Who killed 29 year old Jose Martinez in 1987? In the summer of 1987, the life of Jose Martinez, a 29-year-old Hispanic man, was violently cut short in his Portland, Oregon apartment. On June 16th, concern began to grow among residents of the apartment complex at 230 NE 100th Avenue when they realized they hadn't seen or heard from their neighbor for some time. This unsettling quiet prompted the owner of the complex to check on him.
Upon entering the apartment, a grim discovery was made: Jose Martinez was deceased.
The subsequent arrival of police confirmed the unfortunate scene, and it was soon determined that Martinez had been the victim of a homicide. The cause of his death was identified as blunt force trauma. As investigators delved into his life, a picture of the young man began to emerge. He was known to work as a waiter at a local Mexican restaurant. The investigation also revealed that he was reportedly a user and small-time dealer of cocaine.
Described as a friendly and flirtatious individual, Martinez was a self-admitted bisexual man who enjoyed socializing and was known to host parties with both men and women in his apartment. This social and at times high-risk lifestyle presented investigators with a number of potential avenues to explore. Witnesses in the apartment complex reported hearing unusual noises emanating from his apartment between 8:00 and 10:00 on the morning of June 15th, the day before his body was found.
Despite these leads and the personal details that came to light, the investigation into the murder of Jose Martinez eventually grew cold. To this day, no arrests have been made in connection with his death, and there have been no publicly named suspects. The case remains an unsolved homicide, leaving the question of who was responsible for his death unanswered for decades.
