Bronx community members joined with the NYPD this weekend to mourn the loss of two murdered Bronx twins whose bodies were found in shocking fashion four years ago.
Nov. 8 marked four years since newborn twins Zeke and Zane were found dead in the trash behind an apartment building on College Avenue in the Claremont section of the Bronx. Despite the passage of time, the memory of what happened still hangs heavy over those who live there, and both residents and detectives vow never to forget.
“It’s important that we keep their memory alive. There’s a family out there that should be celebrating a four-year old’s birthday today, and we’re here on the fourth anniversary, and we will continue this until the end,” NYPD Detective Brianna Constantino said.
Mourners came with flickering candles and tears streaming down their faces. Although some had only heard about the horrors that took place only by reading the news, they nevertheless felt the pain.
The newborns were discovered in an alleyway behind the apartment building with their umbilical cords still attached; they had been beaten to death. The tots were never officially identified, but cops working the case named them Zeke and Zane — their names derived from the Bible meaning of “God’s gift” — and even paid for their funeral.
“From day one, we knew that we had some kind of responsibility, not only for justice, but to guide them going forward and make sure that they were not forgotten,” Constantino said.
Although the crime has gone unsolved for almost half a decade, the detectives involved in the case remain committed to solving the heinous crime — using every possible technique and strategy available to them to find the infants’ killer.
However, cops also appealed that four years of trouble could be saved if the person responsible came forward.
“We’re not here to judge that person who we were confident is still out there and they’re aware of what occurred. We’d like them to come forward,” Lieutenant Hector Fuenes said. “It could be anyone in the community that might know someone, that may have heard through a second or third person, and just mentioned something in casual conversation — we’d like to speak to them. We’re going to be out here every day, every year, especially on this anniversary, until we finally bring this case to a close.”
Rev. Oswald Denis presided over the vigil. He prayed for a resolution to the gruesome case that has haunted the neighborhood for so long. Whether it is a candle or handcuffs in their hands, police say they are mourning with locals while also working with them to find answers.
Anyone with information regarding this incident can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
