatore and confirmed “a possible DNA match to a missing person,” he told the network.

“I immediately got chills when I heard the message,” he said.

A detective then asked Judy Rodriguez’s daughter Stephanie to also send samples for testing, the outlet reported.

“It turned out to be a 100% match on the anniversary of my mother’s passing,” he told NBC. “I felt like it was my mom giving us answers. “It was incredible.”

The family now plans to bury Judy near her, near her parents, and hold a proper memorial service.

“Honestly, I’m happy we can put her to rest. And that we were able to find her,” Stephanie Rodríguez told the network. “It’s bittersweet, but I’m so grateful we have answers. Very grateful, beyond blessed.”

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz praised all agencies involved for finally bringing closure to the grieving family.

“Three decades ago, four men were convicted of the horrific murder of an unidentified woman,” Katz said in a statement. “Although justice was served, the family went 33 long years without answers about their loved one.”

“Thanks to our partners at the NYPD and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, we have now provided those crucial details, which I hope bring some comfort,” he added. “This case is a prime example of my Cold Case Unit’s determination to identify victims and solve the borough’s oldest and most challenging homicides.”

Rep. Grace Meng, who secured a $500,000 grant for the district attorney’s office to investigate cold cases, also applauded the long-awaited pause in the investigation.

“This latest case from 1991 underscores why this money is so important, and is an example of the types of cases it will be used to solve,” Meng said. “I am proud to work with District Attorney Katz in seeking justice for the victims of cold cases in Queens, and I continue to support her in never forgetting them and their loved ones.”