Jonaiki Martinez Died, Convicted Killer Jonaiki Martinez-Estrella Found Dead In Prison

Jonaiki Martinez-Estrella, the convicted gang member who delivered the fatal neck wound to 15-year-old Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz in a 2018 Bronx attack, has been found dead in his prison cell at the Coxsackie Correctional Facility in New York. He was 29 years old.

Authorities confirmed the death early Saturday but have not yet released the cause, stating that the matter is under investigation. Martinez-Estrella was serving a sentence of 25 years to life for second-degree murder following a resentencing in 2023.

 

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Martinez-Estrella, a known member of the Trinitarios gang, was initially convicted of first-degree murder with the element of “torture” for his role in Junior’s horrific killing. Surveillance video showed the teen being dragged from a Bronx bodega and repeatedly stabbed and slashed with knives and a machete on June 20, 2018. One of those wounds — a deep slash to the neck — severed Junior’s jugular vein and ultimately took his life as he collapsed outside St. Barnabas Hospital.

The case shocked New York and the nation, prompting massive outcry and the viral hashtag #JusticeForJunior. Martinez-Estrella’s conviction was partially overturned in 2023 by an appellate court, leading to a resentencing on the lesser charge of second-degree murder.

In an emotional court appearance during the resentencing, Junior’s mother, Leandra Feliz, expressed her ongoing pain.

“They should be in prison forever. It’s not going to bring back my son, but it’s justice,” she said. “Watching the video again, it’s like living that first day over and over.”

News of Martinez-Estrella’s death sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some calling it a form of justice served. “Karma is definitely a b**ch,” one user wrote. “Junior’s family is finally getting justice.”

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark stated that justice had already taken its course. “Thirteen other defendants who had a role in Junior’s murder on June 20, 2018, have been held accountable for their actions and remain in prison serving their respective sentences.”

Martinez-Estrella’s death brings a dramatic turn in one of the city’s most haunting criminal cases in recent years — a case that galvanized community activism against gang violence and drew nationwide attention to the vulnerability of innocent youth.

As the investigation into his death continues, officials have not said whether foul play is suspected or if Martinez-Estrella died by suicide. A full report is expected following an autopsy.

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