In the early morning hours of February 7, 2021, the life of Martha 'Mimi' Zuniga, a 26-year-old female resident of Louisville, Kentucky, was tragically cut short. Police responded to a call just before 5:30 a.m. about a person down in the 8200 block of Minors Lane, within the Heritage Creek neighborhood. First responders found Zuniga and transported her to a local hospital. It was there that medical staff discovered she had sustained a gunshot wound to her torso.
Despite their efforts, she succumbed to the fatal injury and was pronounced dead around 6:45 a.m.
The investigation into her death quickly led Louisville Metro Police to 18-year-old Adam Cortez, who was identified as Zuniga's boyfriend and the father of her child. During the investigation, Cortez admitted to shooting Zuniga, leading to his arrest the following day, on February 8, 2021. He was subsequently charged with murder in what authorities classified as an act of domestic violence. Her death marked the 21st homicide in the city of Louisville for that year.
Further details emerged revealing a history of violence in their relationship. Records indicated that in August 2020, just months before the fatal shooting, Cortez had been charged with assault and strangulation in an incident where Zuniga was the listed victim. Following his arrest for her murder, Cortez was booked into Louisville Metro Corrections with his bond set at $250,000.
