Page 45 - FOP March 2017 Newsletter

Detective Shaun Fletcher, Star #20720 Detective Joseph J. Merkel, Star #21015 Detective Mikel S. Herman, Star #21503 Detective Nicholas J. Evangelides,
Star #20526
Detective Dale A. Potter, Star #21649 Detective Scott E. Reiff, Star #20847 Detective Daniel G. Kienzle, Star #20524 Detective William P. Marley, Star #20182 Detective Thomas S. Vovos, Star #20308 Detective Robert C. Distasio, Star #20164 Detective Jeffrey B. Felton, Star #20237 Lieutenant John McMurray, Star #298 Sergeant James Prugar, Star #2048 Sergeant Erik Madsen, Star #969 Sergeant David Grant, Star #802 Forensic Investigator Zbiegniew Niewdach, Star #17629
Forensic Investigator Nancy DeCook, Star #5300
Evidence Technician Patrick Doyle, Star #7554
Evidence Technician Robert Franks, Star #14426
Evidence Technician James McDonough, Star #9297
Crime Scene Investigation at its finest
What began as a simple well-being check turned into much more. A response to a call that found six dead bodies led to a four-month inves- tigation that involved 20 Area Central Officers and the use of evidence and forensics analysis to track down the heinous killer.
“It was nice to be honored, but at the same time we did what we needed to do to apprehend a very dangerous person,” said Detective Mikel Herman, a 22-year veteran and one of the lead officers on the in- vestigation. “From top to bottom it was a total team effort. Obviously, it couldn’t have been done without the forensic unit.”
The victims were Noe Martinez Sr. and his wife, Rosaura Martinez; their son, Noe Martinez Jr.; their daughter, Maria Herminia Martinez;
and the daughter’s two sons, 10-year-old Alexis and 13-year-old Leonardo.
Herman, who was joined by Detective Nicholas Evangelides in leading the investigation, explained that on Feb.
4, 2016, the district received a call to check on Noe Martinez Jr. because he had not been to work in two days. When officers arrived at the home on California Avenue, they noticed a truancy sign on the door for Alexis and Leonardo Martinez. Sensing something was awry, the officers walked to the back of the house.
As they peered into a window, they saw the bloody body of Rosaura Martinez on the floor. Immediately, the officers entered the home and saw a second victim, Noe Martinez Sr., lying in the hallway. Leonardo was found in the front room, Mari and Noe Jr. on the second floor, and Alexis in the basement.
“It was kind of surreal,” Herman said. “It’s hard to explain unless you saw it. It just didn’t look real.”
After carefully combing through the crime scene, the forensic team found several key pieces of evidence, Herman explained. They discovered blood droplets and a bullet from a 22-caliber gun.
The detective also noted how video played a role in the investigation. Police pulled footage from nearby residents who had cameras, a local tamale store that Noe Martinez Jr. had been to earlier that day, and a few Chicago Transit Authority buses that had been in the area.
“We just started following up on all kinds of leads,” Herman commented. “You just got to follow every one out and see if there is anything to it.”
Herman explained that the murders took place Feb. 2 and it was believed it was a robbery gone wrong. Numerous theories were floated until a tip finally came through.
There was an anonymous call to the station from a person who said he had a friend whose coworker was related to the Martinez family. This man, Diego Uribe, 22, showed up to work with cuts and bruises two days after the murders and claimed he was jumped by a group of men.
“When we got this anonymous tip, we just showed up at her (his mom’s) house and he was home,” Herman said.
Uribe consented to a DNA sample and it was submitted to the state lab on March 24. It was confirmed on May 18 that he matched the blood found at the crime scene. Upon returning to Uribe’s house to make the arrest, officers found his girlfriend, Jafeth Ramos, who burst into tears and told the officers about details of the murders.
“She gave certain details of the crime scene that you would only know if you were there,” Herman explained. “He wasn’t getting out of it. His DNA was all over the house.”
It is with great appreciation and pride that the Fraternal Order of Police, Chicago Lodge 7, presents the Distin- guished Service Award to the these officers, detectives and forensic investigators. d
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MARCH 2017 45
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