https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7053887/elizabeth-christine-pe%C3%B1a. Their story has been oft-repeated, in the retelling burnished to a handful of details: the fateful choice of a route home, the abduction from the railroad tracks, the decision of one to turn back when she heard her friend scream, the clothes ripped from their bodies, the multiple and repeated assaults, the inexplicable decision that they must die in a manner equally brutal. when they committed their crimes. Two others I think were 17 and got life. >> HUNTSVILLE, Texas --The State of Texas executed Peter Cantu Tuesday evening for the brutal murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena. This is a carousel with slides. The rape and murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena rocks Houston. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. /OutputBin 7 [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. 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Garland to face Congress amid ongoing special counsel investigations, FBI chief says agency feels pandemic likely started with Chinese lab leak. Their deaths resulted in an outpouring of grief in the local community and spurred changes in criminal legislation in the state of Texas, which enabled the families of crime victims to speak to the defendant at trial and witness the execution of said defendant. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? You can always change this later in your Account settings. way, but if they want to make the death penalty a deterrent, up in It was the same spot where, in 1993, 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman and 16-year-old Elizabeth Pea were raped, tortured and killed when they stumbled upon a late-night gang initiation. Search above to list available cemeteries. The. Ertman could have easily run to escape at this point, but ran to help her friend. The families of both Ertman and Pea strongly favored the execution(s). "Venancio Medellin was spared from a death sentence because of his age when he helped five other gang members rape, strangle and stomp Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena to death on a hot summer night in Houston in 1993, but he should spend every day of the rest of his sentence locked up for everyone's sake," District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Jennifer Ertman (7051821)? The authorities say the two girls -- Jennifer Lee Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pena, 16 -- were taking a shortcut home after a pool party on the night of June 24 when they apparently stumbled upon an . Mexican-born Jose Medellin, 33, with needles in /H [ 931 256 ] 72 0 obj / CBS News. Although only one of the brothers had fought Villarreal, both had left the initiation ceremony minutes before both girls were abducted. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Somehow the story became worse at trial. There is a problem with your email/password. . Family members linked to this person will appear here. Jennifer Latson of the Houston Chronicle said that the deaths of the girls "shook" the Oak Forest neighborhood of Houston "to its foundation. Try again later. 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. Huntsville Unit prison. GREAT NEWS! Ertman will stand a few feet away, watching again through the window. 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. "This is. "It's a little late," Ertman said. A system error has occurred. 76 0 R /F10 78 0 R /F11 80 0 R /F12 82 0 R /F13 84 0 R /F14 86 0 R >> >> Cantu had been troubled and violent since his early youth. Two Innocent Teens The crime was unspeakable. /Resources << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI ] /ColorSpace << /Root 73 0 R Please try again later. Family members are now allowed to address the convicted, and victims' families now have the choice and right to view. Cantu, Medelln, Prez, and Villarreal then met at Cantu's residence, where he lived with his brother, Joe Cantu, and sister-in-law, Christina Cantu. On the evening of June 24, 1993, they left a friend's apartment at 11:15 to head home and took a shortcut through T.C. They were forced to perform oral sex. She then attempted to flee. "Anytime girls came down the street, they'd come out and hoot and holler at them and make vulgar remarks to them," a former neighbor said the day after his arrest. Jester Park in order to make an 11:30 curfew. Fugitive in $18 million COVID fraud scheme extradited to U.S. Add to your scrapbook. Shortly thereafter, he held a beer aloft, proclaiming things were to be great. be a deterrent.". 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. 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. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. The annual Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo is no fun and games if you don't have a ticket. She then attempted to flee. 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. The gang members stomped on both girls' throats to ensure their deaths. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. She was thrown to the ground by gang members Peter Cantu and Derrick Sean O'Brien. trailer Instead they are forever 14 and 16, a pair of innocents who slipped into the darkness of Houston's near north side one summer night and re-emerged in bright sunlight on a funeral home gurney targets of a crime so incomprehensible that it was, in the words of one of the lawyers later involved, burned into the collective consciousness of the city. >> 0000011007 00000 n [7] Before the murders, Houston officials had stated that gangs were not a significant issue in the city. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. [11][n 1], Ertman could've easily run to escape at this point but ran to help her friend. Ertman and Pea passed the gang and one member, Jos Medelln, attempted to grope and pinch one of Pea's breasts. /Contents [ 75 0 R ] Four days after the murders, the girls' bodies were found in the park during hot weather conditions. 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 [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. Peter Anthony Cantu, shown at his 1994 trial, was the one who called for Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea to be killed so they couldn't identify their attackers. Jos Medelln got a ring with an "E," so he could give it to his girlfriend, Esther. She screamed. 72 17 "[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. Please enter your email and password to sign in. 0000006863 00000 n Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. August 17, 2010 / 5:39 PM Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Failed to report flower. Learn more about managing a memorial . murders of jennifer ertman and elizabeth pena jose medellin. . The rapes and murders of Jennifer Lee Ertman and Elizabeth Christine Pea, two teenage girls from Houston, Texas, aged 14 and 16, respectively, occurred on June 24, 1993. He then elaborated that he had raped both girls. This case galvanized the residents of Houston. When the teacher told Cantu the trouble he would get into for such a thing, he said he didn't care. He is now 41 and has served 27 years of his 40-year sentence. "Hopefully they'll find some peace. There was a problem getting your location. 0000000809 00000 n to Ertman. Courtesy photos Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Peter Anthony Cantu, shown at his 1994 trial, was the one who called . 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 88 0 obj Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena murders. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. . By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. 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. Thanks for your help! Failed to remove flower. Cantu's brother, Joe, testified about what inspired him to call police. He then elaborated that he had raped both girls. Peter Cantu, Derrick Sean OBrien, and Medellin's older brother Jose Medellin were sentenced to death and executed. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. /Filter /FlateDecode of Criminal Justice), How Alaska became one of fentanyl's deadliest frontiers, Pennsylvania police seized gloves, flashlight from home of Idaho murders suspect, Where things stand in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial. Raul Villareal and Efrain Perez were also sentenced to death but saw their punishment commuted to a life sentence because they were both 17 when the crime was committed. Instead of remorse there was violence from Cantu. The execution of, Now 35, Cantu declined requests for an interview. 0000005760 00000 n All of it - the entire ugly tableau of human destruction - was told as if it had been a TV rerun from a year ago. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. /ID [] 0 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. The families of both Ertman and Pea strongly favored the execution(s). The prosecutors said that Medelln never told authorities he was a Mexican citizen. O'Brien was videotaped smiling at the scene of the crime. As he lay writhing and moaning on the ground after being temporarily knocked unconscious, the gang members conferred privately to discuss whether to accept Villarreal as a member. "It's very, very rare that you can refer to a case by the victims' families and people will know what you're talking about," he said. The case spurred legislative reform in Texas' criminal justice system. In response, Cantu repeatedly kicked the girl in her face and body, dislodging three of her teeth and fracturing several ribs. endstream Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena were 14 and 16 years old, respectively. . He will be the third of the attackers to be put to death, following, Houston is in for dust and gray skies as Texas haboob arrives, Oops! 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. RELATED: Haunting killings of 2 Houston teens leaves lasting legacy for victim's rights, At least 29 dead, 85 injured after trains collide in Greece: officials, Driver feedback needed for 3-mile Hardy Toll extension into downtown, Man found dead in middle of Fort Bend County crosswalk, police say. [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. Nine minutes later, he was dead. Add to your scrapbook. were 17 when the girls were killed were spared the death penalty when << Cameras caught Cantu cuffed and escorted by two officers still trying to kick news photographers. Jennifer's father made the drive here four years ago for the first execution. [5] Following Cantu's initial instruction, Villarreal first shouted, "Get on your knees, bitch!" %%EOF Ertman and Pena were headed home from a party, and took a shortcut to make it home by their 11 p.m. curfew the night they were killed. cemeteries found in Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Evidence showed Cantu kicked one of the girls in the face with his steel-toed boot. /Length 1385 Find ratings and reviews for the newest movie and TV shows. Five others were convicted of capital murder in the case. Derrick O'Brien was the first to be executed, on July 11, 2006. By the end of Cantu's trial, jurors had been burdened with a load of disturbing details, not just about the crime itself, which prosecutor Donna Goode likened to the work of a "pack of wild dogs," but about the young man who made it happen. Medellin was among six gang members who were sentenced. [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. cemeteries found in Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Medelln said in a sworn statement that he learned that the Mexican consulate could assist him in 1997. Where [are] you going?" Their photos are familiar now, attached to countless news reports since then: the same two pictures, teen girls who despite the makeup were girls still. 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. /S 280 Cantu's execution won't quite bring an end to the legal saga that followed. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. 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