A slain Connecticut teen whose body was found wrapped up in his bed comforter earlier this month was murdered by his cousins, family members said.
Edgar Josué Chiche Martínez was just days away from turning 19 when he was found dead alongside Pope Park Highway in Hartford, according to NBC Connecticut. Police believe he was shot inside a nearby apartment on Magnolia street the day prior and that his body was outside for hours before it was eventually spotted.
Since then, police have arrested a 17-year-old male, who has been charged with murder and tampering with evidence, and 21-year-old Sender Soto-Veliz, who is facing counts of hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence. They were the teen’s cousins, according to the victim’s family, and they all lived together in the same apartment believed to be the site of Martinez’s murder.
Police noted much of Martinez’s family lives in Guatemala. They are hoping his body will be returned there for burial.
“What we do want is for earthly justice to be made because God’s justice is on the other side,” Verónica Imelda Martínez Mayen, the victim’s aunt, told NBC Connecticut.
His sister, meanwhile, Nimsa Martínez, remembered him as a loving person and dedicated older brother.
“He was the person who always took care of me, despite him not being okay,” she told the news station. “I’m going to remember him as the most beautiful person I could’ve ever known.”
While no motive for the slaying has been provided, the women speculated that Martinez was killed over money. They added that he always stayed away from partying and out of trouble.
Soto-Veliz is slated to arraigned in court Wednesday morning, and the unidentified juvenile charged is expected to be transferred to adult court.
