1992 shooting declared a homicide after victim’s death, with killer already convicted, paroled and deported
A 1992 Manhattan shooting declared a homicide after the long-paralyzed victim died two months ago comes with a bizarre twist: The killer already served his time for the decades-old shooting.
Gladys Martinez died Sept. 24 at the age of 64, the medical examiner ruling the bullet fired into her chest by deranged suitor Samuel Felix finally killed the her a full 29 years after the shooting put her in a wheelchair.
State corrections records indicate Felix, who would now be 73, served more than 16 years before his release and deportation to the Dominican Republic as his victim spent the rest of her life as a paraplegic.
The victim’s daughter recalled how Felix developed an obsession with her mother when Martinez was in the middle of a divorce.
“They were just acquainted,” said Glendelis Sanchez, 35, whose mom was shot in Harlem on her little girl’s 6th birthday. “He became infatuated with my mom. That’s where everything started. ... It was May 22, 1992. There’s not much that I remember, I was so little.”
According to state prison records, Felix was convicted in August 1993 for attempted murder, criminal use of a firearm and weapons possession. He was paroled in November 2009 and turned over for deportation to U.S. immigration officials.
Martinez was shot once in the chest, leaving the disabled mother to deal with medical issues caused by the attack the rest of her life. According to her daughter, Felix was arrested after a failed suicide attempt when he shot himself in the wrist.
Family members and a neighbor recalled Martinez, only 25 when she was shot, as a heroic figure who fought through her injuries to remain a positive presence in their lives. The Dominican immigrant was one of 11 kids, with two children of her own and three grandkids.
“She was the life of the party,” said niece Leonora Liz, 31. “She was very family-oriented and we were all very close to her. She raised all her nieces and nephews. We spent all the holidays at her house.
“She was a beautiful woman, very charismatic. It’s pretty much a miracle she was alive all this time.”
Neighbor Melita Bato, 60, offered fond recollections of the devout Martinez, who regularly attended the St. Catherine of Genoa Church near her home.
“She prayed the rosary every day,” recalled Bato. “We would talk about that all the time, to give her power. She was very nice. One day, I saw her at the end, and she was going to the hospital.”
Despite her friend’s long battle with health issues, Bato was stunned by word of Martinez’s death: “I said,’ Oh my God, I don’t believe it.’”
A spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney said the case was on their radar and a review of the investigation was planned.
Martinez, in addition to her physical injuries, dealt with emotional scars caused by the attack. According to Sanchez, her mother avoided social media over worries that the shooter might return.
“There was a fear that he was going to come back,” she recalled. “She was always afraid he would recognize her.”
