What to Know
- Baby Hope was the name given to a child found dumped in a cooler in the woods in upper Manhattan in 1991
- Prosecutors say she had been suffocated and molested; her killing remained unsolved for more than two decades
- Restaurant worker Conrado Juarez had been awaiting trial for the last five years in the case
A restaurant worker accused of killing a toddler known as Baby Hope, whose body was found in 1991 in a cooler in Manhattan, has died in custody.
Conrado Juarez died Sunday at Montefiore Nyack Hospital following complications related to pancreatic cancer, an official told The New York Times.
State Correction Commission spokeswoman Janine Kava also confirmed his death.
The 57-year-old was awaiting trial for the last five years, charged in the murder of 4-year-old Angelica Castillo. The girl's naked body was found in a cooler that had been left in a wooded area in upper Manhattan.
Prosecutors say she had been suffocated and molested. Her killing remained unsolved for more than two decades. Detectives named her Baby Hope.
Juarez's lawyer, Michael J. Croce, declined to comment.
