The cold case murder of Nori Amaya - Washington D.C. - October 31, 2009
On October 31, 2009, siblings Nori and Carlos Amaya had a glass of wine after closing their restaurant for the night. They both owned Coppi's Organic Restaurant, which served Italian food. Despite the bad weather outside, 38-year-old Nori was looking forward to a night of dancing. Her nickname was Salsa Queen for a reason, and there were parties in various places because of Halloween.
When she took a taxi home around 2 a.m., she had had a nice evening, going to the Rumba Café, the Russia House and Bravo Bravo. Around 2:30 a.m., a security camera from the apartment complex registered Nori as she went inside. No one knew then that she would never come out alive again.
Although Nori always kept in close contact with her family, Carlos didn't hear from his sister the next day. While that was unusual, it didn't set off alarm bells for him. Carlos knew that Nori was dating the owner of Rumba Café, and things weren't going well between the two. Perhaps she needed some time to herself, he thought.
However, when Nori failed to show up for a catering event the next day, November 2, Carlos and their sister Lis Pacheco started to worry.
Carlos decided to go by her apartment located on the 3600 block of 16th Street NW. 11th floor at the Woodner, but Nori didn't answer her door. Because she might just be sleeping, the worried brother decided to come back later. When he returned to the apartment that evening, he took his other sister and a security guard from the building with him. Once in her home, Carlos found his sister dead in bed. She had clearly been the victim of a crime.
Police Investigation
The police arrived immediately, and began an investigation into the murder on the spot. The apartment was thoroughly examined for traces, and Nori's body was also subjected to a pathological examination. According to police, Nori had gotten into a fight with her killer and he eventually strangled her. Detectives found that all of Nori's fingernails had been removed. Probably an attempt by the perpetrator to prevent his DNA from being found under the nails. Nevertheless, the police found male DNA, which they had scanned in the database. It did not match the existing profiles. A disappointment. Yet it remains an iron in the fire. Perhaps one fine day there will suddenly be a match.
The police looked with interest at the footage from the security camera that was in the apartment complex, but saw that it mainly recorded people walking in and out in Halloween outfits. It turned out to be worthless. Still, Detectives questioned many people in the murder investigation. Some people were even interrogated several times by detectives. It just wasn't enough to arrest anyone for Nori Amaya's murder. Despite media attention and TV series such as Unsolved Mysteries, the case remains unsolved to this day.
Information and tips
The murder of Nori, who had already experienced a lot of misery in her life, must be solved. We hope, just like the family in particular, that there are people who know more about the case. Nori deserves justice, and her family the answers and peace. Do you know anything? Even if it's just a small detail, please let us know now. Don't hesitate and get in touch now using the form below.
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