Topline: A murder charge followed within days of a 2009 East End stabbing, but the victim’s name remains unknown despite available DNA, fingerprints and dental records.
Published: September 16, 2026 4:04 pm ET
Shawn Fletcher
Committed to the craft of journalism and am driven by my desire to inform and inspire.
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HOUSTON, TX — A man stabbed to death in Houston’s East End in January 2009 remains unidentified more than 17 years later, even though police charged a suspect within days of finding his body.
The victim was discovered Jan. 18, 2009, at the end of the 6500 block of Rusk Street, just west of South 66th Street. KHOU reported that he had been stabbed multiple times and that investigators still have not established his identity.
A June 2009 Houston Chronicle report said a truck driver found him after he was last seen at El Casanova, 7036 Harrisburg. His injuries included a stab wound to the heart. Police arrested Jose Luis Martinez, 18, of Pasadena, two days later. Martinez said they met at the bar, but police visits there and to other East End bars yielded no name.
Martinez was charged with murder. The sources reviewed for this article do not establish the disposition of that charge.
Identifying Features and Clothing
KHOU described the victim as Hispanic, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and 166 pounds, with an estimated age between 20 and 36. He had short brown or black hair, brown eyes, a faint mustache, manicured eyebrows and a distinctive mole on his left cheek.
The Texas Department of Public Safety bulletin gives a narrower age estimate of 26 to 36, a height range of 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches, and a weight range of 165 to 170 pounds. It lists his hair as brown.
DPS records describe a black, short-sleeved Paco Jeans shirt with orange and white horizontal stripes; Old Navy blue jeans, size 33 by 34; orange and gray North Face athletic shoes, size 9½; and a black plastic Casio watch.
The bulletin includes a forensic artist’s rendering and cautions that it is not an exact likeness. Fingerprints, dental information and DNA are available through the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences for comparison.
How to Provide Information
Anyone with information that could identify the man can call the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences at 832-927-5000 and reference case 009111009P, according to KHOU. The Texas Missing Persons Clearinghouse also accepts information at 512-424-5074 or 800-346-3243; its bulletin number is U0901007.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Houston Stabbing Victim Remains Unidentified 17 Years After Murder Charge
A murder charge followed within days of a 2009 East End stabbing, but the victim’s name remains unknown despite available DNA, fingerprints and dental records.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: September 16, 2026 4:04 pm ET
HOUSTON, TX — A man stabbed to death in Houston’s East End in January 2009 remains unidentified more than 17 years later, even though police charged a suspect within days of finding his body.
The victim was discovered Jan. 18, 2009, at the end of the 6500 block of Rusk Street, just west of South 66th Street. KHOU reported that he had been stabbed multiple times and that investigators still have not established his identity.
A June 2009 Houston Chronicle report said a truck driver found him after he was last seen at El Casanova, 7036 Harrisburg. His injuries included a stab wound to the heart. Police arrested Jose Luis Martinez, 18, of Pasadena, two days later. Martinez said they met at the bar, but police visits there and to other East End bars yielded no name.
Martinez was charged with murder. The sources reviewed for this article do not establish the disposition of that charge.
Identifying Features and Clothing
KHOU described the victim as Hispanic, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and 166 pounds, with an estimated age between 20 and 36. He had short brown or black hair, brown eyes, a faint mustache, manicured eyebrows and a distinctive mole on his left cheek.
The Texas Department of Public Safety bulletin gives a narrower age estimate of 26 to 36, a height range of 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches, and a weight range of 165 to 170 pounds. It lists his hair as brown.
DPS records describe a black, short-sleeved Paco Jeans shirt with orange and white horizontal stripes; Old Navy blue jeans, size 33 by 34; orange and gray North Face athletic shoes, size 9½; and a black plastic Casio watch.
The bulletin includes a forensic artist’s rendering and cautions that it is not an exact likeness. Fingerprints, dental information and DNA are available through the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences for comparison.
How to Provide Information
Anyone with information that could identify the man can call the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences at 832-927-5000 and reference case 009111009P, according to KHOU. The Texas Missing Persons Clearinghouse also accepts information at 512-424-5074 or 800-346-3243; its bulletin number is U0901007.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Houston Stabbing Victim Remains Unidentified 17 Years After Murder Charge
A murder charge followed within days of a 2009 East End stabbing, but the victim’s name remains unknown despite available DNA, fingerprints and dental records.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: September 16, 2026 4:04 pm ET
HOUSTON, TX — A man stabbed to death in Houston’s East End in January 2009 remains unidentified more than 17 years later, even though police charged a suspect within days of finding his body.
The victim was discovered Jan. 18, 2009, at the end of the 6500 block of Rusk Street, just west of South 66th Street. KHOU reported that he had been stabbed multiple times and that investigators still have not established his identity.
A June 2009 Houston Chronicle report said a truck driver found him after he was last seen at El Casanova, 7036 Harrisburg. His injuries included a stab wound to the heart. Police arrested Jose Luis Martinez, 18, of Pasadena, two days later. Martinez said they met at the bar, but police visits there and to other East End bars yielded no name.
Martinez was charged with murder. The sources reviewed for this article do not establish the disposition of that charge.
Identifying Features and Clothing
KHOU described the victim as Hispanic, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and 166 pounds, with an estimated age between 20 and 36. He had short brown or black hair, brown eyes, a faint mustache, manicured eyebrows and a distinctive mole on his left cheek.
The Texas Department of Public Safety bulletin gives a narrower age estimate of 26 to 36, a height range of 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches, and a weight range of 165 to 170 pounds. It lists his hair as brown.
DPS records describe a black, short-sleeved Paco Jeans shirt with orange and white horizontal stripes; Old Navy blue jeans, size 33 by 34; orange and gray North Face athletic shoes, size 9½; and a black plastic Casio watch.
The bulletin includes a forensic artist’s rendering and cautions that it is not an exact likeness. Fingerprints, dental information and DNA are available through the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences for comparison.
How to Provide Information
Anyone with information that could identify the man can call the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences at 832-927-5000 and reference case 009111009P, according to KHOU. The Texas Missing Persons Clearinghouse also accepts information at 512-424-5074 or 800-346-3243; its bulletin number is U0901007.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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