Joe Augstell
Memorial in Niagara Falls, NY
COLD CASE FILES: A memorial at 16th and Niagara Street for 25 year old Noel Rodriguez who was found burned to death in that very location August 31st, 2003. Although police officially only declared his death as "suspicious" members of his family believe he was murdered. At the time a bar called the Solo Lounge was on this corner and on that day it was purposefully set on fire. Detectives officially declared the fire as an arson, what is still unknown to this day is who actually set the fire. What is known however is that the victim was inside the building very early that morning when it was set on fire. Witnesses said they saw him running from the building fully engulfed in flames, burning alive, then collapsed outside the building on the ground. Family members claim that he had been living upstairs during that time period. After researching this case in old news articles I noticed that after about 3 days the news abandoned the story completely. No one was ever arrested for his death. This is a memorial one of his family members placed on the site of this tragic incident about a month ago. He was a father of two and a DJ at the now closed "Pleasuredome II" nightclub on Main Street. PHOTO DATE: October 19th, 2015. Niagara Falls, New York.
Memorial in Niagara Falls, NY
COLD CASE FILES: A memorial at 16th and Niagara Street for 25 year old Noel Rodriguez who was found burned to death in that very location August 31st, 2003. Although police officially only declared his death as "suspicious" members of his family believe he was murdered. At the time a bar called the Solo Lounge was on this corner and on that day it was purposefully set on fire. Detectives officially declared the fire as an arson, what is still unknown to this day is who actually set the fire. What is known however is that the victim was inside the building very early that morning when it was set on fire. Witnesses said they saw him running from the building fully engulfed in flames, burning alive, then collapsed outside the building on the ground. Family members claim that he had been living upstairs during that time period. After researching this case in old news articles I noticed that after about 3 days the news abandoned the story completely. No one was ever arrested for his death. This is a memorial one of his family members placed on the site of this tragic incident about a month ago. He was a father of two and a DJ at the now closed "Pleasuredome II" nightclub on Main Street. PHOTO DATE: October 19th, 2015. Niagara Falls, New York.