Case Profiles #2
Juan Espinal
Juan Espinal, 18, was described as loyal to his friends and always down to play a game of his favorite sport- basketball. Living in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Juan hoped to leave the crime-ridden city so he could avoid getting into the life of violence and drugs that so many people cycle into. Unfortunately, on March 8th, 2017, those hopes were shattered when Juan was shot and killed at 1 in the morning. It appeared that he was shot with a .40 caliber handgun, and at close range. The police immediately assumed that the murder was gang related, due to an idea they had formed regarding Juan being a part of the Crips gang. Contrary to this belief, Juan’s friends insist that he was not into that lifestyle, and was working to get away from it as best he could. To this day, Juan’s murder remains unsolved.
Edelmiro Roman
On April 27th, 2008, 16-year-old Edelmiro Roman, nicknamed “Musu”, was walking home after dropping off his girlfriend in Central Falls, Rhode Island. As he crossed Darling Street along Dexter Street, someone pulled the trigger of a large-caliber gun, shooting Edelmiro several times in the back. Although there was gang activity in the area at this time, Edelmiro’s older sister Sandy Perez maintains that he was not involved, and even the police officer involved in the investigation said that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Despite there being several witnesses as this occurred in broad daylight, no one has come forward. Anyone with any information on this case is asked to please call the Rhode Island tip line at 1-877-RI-SOLVE.
Image sources:
cbsnews.com - “18-year-old Lawrence Student Killed in Overnight Shooting”
wpri.com - “Deadly shooting of Central Falls teen still unsolved after 11 years”