Body identified
as that of local drifter

City homicide investigators have identified a badly decomposed man found on June 25 in a wooded area of Crescentville.
Now, they’re trying to figure out how he ended up with bullet wounds in his head.
Police Detective George Pirrone described Jose Luis Martinez, 29, as a drifter with a series of recent addresses and no known Philadelphia area relatives.
He spent a lot of time in the Lower Northeast and neighboring areas, particularly Tacony Creek Park, Pirrone said.
A man walking in the park near Newtown and Godfrey avenues at about 6:30 p.m. that Monday found Martinez’s body.
A medical examiner placed his time of death at a week or two weeks prior to the discovery. He likely died from multiple gunshots to the head.
Forensics experts were able to develop one fingerprint of the then unknown man despite the condition of the body.
Investigators also were able to make out a tattoo of the name "Jose" across his back. A Pennsylvania State Police examiner linked the fingerprint to a full name.
Pirrone tracked down relatives of Martinez in Youngstown, Ohio, who confirmed the dead man’s identity.
The detective learned that Martinez traveled between Philadelphia and Youngstown and that when here, he stayed with male companions at several locations.
Sometimes he went by the name Jose, and other times by Luis. He also used the alias Hamid Marin, Pirrone said.
Martinez was 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed about 170 pounds. He has brown eyes and closely cut black hair.
Police would like to speak to anyone who knew Martinez or who may have seen him in the weeks and months leading up to his death. Call Pirrone at 215-686-3334, 3335 or 3336 to report information about the case. ••