3) Your have handed the Presidency to Hillary Clinton. Governor Rick Perry argued that Texas is not bound to World Court rulings. "He's a guy who fully accepts his responsibility.". The medical examiner corroborated that the cause of death was strangulation. Of the six people convicted for the heinous crimes, five were sentenced to death. The murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena have had an impact on victim's rights in Texas still felt 25 years after their deaths. Medelln gave both written and taped confessions. << He was the ringleader in a crime that struck a raw nerve for its sheer brutality: the repeated gang rape, torture and murder of 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman and 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena in. cemeteries found in Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. On June 24th 1993, a gang of men took the lives of 2 young girls. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. A native of Des Moines, Iowa, she holds a Master?s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a Master?s in sociology from Michigan State University. Ertman will stand a few feet away, watching again through the window. The confessions of the gang members that were used at trial indicated that there was never less than 2 men on each of the girls at any one time and that the girls were repeatedly raped orally, anally and vaginally for the entire hour. The gang members stomped on both girls' throats to ensure their deaths. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. When he finally faced death, Cantu made no apology and had no statement. 0000005760 00000 n This was a crime on June 24th 1993. I saw hardened, lifelong cops get tears in their eyes when talking about the scene more than a year later. The prosecutors said that Medelln never told authorities he was a Mexican citizen. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. He was the youngest of six members of the so-called Black and White gang when they brutally raped and killed Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pena, 16, in June 1993. [4], Ertman and Pea decided to take a 10-minute shortcut to Pea's residence in Oak Forest by following the railroad tracks and passing through T.C. Dude, you're a badass! Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious TV interview, Willie Nelson's new album is a lovely tribute to a fellow country legend, Two ocelots were photographed crossing a road in rare South Texas sighting, Astros GM Dana Brown sees bright future for top prospect Drew Gilbert, This is how astronauts see Houston, Texas Gulf from space with unaided eyes. /OutputBin 7 The email does not appear to be a valid email address. 88 0 obj Peter Anthony Cantu was executed for the brutal murders of Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pena, 16. Donald R. Davis and Robert Morrow represented Cantu at trial. June 25, 1994: Family and friends of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena gather at T.C. Villarreal was convicted of murder in 1994 for his involvement in the rape and murder of Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pena, 16, in 1993 during a gang initiation. HUNTSVILLE, Texas (CBS/AP/KHOU) Tonight, Peter Anthony Cantu will be executed for two of the most notorious deaths in Houston history, the 1993 rapes and murders of 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena and 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman. Today's video is on the case of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea. We also discuss the related murder of Patricia Lourdes Lopez. Since joining the Houston Chronicle staff in 1998, she has covered various beats, including criminal courts and transportation. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. That guy was a fucking monster. >> Well I better stay speechless because whats going through my head would get me banned. On June 24, 1993, Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea attended a pool party hosted by their friend, Gina Escamilla. /OpenAction 71 0 R curfew. Medelln said in a sworn statement that he learned that the Mexican consulate could assist him in 1997. Please reset your password. Year should not be greater than current year. 0000000017 00000 n Peter Cantu, far left, glances back at Randy Ertman, far right, as Ertman, father of Cantu's murder victim, Jennifer, 14, shouts. Jennifer Latson of the Houston Chronicle said that the deaths of the girls "shook" the Oak Forest neighborhood of Houston "to its foundation.". The Texas parole board denied parole on several occasions to Venancio Medellin, most recently in 2020. In debate over slow executions, victim families wrestle with whether those condemned should suffer. exemption for fair use of copyrighted works. He then elaborated that he had raped both girls. No mercy for the bastard. C.E. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. The gang problem was bad enough that my middle school wouldn't allow us to wear clothing that was mostly white, mostly black, most red, mostly green, etc because of possible gang affiliation. Family members linked to this person will appear here. The scheduled execution of Medellin has attracted international attention after the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, said the Mexican-born Medellin and some 50 other Mexicans on death rows around the nation should have new hearings in U.S. courts to determine whether a 1963 treaty was violated with their arrests. The two Houston girls, returning from a friend's house, took a shortcut home along some railroad tracks and stumbled on a group of teenagers drinking beer after initiating a new gang member. By . Memorials to Ertman and Pea in TC Jester Park: In the background is the railroad bridge where the two were initially attacked. The 61-year-old died Monday, said Andy Kahan, a Houston crime victims advocate. Dad is very angry because when President Bush was Governor he shook this mans hand and said these whatever in the hell these creatures are would be executed. Authorities later linked him and O'Brien to a killing six months before the attack on Ertman and Pena. This is a truly brutal case of murder. >> The break in solving the case came from, of course, the 911 call. The police were sent to the scene and searched the park without finding anything. [8], Minutes later, the leader of the gang, Peter Cantu, approached Villarreal, exclaiming: "You're in! One of the boys boasted of having 'virgin blood' on him. We get into the details of the story at 9:46. They were kicked, teeth knocked out and hair pulled out and ribs broken. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says, Peter Anthony Cantu (AP Photo/Dept. After the gang left, Christina Cantu convinced Joe Cantu to report the crime to police. Ok, thanks. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Whenever I see a post about it online, I always get this wave of negative emotions dumped over me. based on information from your browser. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Both repeatedly struggled against their abusers, with Pea on at least one occasion attempting to fight off her attackers by repeatedly kicking her legs, and Ertman biting her attackers. For the families, it is a fight they will take beyond the grave. This location was approximately one mile from Pea's home. And Cantu's brother, upset at the gang's gloating about having fun with the girls, called police. Waltrip High School has a memorial to the girls. After the trial of Peter Cantu, Judge Bill Harmon allowed the family members to address the convicted. In June of 1993, the two girls stumbled across a gang initiation on White Oak Bayou. [33], Medelln's impending execution became an international controversy since the state did not hold a hearing about whether the inability of Medelln to meet with Mexican consular officials harmed his defense. Weve updated the security on the site. The death of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena led to a significant changes in victim's rights. The gang continued drinking and 'shooting the breeze' for some time and then decided to leave. 76 0 R /F10 78 0 R /F11 80 0 R /F12 82 0 R /F13 84 0 R /F14 86 0 R >> >> New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Press J to jump to the feed. MORE ON CRIMESIDERAugust 17, 2010 - Peter Anthony Cantu Execution: Mastermind of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena Murders to Die, First published on August 18, 2010 / 12:40 PM. He received a 40-year prison sentence, the maximum for a juvenile, for the sexual assault of Jennifer Ertman. I testified against that fuck. I think about this case a lot, usually at random times it'll pop back into my head without warning. of Criminal Justice), Colombia wants to deport "cocaine hippos" to stop them from multiplying, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murders of wife and son, How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh. In response, Medelln stated: "No, baby! 7/11/06--Randy Ertman motions for his wife Sandra after Derrick Sean O'Brien execution Tuesday, July 11, 2006, at the "Walls" Unit in Huntsville, Texas. Governor Rick Perry argued that Texas is not bound to World Court rulings. /Prev 62433 Among his blistering comments, Ertman shouted at him, "You're not even an animal." One of the gang members grabbed Pena. Ertman tried to help. Both girls were sexually assaulted by all but one of the gang members, 14-year-old Venancio "Yuni" Medelln, on a minimum of four occasions. I wish to hell he could have died the way she died.". /Linearized 1 They were forced to perform oral sex. Randy Ertman's fiery red hair is gray, and now Cantu is dead. He then apologized to his own family before he was executed by lethal injection. startxref Randy Ertman, father of Jennifer Ertman, speaks with Adolph Pena, father of Elizabeth Pena outside the 262nd Criminal District Court in 2003 after Judge Mike Anderson set the execution date for Raul Villarreal. The State of Texas charged Cantu with the capital murder of Jennifer Ertman during a kidnapping, robbery, or aggravated sexual assault. Venancio received a 40-year prison sentence. stream /Filter /FlateDecode Carol got started in journalism while teaching English in Poland during martial law. Medelln gave both written and taped confessions. 0000008539 00000 n Jennifer Ertman's dad, Randy Ertman, was about to give an interview regarding the missing girls to a local television reporter when the call came over a cameraman's police scanner that two bodies had been found. posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Venancio Medelln, the brother of Jos Medelln, testified against 4 of the gang members. x^WnF0q$E"6'fgu#0`'3gf(0;7LqX&SP!iE47]Fqfno()~?;W N(W18U&EM CS P0c7[ Yz $,2[4iV lV6+J#(i6 hP"+7e(X She then attempted to flee. The case was also notable in that the state of Texas rejected attempts by the International Court of Justice to halt the executions of several of the perpetrators. The Murder of Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman (Houston, TX 1993) Elizabeth Pena (16) and Jennifer Ertman (14) were out on the humid Houston evening of June 24th, 1993 enjoying a pool party at the apartment complex of another friend. 72 0 obj /Type /Catalog [6], The girls were walking along the White Oak Bayou when they encountered six "Black and White" gang members drinking beer shortly after holding the gang initiation ceremony of 17-year-old Raul Omar Villarreal. Six gang members of the "Black and Whites" were convicted in their assaults and murders. This had not previously been done in Texas courts and now is done as a matter of routine. He told Venancio Medelln to stay behind because he was too little to watch. The other gang members forced the girls into a wooded area. Four days after the murders, the girls' bodies were found in the park during hot weather conditions. Put a needle in her arm and just go to sleep. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says, Peter Anthony Cantu (AP Photo/Texas Dept. They knew they would be late if they took the normal path home, down W. 34th Street to T.C. [3], When the pair realized they were going to be late returning home, they decided to leave the party to conform to the curfew both had promised their parents. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. What would I tell them? While Jenny and Elizabeth were living the last few hours of their lives, Peter Cantu, Efrain Perez, Derrick Sean O'Brien, Joe Medellin and Joe's 14 year old brother were initiating a new member, Raul Villareal, into their gang, known as the Black and Whites. At approximately 8 p.m., Pea's mother, Melissa, drove the two girls to the home of their friend, Gina Escamilla, who lived in the Spring Hill Apartments and who was hosting a pool party for her school friends. [19], Cantu, Jos Medelln, and Prez then strangled Pea to death with shoelaces. The death sentences of Efrain Prez and Raul Villarreal were commuted to life imprisonment in 2005, following, List of people executed in Texas, 20002009, List of people executed in Texas, 20102019, List of people executed in the United States in 2006, List of people executed in the United States in 2010, "Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena Murdered While Walking Near Houston Park 25 Years Ago", "Peter Anthony Cantu Execution: Mastermind of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena Murders to Die Tonight", "Medellin set to die Tuesday for Ertman-Pea killings", "Medellin executed for rape, murder of Houston teens", Murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea, "Bodies of Two Girls Discovered: Grim Find Ends Weekend Search in Northwest Houston", "Father of Murdered Girl Questions Bush's Support to Halt Killer's Execution", "Media Advisory: Jose Medellin Scheduled For Execution", "San Antonio turned from bully to savage killer", "Jos Ernesto Medelln v. Texas (Per Curiam)", "Texas Executes Mexican Despite Objections", "Dad confronts parole board to keep daughter's murderer in prison", "Ex-gang leader executed for '93 deaths of 2 Houston girls", "Last Statement Derrick O'Brien" at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice profile, "Father of Brutally Murdered Teen, victims' Rights Advocate Randy Ertman Dead at 61", Victim's "Advocate Won't be Witnessing Execution", "Parole Denied for Gang Member Convicted in 1993 Murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena", In Memory of Elizabeth Pea and Jennifer Ertman - 1993, Details of Cantu's 1997 appeal against his convictions, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murders_of_Jennifer_Ertman_and_Elizabeth_Pea&oldid=1142384022, Deaths by strangulation in the United States, Violence against women in the United States, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. On that night they were at a pool party of a friend. He was the ringleader in a crime that struck a raw nerve for its sheer brutality: the repeated gang rape, torture and murder of 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman and 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena in 1993. O'Brien was sentenced to die for murder of Ertman, 15, and Pea, 16, in 1993. As both girls exited the car, Pea assured her mother she and her friend would be home by their agreed 11:30 p.m. 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Testimony showed that the girls' bodies were kicked and their necks were stomped on after the strangulations in order to "make sure that they were really dead.". Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena were 14 and 16 years old, respectively. when they committed their crimes. The families of both Ertman and Pea strongly favored the execution(s). After Ws wimping out on this issue, I have lost all respect for the man as a leader. TDCJ refused to permit Kahan to witness the execution. It shocked many onlookers and outraged a few. % We love them and miss them," Adolph Pena said. This prompted Medelln to say the gang "had fun" and that details would appear on the news. Although only one of the brothers had fought Villarreal, both had left the initiation ceremony minutes before both girls were abducted. After the gang left, Christina Cantu convinced Joe Cantu to report the crime to the police. The gang members then stomped on both girls' throats to ensure their deaths. The bodies were very badly decomposed, even for four days in Houston's brutal summer heat and humidity, particularly in the head, neck and genital areas. He told the call taker that the missing girls' bodies could be found near T.C. There's no mitigation you could provide that will ever make me believe anyone who is fit to breathe clean air could or would commits this crime. On death row, Cantu, now 35, was classified among the best-behaving inmates. Jester Park on Saturday for a memorial service for the girls who were slain, The parents of the murder victims successfully advocated for the State of Texas allowing relatives of victims to have permission to witness executions. 1) You are a coward with regard to Mexico. "He never should have been breathing in the first place.". [30][41][42], The parents of the murder victims successfully advocated for the State of Texas to allow victims' relatives to have permission to witness executions. A red nylon belt, with an attacker tugging at each end, was pulled so tightly around Ertman's neck the belt snapped. I refuse to vote for another RINO, we should not be feared into voting for these one world types who could care less about America, our sovereignty and the constitution. Ertman and Pena were headed home from a party, and. / CBS News. Guns, cops, all that shit. I cant even imagine those poor girls. You can always change this later in your Account settings. FILE Randy Ertman is restrained Tuesday, Oct. 11, 1994, in Houston outside the courtroom where he addressed three of the five gang members convicted of killing his daughter and her friend. Rose Rogers says a prayer at the memorial for Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena along T.C. /H [ 931 256 ] His knowledge of the crimes came from the killers themselves, most of whom came to his home after the murders, bragging and swapping the jewelry they had stolen from the girls. Jenny was strangled with the belt of Sean O'Brien, with two murderers pulling, one on each side, until the belt broke. F-me, these stories get uglier and sadder every day.

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