Columbus, Ohio – A recent confession in a letter sent to The Dispatch newspaper has brought new life to an unsolved homicide case from July 2016. In the letter, Daniel J. Kitchen, 32, confessed to the shooting death of 38-year-old Jaime Martinez Galindo, whose body was discovered in a residential area. Kitchen’s letter, which was provided to Columbus police, contained details about the crime that only someone present at the scene would know.
The discovery of Galindo’s body took place in the early morning hours of July 12, 2016, when police officers found him between a garbage bin and a fence at the Tamarack Condominiums. The complex is located in the Forest Park East neighborhood in Columbus’ Northland area. Despite the passage of more than seven years, the case remained unsolved until Kitchen’s letter provided new leads for investigators. Galindo’s autopsy report confirmed that he had been shot once in the neck and had been drinking prior to his death.
The letter, which does not contain a specific date for the offense, prompted The Dispatch to search through archives and police reports to find any homicides matching Kitchen’s description. The letter matched details of Galindo’s death, including the location and the victim’s single gunshot wound, details that had not been made public by detectives. Since turning over the letter to authorities, The Dispatch has received minimal updates on the case from the unsolved homicide unit.
As the investigation into the homicide continues, Columbus police have confirmed that they interviewed Kitchen, who is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for 20 years in another case. In 2017, Kitchen and his brother were convicted of murder and other charges in a separate incident. Efforts to reach Galindo’s family for their input on the recent developments were unsuccessful. Anyone with information about Galindo’s death is urged to contact detectives or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers.
In summary, Daniel J. Kitchen’s confession in a letter to The Dispatch has reignited the investigation into the 2016 unsolved homicide of Jaime Martinez Galindo. The letter contained details about the crime known only to someone present at the scene, providing new leads for investigators. Despite minimal updates, the investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.