Social media don’t forget — and neither do the streets.

Nearly seven years after the heart-wrenching killing of 15-year-old Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz rocked the Bronx and went viral nationwide, the man who delivered the fatal machete blow has now met a violent end himself.

Jonaiki Martinez-Estrella — the convicted Trinitarios gang member whose actions were captured on gut-wrenching surveillance footage from that June 20, 2018, night — was found stabbed to death inside his prison cell at Coxsackie Correctional Facility, according to ABC News.

🕒 THE FINAL MOMENTS

Prison staff reportedly discovered Martinez-Estrella unresponsive around 1:15 PM on Friday. Despite immediate life-saving measures — including CPR, a defibrillator, and even a dose of Narcan — he was pronounced dead.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the official cause of death, but initial reports strongly indicate it was the result of a stabbing.

⚖️ THE CASE THAT SHOOK A NATION

Junior was mistaken for a rival gang member and savagely attacked by multiple men with knives and a machete outside a Bronx bodega — a moment captured on video that sent shockwaves across the country and birthed the viral hashtag #JusticeForJunior.

Martinez-Estrella was sentenced in 2019 to life without parole after being convicted of first-degree murder. However, in a shocking legal twist, his conviction was overturned in 2023, when an appeals court ruled prosecutors failed to prove the element of “torture” required for the top charge.

He was resentenced this past May 2025 to 25 years to life for second-degree murder, conspiracy, and gang assault.

The internet erupted within hours of the news. Some called it karma, others referred to it as street justice, while Junior’s name once again trended as people remembered the teen who dreamed of becoming an NYPD detective.

🕊️ REMEMBERING JUNIOR

Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz’s tragic death ignited conversations about gang violence, police response times, and the power of social media advocacy. Though time has passed, his memory remains deeply embedded in the hearts of many — and as this latest twist shows, the story continues to echo through New York’s prison walls and beyond.

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