This morning, the Harris County District Attorney's Office, Special Crimes Bureau, filed charges of Felony Murder – Injury to a Child by Omission against Martinez . Tips from the public led to the arrest and the discovery of the identity of "Beloved Doe" as Jose Bernardo Martinez. Martinez was born on October 14, 1997. He was five years old at the time of his death.
On February 4, 2008, the FBI placed "Beloved Doe" on its "Wanted – Seeking Information" list, along with a promise of a reward for information leading to the identification of "Beloved Doe," his parents, or caretaker. "Beloved Doe" was the nickname given to an unidentified male child, whose remains were discovered in a dumpster inside the Willow Creek Apartment Complex, 7575 Office City Drive, Houston, Texas, on the morning of Thursday, March 13, 2003.
The Houston office of the FBI joined the Houston Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety's ongoing investigation into the death of this child in the hopes of generating the information needed to solve this case. The media coverage and public's interest in the "Beloved Doe" investigation was critically important in solving this cold case. The tips following Tuesday night's Spanish language network broadcast of Aqui y Ahora on Univision, specifically led to the identification and arrest. The tips came in to Crime Stoppers and the Houston office of the FBI.
The investigation is still ongoing. Now that "Beloved Doe's" identity is known, we are asking for the continued assistance of the public. Anyone who has knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the life and death of Jose Bernardo Martinez is encouraged to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Houston office of the FBI at 713-693-5000 or toll free at 1-888-FBI-IDEN (1-888-324-4336).
