RACINE — A Racine family is still waiting for justice a decade after José Torrez was shot and killed in September 2016.
Torrez, known as Joey, was a father of five. Today, he would be a grandfather.
"The best dad. He was all about all his kids," Liliana Torrez, his daughter, said. "He was Mr. Make-It-Happen."
Now, his family is preparing to mark 10 years without him.
"Life of the party, very outgoing, always willing to help," Gloria Torrez, his stepmother, said.
According to the original criminal complaint, the shooting happened in the 1600 block of Holmes Avenue in Racine on Sept. 14, 2016. José Torrez died six days later at the hospital.
"And when I got there, at the hospital, it was a lot of people. And that speaks for Joey," Gloria Torrez said of the outpouring of support following the shooting.
She said the pain of losing Joey has not faded.
"It seems like it was just yesterday. The memories are still there," she said.
Michael Cina was originally charged with first-degree intentional homicide for his alleged role in José Torrez's death. Today, Cina is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for a separate homicide in Kenosha. His Racine County case was dismissed in 2021.
Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson said that while they had a warrant for a witness, that witness couldn't be located, and the case was dismissed without prejudice, as "the State and the Court were aware" that Cina had received a life sentence.
"And that's not fair to my dad," said Liliana Torrez.
For the Torrez family, that is not enough.
"Justice needs to be served. 10 years later, and nothing has been done, is not okay," Channa Rivera, Torrez's aunt, said.
Rivera urged others to consider what it would feel like to be in the family's position.
"What if it was your son, or uncle, or cousin, or grandchild, or nephew?" she said.
But for now, they're left waiting for answers.
"There has to be some kind of closure. Why did this happen?" Gloria Torrez said.
Ted Torrez echoed her sentiment, asking "Where's my brother's justice?"
As the family prepares to mark a decade without Joey, they are holding onto hope that a new case will be brought forward.
"We said it in the very beginning, 'Justice for Joe,' And we're still saying it, 'Justice for Joe,'" Ted Torrez said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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