Case Profiles #29


Harry Baez

On May 10th, 2002, a massive fight had broken out on Center Street of the North End in Hartford, Connecticut, with up to 50 people being a part of the brawl. 25-year-old Harry Baez had jumped up to help a friend when someone rode by him on a bicycle and shot him in the head. Police had been called at just before 9:00am and found Harry, who was rushed to St. Francis hospital and pronounced dead upon arrival. Despite Harry’s brother Ben’s description to police the case quickly went cold. On Friday, March 5th, 2019, 17 years later, 36-year-old James Raynor was served for the murder of Harry Baez while already in prison for an unrelated homicide in Hartford in 2009.

Benjamin Baez

On June 11th, 2003, Benjamin Baez was sitting in the passenger seat of his friend’s car on Main Street in Hartford, Connecticut. Witnesses reported that around midnight a man came up to Benjamin in the car where an argument broke out. Suddenly a gunshot rang out, leaving Benjamin with a fatal wound to the chest. It wasn’t until 2016 when Rafeal Ortiz was identified as the killer and sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Image sources:

  • fox61.com - “Cold Case: Harry Baez”

  • fox61.com - “Cold Case: Benji Baez”


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Episode 112: The Mysterious Death of Jennie Cramer

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Episode 111: The Murder of Krista Dittmeyer