Bronx family hopes for scientific breakthrough in 22-year-old cold case

Wednesday marks the anniversary of the day that Minerliz Soriano went missing after leaving school at I.S. 15.

News 12 Staff

Feb 25, 2021, 3:48 AM

Updated 1,378 days ago

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The family and friends of a Bronx 13-year-old girl who was found dead in a dumpster 22 years ago are hoping for a scientific breakthrough to finally get closure.
Wednesday marks the anniversary of the day that Minerliz Soriano went missing after leaving school at I.S. 15.
"It's been 22 years today she was reported missing, and I would never forget that day because I was the last one to pretty much see her alive," says Kimberly Ortiz, a close friend.
Minerliz was eventually found in a Co-op City dumpster on Bartow Avenue. Published reports at the time say she was strangled.
"The memory is still with us. We never forgot that day. We never forgot her. She was sweet .... she likes dancing everything," says Amelia Soriano, Minerliz's aunt.
The family is not only hoping for a scientific breakthrough, but they also want the public to put pressure on police to bring the killer to justice. Police have not closed the case.
"We are suffering the murder of my daughter," says Minerliz's father Luis Soriano. "I want to pull out the thumb tack to my heart."
Family members say they want answers and hope someone will speak up.