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Comet Night Killing: How a Rookie Cop Solved the Murder of Joey Martin
The case had long since gone cold, but a fresh pair of eyes noticed something suspicious.
It was March 1996, and 15-year-old Joey Martin from the small hamlet of Kerhonkson in New York State was a typical high school student who enjoyed sports and hanging out with his friends.
And, as a typical teenager, he also bent the rules set by his parents from time to time. That was why, at 10:40 PM on the evening of March 25th, Joey was climbing out of his bedroom window after already saying goodnight to his mother and stepfather.
Final rendezvous
The Comet Hyakutake was set to pass close to Earth that night, marking the closest cometary pass in 200 years, and Joey wanted to see if he could spot it from a location nearby.
After asking his brother if he wanted to come too — he didn’t — Joey slipped out of the house and walked the mile to the Schwabie Turnpike to meet his close friends Daniel Malak and Alexander Barsky. It would be the last time Joey was seen alive.
The following day, Joey failed to show up for school and his mother Kathaleen was contacted in order to ascertain his whereabouts. He had a track meet that day and was unlikely…
