Madison Police release new Marino details, sketch of suspect
Sketch of suspect
Photo of “OXO” brand paring knife with a four inch silver blade.
Jacket, hat and backpack of suspect in Joel Marino stabbing.
The Madison Police Department (MPD) has released new details and a suspect sketch in the investigation of a Jan. 28 homicide near St. Mary’s Hospital on Monona Bay.
On that day, 31-year-old Madison resident Joel Marino was found fatally stabbed in an alley just off the 700 block of South Park Street, near West Shore Drive. MPD continues to seek the assistance of UW–Madison students in helping to solve the crime.
The sketch of the man released Monday shows him wearing a knit cap with the Motion W logo over short hair, which police said is sandy-colored. He is described as a white male, between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet 2 inches tall, in his 20s, with a thin build.
The man was last seen wearing a tan, Carhart-type jacket and was carrying a gray Puma backpack. Police believe the perpetrator may live in the State Street area.
Detectives working the Marino case have determined that the backpack was purchased at a State Street business on the afternoon of Friday, Jan. 25. The assailant is believed to be the person who made the purchase.
Based on forensic analysis performed by scientists at the Wisconsin State Crime Lab in Madison, it has been determined that male DNA found on a knife recovered at the crime scene matches DNA found on the white cap and backpack recovered shortly after the murder. Detectives believe the DNA belongs to Marino’s killer.
On the day of the homicide, investigators believe Marino was home all morning and was stabbed in his house between 1-1:20 p.m. In addition, the probe indicates the suspect likely fled the Marino home and ran southbound on West Shore Drive. During his flight he discarded the white cap and Puma backpack in the West Shore neighborhood. The perpetrator was last seen near the intersection of South Park and Parr Streets.
The knife, which is believed to be the murder weapon, is described as an “OXO” brand paring knife with a four inch silver blade.
There is a $42,000 reward set up through McFarland State Bank for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the death of Joel Marino. If you have any information about this case, please call Crime Stoppers at (608) 266-6014.