Supporters of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena hold their photos as the State of Texas prepares to execute Derrick Sean O'Brien Tuesday, July 11, 2006, at the "Walls" Unit in Huntsville, Texas. 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. At sentencing, the offenders were remanded to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) system. I believe only non violent offenders are capable of and deserving of rehabilitation. The murder of the two girls made headlines in Texas newspapers due to the nature of the crime and the new law resulting from the murder that allows families of the victims to view the execution of the murderers. Medelln gave both written and taped confessions. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. when they committed their crimes. /Pages 63 0 R He hurt my friends and I didn't know and I cry a lot about not knowing. This photo released by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows death row inmate Jose Medellin who is set for execution at the Texas Prison in Huntsville, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2008. In 2005, President George W. Bush ordered hearings to be held. [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. 0000009638 00000 n C.E. %PDF-1.3 Following Cantu's initial instruction, Villarreal first shouted "Get on your knees, bitch!" I'm going to show up to his parole. Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena, ages 14 and 15, were walking home from a party, taking a shortcut to make it home by their 11 p.m. curfew on June 24, 1993. The teens were killed in TC Jester . window at Ertman and other relatives of the girls and called his Leaving the crime scene, Peter Cantu handed Venancio Medelln a Goofy wristwatch taken from Ertman's body, saying, "Take this, I don't want it.". Please enter your email and password to sign in. Turns out the friend I was with was a serial rapist. To use this feature, use a newer browser. This prompted Medelln to say the gang "had fun" and that details would appear on the news. Two of Cantu's companions in the gang they dubbed the Black and White preceded him to the death chamber. Resend Activation Email. [23] Both bodies had significantly decomposed, and dental records were used for identification. "Hopefully they'll find some peace. Elizabeth was also strangled with her shoelaces, after crying and begging the gang members not to kill them; bargaining, offering to give them her phone number so they could get together again. 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. It worked. 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. Living in Houston meant constant reminders of their daughter's murder. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Houston was stunned when Cantu and his gang were arrested. endobj Both then completed the act by strangling the girl with a shoelace in Pea's presence. This account has been disabled. curfew. Two of them will come up for parole in 2028. Bush only uses the term Christian to gather votes, all while he claims that Allah is the same as Jesus. Ertman rejected an invitation from Cantu's lawyer to come to his office and read a letter of apology from Cantu. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7051821/jennifer-lee-ertman. 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. "We're looking forward to Peter Cantu being executed so he can never murder or hurt anybody again," he said. Eventually, the Texas Board of Criminal Justice voted to change the policy. They were crossing a railroad bridge when the gang, drinking beer and initiating a new member, spotted them. By . The next morning, the girls parents began to frantically look for them, paging them on their pagers, calling their friends to see if they knew where they were, to no avail. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. [29] Although none of them were charged (Cantu had already been sentenced to death by the time he was linked to Lopez's murder), Lopez's murder was mentioned in the sentencing phases of O'Brien and Medelln. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. In this week's episode Beth and Wendy discuss Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea, two young teenage girls who were murdered in Houston by three teenage serial killers, and some other teenage boys in 1993. Hiding. [7], Villarreal had not been a member of the Black and White gang or any gang but had engaged in this initiation ceremony whereby he had been forced to fight several gang members for five minutes successively before they judged whether to accept him. After the trial of Peter Cantu, Judge Bill Harmon allowed the family members to address the convicted. Failed to delete memorial. trailer Six teenagers repeatedly raped, assaulted, then beat the girls to death, beyond recognition. Nine minutes later, he was dead. The gang continued drinking and 'shooting the breeze' for some time and then decided to leave. /T 62444 Prior to his execution, O'Brien expressed his regrets for his actions to the families of Pea and Ertman. Sean Mitchell, 36, is surrounded by children Juliet, 4, Dominick, 5, and Brock Mitchell, 7, as they say a prayer at the memorial site for Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena along T.C. [47] Medellin is scheduled to be released in 2034. Jennifer was a victim of homicide. to Ertman. The right of a defendant to talk with his or her consulate is specified in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations; the United States is a party to the convention, although the U.S. withdrew from compulsory jurisdiction in 1986 to accept the court's jurisdiction only on a case-by-case basis. Peter Cantu probably would've. /Filter /FlateDecode Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. endobj >> Randy Ertman, father of slain teen, has died, Ex-gang leader executed for '93 deaths of 2 Houston girls, Supreme Court to hear Houston death row case. 0000001544 00000 n Peter Cantu then returned, and divided valuables that had been stolen from the girls. [34] In 2004, the International Court of Justice responded to a lawsuit filed by Mexico against the United States; the court ordered hearings to be held for inmates, including Medelln, who were denied consular rights. He petitioned the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 1998 regarding this issue; the appeal failed. But after the execution Tuesday things were different. Instead of remorse there was violence from Cantu. "He never should have been breathing in the first place.". /Linearized 1 management. 0000005760 00000 n [16], Realizing that the girls would be capable of identifying them, Cantu[17] ordered the members to kill the girls. Part of the belt was left at the murder scene, the rest was found in O'Brien's home. As Ertman was murdered, Pea was forced to watch her friend's death as other gang members held a ligature around her own neck. According to later testimony, on one occasion, Pea glanced in the direction of her younger friend as she was raped by Efrain Prez and began weeping as she observed Ertman. startxref The families filed missing persons reports with the Houston Police Department and continued to look for the girls on their own. Related linkssome have the same or similar titles but are different threads: Death Penalty Case Puts Bush and Texas at Odds Over Mexicans Fate "Why do I watch? Our leaders keep telling us to go back to sleep, its an isolated incident, we get more in benefits than they could ever take from us. Ertman and Pena were headed home from a party, and. Did one of the culprits confess with that much detail? 76 0 R /F10 78 0 R /F11 80 0 R /F12 82 0 R /F13 84 0 R /F14 86 0 R >> >> On death row, Cantu, now 35, was classified among the best-behaving inmates. It was traced to the home of the brother of one of the men later sentenced to death for these murders. After Ws wimping out on this issue, I have lost all respect for the man as a leader. "[43], Randy Ertman, the father of Jennifer Ertman, died of lung cancer on August 18, 2014. They were friends who attended the same high school in Houston, Texas, Waltrip High School. He then clasped his arm around Pea's neck, threw her to the ground and dragged her down a gravel decline in the direction of the other gang members as Pea screamed and pleaded for help. his arms, also apologized. It's a saying you hear time and time again yet, time and time again, parents are made to bury their young children. >> Disclaimer: 1 second ago. It shocked many onlookers and outraged a few. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. I might try to email it to Dennis Prager. /Resources << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI ] /ColorSpace << The medical examiner corroborated that the cause of death was strangulation. A major precedent was set at the end of Cantu's trial when Harmon allowed Ertman's father to address the convicted murderer. 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. She'd been raped and eviscerated. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. He then apologized to his own family before he was executed by lethal injection. First published on August 17, 2010 / 5:39 PM. Money can't stop gangs. 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. This is one that truly, truly haunts me. 1 of 3 Jennifer Ertman, left, and Elizabeth Pea both attended Waltrip High School. The medical examiner testified that Elizabeth's two front teeth were knocked out of her brutalized mouth before she died and that two of Jennifer's ribs were broken after she had died. 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. [n 2] According to trial testimony, both Pea and Ertman repeatedly glanced in the direction of one another several times throughout their ordeal in likely gestures of concern and despair. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Jos Medelln got a ring with an "E," so he could give it to his girlfriend, Esther. The State of Texas charged Cantu with the capital murder of Jennifer Ertman during a kidnapping, robbery, or aggravated sexual assault. 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.". Bush is getting really BAD advice from an staffer and will come to his senses soon. Really. Corey Mitchell's book "Pure Murder," which details the story of the killings, was released in 2008 and became a best seller. "I'd like to have heard, the last 17 years, someone say 'I love you, dad.' . /Length 166 The lethal injection was performed at 6:09 p.m. By 6:17 p.m. Cantu was pronounced dead. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. 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. /PageMode /UseNone Sadly, they never made it.. Seventeen years after the crimes, Peter Anthony Cantu was executed on August 17, 2010. Jester as the community gathers at the same time of Cantu's execution. 0000005484 00000 n at the time, got a 40-year sentence. I hope his life is, was and remains a misery. Thank you for doing this write up. Fortunately, they did manage to keep Randy from entering the woods and seeing his daughter's brutalized body and that of her friend Elizabeth, but they were unable to escape that fate themselves. >> HOUCHRON CAPTION (06/28/1998): Randy and Sandy Ertman have found a certain measure of peace since moving to their country home in Lyons. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. This is a truly brutal case of murder. Police said the Waltrip High School students were. FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson, http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1908103/posts, http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1907918/posts, http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1907733/posts, http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1907715/posts. On June 24, 1993, Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman from Houston, Texas were raped and murdered. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Randy Ertman's fiery red hair is gray, and now Cantu is dead. The death of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena led to a significant changes in victim's rights. 0000001187 00000 n He then apologized to his family before being executed by lethal injection. He told the call taker that the missing girls' bodies could be found near T.C. The gang members then stomped on both girls' throats to ensure their deaths. Elizabeth Pea (left) and Jennifer Ertman (right), Murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea. 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. << Hell, no.". [45] Michelle Lyons, a TDCJ official, said that Tropical Storm Edouard would likely not be a factor preventing the execution of Medelln.[46]. 14, received varying sentences according to their individual involvement including death sentences, life sentences, or life sentences with the . Elizabeth Christine Pea (June 21, 1977 June 24, 1993) and Jennifer Lee Ertman (August 15, 1978 June 24, 1993) were close friends who both attended Waltrip High School. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. One of them bragged about having virgin blood on his underwear. The other change came from the Texas Department of Corrections which instituted a new policy allowing victims' families the choice and right to view the execution of their perpetrators. Thanks for listening. Although only one of the brothers had fought Villarreal, both had left the initiation ceremony minutes before both girls were abducted. 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. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. During the trial, the Ertmans asked to address the court. Peter Cantu, Derrick Sean O'Brien, and Medellin's older brother Jose Medellin were sentenced to death and executed. They also knew they would have to pass a sexually-oriented business on that route and so decided to take a well-known shortcut down a railroad track and through a city park to Elizabeth's neighborhood. /Size 89 Im not sure who else has brought attention to it. I can only hope that Pres. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? They were last seen by friends about 11:15 at night, when they left a friend's apartment to head home, to beat summer curfew at 11:30. When the rapes finally ended, the horror was not over. way, but if they want to make the death penalty a deterrent, up in endstream January 24, 2023. Peter Cantu, far left, glances back at Randy Ertman, far right, as Ertman, father of Cantu's murder victim, Jennifer, 14, shouts. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1908103/posts, Bush, Texas at Odds Over Death Case [38], Seventeen years after the crimes, Peter Anthony Cantu was executed on August 17, 2010. 0000006863 00000 n Of the six people convicted for the heinous crimes, five were sentenced to death. The murder of the two girls made headlinesin Texas newspapers due to the nature of the crime and the new law resulting from the murder that allows families of the victims to view the execution of the murderers. Please reset your password. The 14-year-old juvenile later testified that he had gone back and forth between his brother and Peter Cantu since they were the only ones there that he really knew and kept urging them to leave. << Ertman could have easily run to escape at this point, but ran to help her friend. Johnny Loria, left, Betty Williams, and others gather at the memorial site for Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea in TC Jester Park on Tuesday in part to help remember and keep attention on their brutal rape and murder. 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. be a deterrent.". I hope you rot in hell.". Dude, you're a badass! /Filter /FlateDecode But he has sowered. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. "He should have been hung outside the courthouse," Ertman said in an cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. For justice for my little girl," Elizabeth's father, Adolph Pena, said. 0000003012 00000 n [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. [5], Jos Medelln was executed at 9:57p.m. on August 5, 2008, after his last-minute appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court. A major precedent was set at the end of his trial, when state District Judge Bill Harmon allowed Ertman to address the convicted murderer. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Realizing that the girls would be capable of identifying them, Peter Cantu, the leader of the gang, ordered the members to kill the girls. The murder of the two girls made headlines in Texas newspapers due to the nature of the crime and the new law resulting from the murder that allows families of the victims to view the execution of the murderers. "[31], Jos Ernesto Medelln appealed his execution, saying that he had informed City of Houston and Harris County police officers that he was a Mexican citizen and that he had been unable to confer with Mexican consular officials. The police helicopter was flying over the park and this apparently prompted Mr. 'Gonzalez' to make a 911 call, directing the search to move to the other side of the bayou. Christina Cantu questioned why Villarreal was bleeding and Prez had a bloody shirt. At his sentencing for the Ertman-Pena case, the judge asked Cantu if there was any reason the sentence shouldn't be imposed. Posted on 10/09/2007 7:44:26 AM PDT by beaversmom. In response, Cantu tackled and repeatedly kicked the girl in her face and body, dislodging three teeth and fracturing several ribs. One of the gang members grabbed Pena. They were two teenage girls from Texas who disappeared during one night after attending a. Both victims were badly decaying, and dental records were used for identification. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Derrick Sean O'Brien was the first to be executed, on July 11, 2006. connor walsh death; king eurystheus physical appearance; jennifer ertman autopsy photos. Three of the Pena and Ertman killers have been executed. /S 280 O'Brien (the only non-Hispanic in the gang) and Villarreal then proceeded to strangle Ertman with a red nylon belt before the belt broke. /O 74 He raped Jennifer and was later sentenced to 40 years for aggravated sexual assault, which was the maximum sentence for a juvenile. Failed to remove flower. 0000008255 00000 n In debate over slow executions, victim families wrestle with whether those condemned should suffer. It worked. This browser does not support getting your location. Derrick O'Brien was the first to be executed, on July 11, 2006. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. / CBS News. I|L~D*Vh.il)5]m:rm1Jm$E*jEj60 [TK+->Wri]F4>)MB8322T" t@w*V$ VSv+v"3pcj$[c=Ys]$fpAyTFpX]6uCtb`hQ3+1:Dk4J6E.LBqLu9oT9Jj? 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. Today's video is on the case of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea. Venancio Medelln, the brother of Jos Medelln, testified against 4 of the gang members. On that night they were at a pool party of a friend. / jennifer ertman autopsy photos. /OutputBin 7 Oops, we were unable to send the email. Six gang members were charged in their deaths, which shocked the city. << On June 24, 1993, the girls spent the day together.and then died together. "It's just a last-ditch effort to keep the scumbag breathing," Ertman said. June 25, 1994: Family and friends of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena gather at T.C. 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. Where [are] you going?" One member, Jos Medelln, attempted to grope and pinch one of Pea's breasts. Meet the Astros prospect tearing up Spring Training, Texas tornados destroy homes, leave 300,000 without power, Proposed Texas bill would offer 12 weeks of paid family leave, Heres how you can watch 'Daisy Jones and the Six', Texas Republican wants to ban access to abortion websites, Dallas Morning News reporter calls mayor 'bruh,' gets fired. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. By approximately 10:30 p.m., Villarreal had successfully fought two gang members before being beaten midway through his fight with the third member. When the police followed this suggestion, they found the badly decaying bodies of Jenny and Elizabeth. Ok, thanks. Cameras caught Cantu cuffed and escorted by two officers still trying to kick news photographers. O'Brien (the only non-Hispanic, Black person in the gang) and Villarreal strangled Ertman with O'Brien's red nylon belt before breaking the belt. 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. Death penalty opponents protested the impending execution. Clerk's Record at 15. 0000004107 00000 n Corey Mitchell's book "Pure Murder," which details the story of the killings, was released in 2008 and became a best seller. Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual jennifer ertman autopsy photos. Because of efforts by Ertman's father along with victims advocate Andy Kahan and others, victim's . to Ertman. The girls' families came to witness the execution and were met by supporters and applause when they walked out of the Walls Unit. << [11][n 1], Ertman could've easily run to escape at this point but ran to help her friend. O'Brien was sentenced to die for murder of Ertman, 15, and Pea, 16, in 1993. [7] Before the murders, Houston officials had stated that gangs were not a significant issue in the city. Medelln said in a sworn statement that he learned that the Mexican consulate could assist him in 1997. Christina Almaraz was a childhood friend of both Ertman and Pena. Medellin, now 33, was one of six teenagers arrested and charged with the gang rape and murders of Elizabeth Pena, 16, and Jennifer Ertman, 14. Shortly thereafter, he held a beer aloft, proclaiming things were to be great. xref were 17 when the girls were killed were spared the death penalty when Very well done. Pea brushed aside Medelln's hand and continued walking. 88 0 obj 1993 - Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena Murder 38,716 views Dec 20, 2018 507 Dislike Share Save KPRC 2 Click2Houston 485K subscribers The rape and murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth. It is stories like this that make me think this country is going to explode in a paroxysm of rage - pure rage. Ertman, however, doesn't agree with that viewpoint. I assume that's why it's left such a strong impact on me. I went to school with them. Four days after the murders, the girls' bodies were found in the park during hot weather conditions. 0000011007 00000 n Ertman was catapulted into his advocacy role by the June 24, 1993, murders of his 14-year-old daughter, Jennifer, and her 16-year-old friend, Elizabeth Pena. Mexican-born Jose Medellin, 33, with needles in Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? The graves of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena are about 200 yards apart in Woodlawn Garden of Memories Cemetery. The State of Texas, represented by Solicitor General Ted Cruz, challenged Bush's order, and the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that only the Congress of the United States has the right to order hearings to be held. When the police questioned 'Gonzalez', he said that he had made the original call at his 16 year-old wife's urging. Christina Almaraz hugs Elizabeth Pena's father Adolfo Pena after the execution of Peter Anthony Cantu at the Walls Unit in Huntsville, Texas. Cantu, the first of five to be tried, convicted and condemned, will be the last to be executed. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. [19], Cantu, Jos Medelln, and Prez then strangled Pea to death with shoelaces. Jos Medelln got a ring with an "E", so he could give it to his girlfriend, Esther. Randy Ertman, whose daughter and a friend were raped and killed by gang members, has died of lung cancer. Carol Christian reports on breaking news for chron.com. HUNTSVILLE, Texas (CBS/KHOU) Murderer Peter Anthony Cantu was executed by the state of Texas Tuesday evening. Notice: This memorial is being managed in abeyance until a proper manager requests control of the memorial. Year should not be greater than current year. 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. on. 0000000931 00000 n [8], Minutes later, the leader of the gang, Peter Cantu, approached Villarreal, exclaiming: "You're in! 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Corey Mitchell's book "Pure Murder," which details the story of the killings, was released in 2008 and became a best seller.Notice: This memorial is being managed in abeyance until a proper manager requests control of the memorial. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1907733/posts, Death Penalty Case Puts Bush and Texas at Odds Over Mexicans Fate As a general rule, immediate family members, grandparents, and other close family members can request and will be transferred management of the memorial.
