Joseph Pabon was convicted of murdering work colleague Eridania Rodriguez.
A new documentary series on Netflix has true crime fans gripped.
From the creator of Law & Order, Homicide: New York follows five gripping cases and the investigators involved in bringing the killers to justice.
The series tackled cases such as those of Daphne Abdela and Christopher Vasquez, along with Sean Salley and Andre Smith.
However, one particularly emotive case concerned the murder of Eridania Rodriguez, who was tortured and killed in New York in 2009.
Here is what happened in the case of Eridania Rodriguez and what happened to her killer, Joseph Pabon.
What happened to Joseph Pabon? Fate of Netflix’s Homicide: New York killer
On 7th July 2009, a 46-year-old named Eridania Rodriguez went missing.
Rodriguez had been a cleaning lady at 2 Rector Street before her disappearance, and had a husband and three children, as well as siblings who she was close to.
Security footage showed that Rodriguez had entered her work building but never emerged, prompting NYPD to look into whether she was inside the premises still.
After finding a hair clip on the eighth floor, police proceeded to find blood seeping from an air duct on the 12th floor and Rodriguez’s body was found inside, bound and wounded, indicating signs of torture.
Rodriguez’s loved ones could not explain or think of any motive as to why someone would commit such a violent crime against her.
A lead emerged for NYPD, however, in the form of maintenance worker Joseph Pabon, who worked in the same building and had a history of violent behaviour and incidents towards women.
Rodriguez’s remains showed signs of a struggle, and blood and skin tissue were found beneath her nails, suggesting she had fought against her killer.
The DNA under her nails was examined and was a match for Pabon, who also displayed scratch marks on his neck, indicating a violent encounter.
After this, police were satisfied enough to put out a warrant for Pabon’s arrest and he was apprehended.
Eventually, Pabon was charged and convicted for Rodriguez’s murder – but his motives for the crime were never revealed.
In 2012, Pabon ultimately received a sentence of at least 25 years in prison, which he is currently serving in Sing Sing Correctional Facility, in Ossining, New York. He will be eligible for parole in 2034.
According to The New York Times, ahead of Pabon receiving the maximum sentence, Assistant District Attorney Christine Keenan said: “These are the acts of a despicable, soulless human being.”
Homicide: New York is available to watch on Netflix now. Looking for something else to watch? Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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