Police caught a major break in a cold case that's more than nine years old.

Thirty-one year old Petra Martin and her 2-year-old son Uriel were murdered in July of 2003.

Now police say a man who was in the country illegally is responsible for their deaths.

Clearwater Police named Gilberto Juarez-Hernandez the prime suspect for the deaths of Martin and her son at a news conference Monday afternoon.

"After 21 years in law enforcement this is by far the most heinous crime and murder that I've ever been involved with," said Lt. James Kleinsorge, who was the lead detective on the case in 2003.

There was a third child who was unharmed at the time of the murders. Police say that child has since moved back to Mexico with other family.

John Hemming is one of the few neighbors who was around in 2003 when Petra Martin and Uriel were murdered.

"Seemed like every police officer in Clearwater was here," said Hemmings.

Hemmings lives across the street from where the two were stabbed to death on the corner of San Juan Street and South San Remo Avenue.

"We just gave up on the idea that they might find somebody," added Hemmings.

Police say a bloody thumb print finally got a hit in an online database. The booking photo of Juarez-Hernandez is from an arrest in Iowa in 1999. He was prosecuted on fraud and traffic charges.

"The suspect was in this country illegally. His location is unknown at this time," said Detective Christopher Lyons. "He may be in Florida, he may be in Iowa, or he may be in Mexico."

With your help, police are hoping they can catch up to their suspect faster than they found him, although the booking photo is 13 years old.  They're hoping someone will recognize two distinct moles on the side of Juarez-Hernandez' face.

Anyone with information relating to this case is asked to call CRIME STOPPERS at 1-800-873-TIPS.