DO RIGHT FOR A WRONGED LITTLE ANGEL

January 21, 2008 --

HER name was Justina Morales. She was 8 years old when she was slaughtered by the people she trusted to love her.

Like Nixzmary Brown, Justina was killed in Brooklyn by her piggish mother and Mom's unspeakable man - battered, strangled and slowly smothered - over painful and grueling hours.

Unlike in the Nixzmary case, no one will ever pay entirely for snuffing out the life of this sweet, fallen angel.

But now, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes has an opportunity. He may finally find redemption, if not justice.

More than a decade ago, in a case that echoes Nixzmary's, Hynes let the killers of bright-eyed Justina slip through his fingers.

Hynes can't bring her back.

But by nailing both people - mother and stepfather - responsible for little Nixzmary's death, he begins the process of making sure that no one, ever again, gets away with murdering a defenseless child.

Justina's death, if you can wrap your mind it, was even more awful than that of Nixzmary.
On New Year's Eve 1995, Luis Santiago, the mother's live-in boyfriend, decided the girl had to die because she resisted taking a bath.

The child's mother, Denise Solero, "agreed." Her word.

But in 1997, with the law on her heels, Solero lawyered up and checked into a battered-women's shelter. At the time, Charles Hynes was all sympathy - comparing Solero to his own battered mother. Without hearing her story, he cut a deal for no jail time, provided Solero testified against Santiago.

The tale was a shocking one: As Santiago proceeded to try to drown the girl, Solero, a stripper and prostitute, held down the child's legs, she told the court. When Justina failed to die, Santiago beat her senseless. And still, she breathed.

Then, as Santiago lay atop the girl, covering her face with duct tape, the mother held down her hands. It took more than two hours. Justina was gone, Solero testified.

Justina was thrown out with the trash into a vacant lot and forgotten. Her school didn't miss her. To this day, her body has never been found.

Too late we learned the truth - the mother was a ruthless killer who played the system . . . and won.

Too late. The jury hated Solero so much, members ignored her testimony and convicted Santiago only of manslaughter, based on his confession.

Solero got away with murder.

Last week, Hynes defended his decision in Justina's case. "It was a Hobson's choice for us," he said. "We had no case without her."

But Nixzmary prosecutor Ama Dwimoh - who also handled Justina's case - won't deal with the devil this time.

No deals. No breaks. Stepfather Cesar Rodriguez and mama Nixzaliz Santiago, poor excuses for humans, are going down.

Justina, I like to think this one's also for you.

Original Article -

DO RIGHT FOR A WRONGED LITTLE ANGEL