#JudithRamonaVeloz
On March 3rd, 1993, nineteen-year-old Judith Ramona Veloz was last seen in the vicinity of 30th street and 10th, 11th, Avenues in NYC. Judith frequently worked in this area, coming from across the Hudson River in Edgewater, New Jersey.
Judith had previously lived with her family in the Bronx. Her family has roots to Valentine Avenue, where 2 blocks away and 2 years earlier, 14-year-old #JessicaSoto disappeared from and still remains missing. (Both Judith and Jessica’s cases would not be entered into NamUs for nearly 30 years).
Judith has a younger sister who looked up to her. Of Judith, her sister shared with me this: “She was my sister, a loving sister, a loving mom with a baby girl she called her princess. She was a good human, but sadly had to make hard choices with hopes of a “better life”.
Judith was lured away from her home at 16, pregnant at 17 and gave birth to a daughter the following year, Spring 1992. The child’s father, (we will use initials), AJ, a significantly much older man, with a violent past, had clearly been grooming her and enticing her away from her family, forcing Judith to work the streets and acted as her pimp.
(We will share more on AJ further down below).
Shortly after Judith disappears, AJ brings in another young woman he had been working, to move in with him. He gets her pregnant within a year and she bears him a son and then a second son. He is abusive to this woman, and she winds up taking her son plus Judith’s daughter and flees. She alleges that AJ was threatening her, so she relinquishes custody of Judith’s daughter to the NYS courts where this child goes into the foster care system. Ultimately and after a prolonged legal battle, Judith’s daughter is reunited with Judith’s family.
Judith was a petite young woman. At 5’4”, 110lbs., with strawberry blonde hair and vibrant hazel eyes. Her family did attempt to file a Missing Person’s report, in fact for 29 years they believed that a report had been on file with NYPD. Her Mom, who doesn’t speak much English had believed that the report had been filed after speaking with NYPD but clearly NYPD had not, defaulting to an age-old excuse that an independent 19-year-old just picked up and left; add in any hint of sex work and LE would just let the case go cold.
Rifkin Connection?
Weeks after her disappearance the serial killer Joel Rifkin was arrested on Long Island. Rifkin, now serving 203 years, has been forthcoming in his admitting to 17 murders of sex workers, who he’d pickup in NYC, often take them back to the house he shared with his mother and ultimately kill and dispose of them. It has recently been postulated that Judith might’ve become a victim of Rifkin, but the dates of his two remaining unknown and unidentified victims do not align with Judith’s timeline. Now Rifkin could be lying, but immediately upon his arrest and interrogation, he admitted to 17 victims- LE was skeptical (read article by Jimmy Breslin- attached), but Rifkin’s ability to recall details assisted in confirming the 17.
However, Judith does fit concisely with the quintessential physical preferences of LISK, 110lbs., 4'11”-5’5”, particularly the hazel eyes. If Judith is a #LiskVictim then she may very well be the first one representing those particular physical characteristics, later on embodied by the official attributed victims:
- Valerie Mack: hazel eyes
- Jessica Taylor: green eyes
- Maureen: hazel eyes
- Melissa: hazel eyes
- Amber: hazel / green
- Megan: bluish / green
As a result of the Rifkin supposition, it was discovered that no Missing Person’s report was ever filed by NYPD. However, there must’ve been some sort of documentation because after nearly 30 years, Judith’s “case” is handed over to NYS Troopers, based on Long Island. A new Missing Person's report was recently filed (although a FOIL request from NYS Troopers came back as unfounded, which I have appealed, and I am still waiting on NYPD FOIL). Now this could be because of the assumed yet unfounded Rifkin connection or the possible LISK connection. NYS Trooper detectives assisted in getting Judith’s case entered into the Namus database in October 2022. Her case has had 2 “hidden” modifications since then, one on 11/15/22 and the other on 1/5/23. We have also submitted the following Unidentified Persons for comparisons:
•
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
•
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
There are several other possibles that we are currently reviewing for submission.
AJ:
Born: 1952
Died: 2005
Originally from Chicago, A.J. was involved in an armed robbery which went bad, and he was convicted of murder, escaped county jail, was on the run for a couple of months and ultimately captured, serving out the remainder of his sentence. There was a well-orchestrated community initiative to ensure AJ served the full-term sentence (since one of his co-conspirators was released after only 10 years).
The early 1990’s has him renting in Edgewater, NJ where twice, his landlord took him to court for back rent, once in 1991 and again in 1993.
A.J. was 41 years old when he impregnated 17-year-old minor, Judith.
Criminal Offenses:
Multiple arrests: from murder and attempted murder in Cook County, Illinois in 1974, to escape from custody to numerous vehicular misdemeanors and public intoxications and DUI’s.
* Melvin C. Boyd of Lansing, Illinois was shot a killed during a robbery attempt on 6/6/1974, A.J. arrested on 10/1/1974
* Prison Escape 5/14/1975
Civil Offenses:
* Sued twice by landlord in Edgewater, NJ.; once on 3/12/1991 and again in 11/1993
* Sued by owner of Edgewater address for what is likely to be unpaid rent in 11/1993 (6500.00)
* Sued by landlord, case filed on 3/15/1991 (2900.00)
He subsequently died in 2005.
I have some lingering questions:
- if there was not an initial MP report filed and her case had been cold from nearly the beginning, then what suddenly prompted LE to approach the family? I cannot find anything to suggest a body or remains were found relatively recently. I can only speculate what the catalyst may have been. Perhaps a file was found, much like the #BGx10
- I feel honored to have communication with Judith’s family members and they have shared with me that A&E is producing and releasing a new documentary on Joel Rifkin and that the production team also connected the possibility that Judith may have been a Rifkin victim but have since confirmed that she is not and will still be including Judith in this forthcoming documentary. This is another great opportunity for Judith to gain exposure and hopefully more insight into what may have happened to her.
- We don’t have the answers to these, and other questions, but will share as more information comes to light.
- I am grateful for the support I received while researching Judith’s life.
We do hope that this gives Judith more exposure and that Justice does come to her and her family.
This Memorial Facebook Group has been set up to further provide exposure and crowdsourcing information and attention, please share across your platforms.
Judith Ramona Veloz is a vibrant 19 year old who was last seen on March 3rd, 1993, in New York City. Judith is a loving sister, a loving mom with a baby girl she called her princess. She was a good...
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Judith's NamUs Page:
By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.
www.namus.gov
Other links in comments.
#JusticeForJudithVeloz
#SolveColdCases #Crowdsource #Rifkin #MissingPerson
#CatchLISK
