/Info 70 0 R Prior to his execution, O'Brien expressed his regrets for his actions to the families of Pea and Ertman. The girls' bodies were found decomposing in the . Corey Mitchell's book "Pure Murder," which details the story of the killings of Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman, 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. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. The case spurred legislative reform in Texas' criminal justice system. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. Seventeen years after the crimes, Peter Anthony Cantu was executed on August 17, 2010. Failed to report flower. Three were executed, and the rest are still in prison. 72 0 obj Venancio Medellin has been denied parole five times. 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. It was Cantu who asserted Ertman and Pea had to be killed so as not to later bear witness against them. They were forced to perform oral sex. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. 0000011007 00000 n The worst crime I have ever heard of was the 1993 murder of 14 year-old . Nine minutes later, he was dead. Both victims were badly decaying, and dental records were used for identification. /O 74 startxref [9], Within approximately 40 minutes of Villarreal accepting several bottles of beer from the other gang members and holding his first beer aloft,[10] Ertman and Pea passed the gang. [38], Seventeen years after the crimes, Peter Anthony Cantu was executed on August 17, 2010. Medellin has been denied parole five times now. Failed to delete memorial. 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. If you're planning on using the METRO to helo you get to and from the Houston Rodeo, here's everything you need to plan out your ride! Jennifer's father made the drive here four years ago for the first execution. curfew. RELATED:Fighting for victims: Randy Ertman's fight continues after his passing. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. But when you go around and ask anybody in the city of Houston, do you remember the Ertman/Pe a case, they will immediately say, 'Yes, the two girls who were gang-raped and brutally killed.' Evidence showed Cantu kicked one of the girls in the face with his steel-toed boot. August 17, 2010 / 5:39 PM /Type /Page Three others have long prison terms. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Elizabeth Christine Pea I found on Findagrave.com. Shortly thereafter, he held a beer aloft, proclaiming things were to be great. Cantu, Jos Medelln, and Prez then strangled Pea to death with shoelaces. Then, on the morning of June 30, the city awoke to learn of events of a few days earlier that defied belief. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. We have set your language to 76 0 R /F10 78 0 R /F11 80 0 R /F12 82 0 R /F13 84 0 R /F14 86 0 R >> >> Put a needle in her arm and just go to sleep. Six teenagers repeatedly raped, assaulted, then beat the girls to death, beyond recognition. Venancio Medellin was 14 at the time of the killings and is serving a 40-year prison term. August 18, 2010 / 12:40 PM When the pair realized that they were going to be late returning home, they decided to leave the party to commit the curfew both had promised to their parents. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. 73 0 obj Anderson, a Houston Police Department officer who worked on the murder case, described the murder as "part of the impetus for the antigang programs in Houston." Notice: This memorial is being managed in abeyance until a proper manager requests control of the memorial. Sorry! The person not sentenced to death, 14 0000004107 00000 n Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? They should have hung them. /Root 73 0 R Make sure that the file is a photo. Jobs were back and property was rising in value. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. [36] Governor Perry rejected calls from Mexico and Washington, DC, to delay the execution, citing the torture, rape, and strangulation of two teenaged girls in Houston 15 years ago as just cause for the death penalty. Minutes before Pea and Ertman encountered these gang members, two other gang members, twins Frank and Ramon Sandoval had participated in Villarreal's initiation ceremony. Five others were convicted of capital murder in the case. The day after the murders, Cantu showed up at his job at an oil change shop and acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary, his boss told the Chronicle at the time. Both girls were strangled to death. [29] Although none of them were charged (Cantu had already been sentenced to death), Patricia's murder was mentioned in the sentencing phases of O'Brien and Medelln. Family members are now allowed to address the convicted, and victims' families now have the choice and right to view. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. [39] The lethal injection was performed at 6:09p.m., and at 6:17p.m., Cantu was officially pronounced dead. He will be the third of the attackers to be put to death, following Derrick O'Brien and Jose Medellin. Oops, something didn't work. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Blame the Federal Reserve. based on information from your browser. Look at me good!". The graves of Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman are about 200 yards apart in Woodlawn Garden of Memories Cemetery. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. 0000008539 00000 n When Elizabeth and Jenny reached a bayou near a. Medellin was among six gang members who were sentenced. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. On death row, Cantu, now 35, was classified among the best-behaving inmates. 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. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. [35], In 2005, President George W. Bush ordered hearings to be held. Thanks for your help! O'Brien was videotaped smiling at the scene of the crime. By coincidence, a handful of teenagers who had just completed a boozy, fight-filled gang initiation ritual noticed their shadowy figures. The medical examiner corroborated that the cause of death was strangulation. [48] Another memorial exists at T.C. Medellin's brother, Jose, was put to death in 2008. 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. [15] 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. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. /E 11282 "He was a kid you remembered," one former teacher said. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. to Ertman. The families of both Ertman and Pea strongly favored the execution(s). Look, you're not even an animal," Ertman uttered in court. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Sources: Pure Murder by Corey Mitchell Jennifer was a victim of homicide. You're not even an animal. >> 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. IMDb is the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. murders of jennifer ertman and elizabeth pena jose medellin. ). were 17 when the girls were killed were spared the death penalty when Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? 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. Year should not be greater than current year. Jos Medelln got a ring with an "E", so he could give it to his girlfriend, Esther. In 1993, while walking home Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena were sexually assaulted and murdered by a group of boys/men that called themselves "The Black and White Gang". "He has matured remarkably," said Robin Norris, his appeals lawyer. Death penalty opponents protested the impending execution. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. The teens were killed in TC Jester Park as part of a gang initiation Ertman Pena Fol. "I don't mean this in a gruesome English [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. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students. There was an error deleting this problem. [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. [19], Cantu, Jos Medelln, and Prez then strangled Pea to death with shoelaces. [32] He petitioned the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 1998 regarding this issue; the appeal failed. The 61-year-old died Monday, said Andy Kahan, a Houston crime victims advocate. Neither attempted to prevent the assaults or to inform the police. %%EOF This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7053887/elizabeth-christine-pe%C3%B1a. Please try again later. 0000000809 00000 n The two were best friends and had a beautiful, long life ahead of them. He apparently did as he pleased. Family members linked to this person will appear here. /N 31 cemeteries found in Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Venancio Medelln, the brother of Jos Medelln, was 14 at the time of the murder, the same age as Jennifer Ertman. Medelln reported that he had killed a girl, and noted that he would have found it easier with a gun. . Ertman could have easily run to escape at this point, but ran to help her friend. First published on August 17, 2010 / 5:39 PM. 25 years after the murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. When the Supreme Court of the United States banned the executions of people who committed crimes while they were below 18 years of age, the sentences of Prez and Villarreal were automatically commuted to life in prison. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. The case was also notable in that the state of Texas rejected attempts by the International Court of Justice to halt several perpetrators' executions. Elizabeth Pena's body was similarly . Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. In what police later would describe as a sadistic frenzy, the girls were gang-raped for more than an hour. . GREAT NEWS! 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 Pea 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 everyones sake, Ogg said. /Filter /FlateDecode Cantu's brother, Joe, testified about what inspired him to call police. We have set your language to Both completed the act by strangling the girl with a shoelace in Pea's presence. [47] Medellin is scheduled to be released in 2034. The gang of attackers had showed up at his house after the killings. Weve updated the security on the site. Verify and try again. In response, Cantu tackled and repeatedly kicked the girl in her face and body, dislodging three teeth and fracturing several ribs. 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. Oops, something didn't work. "Nothing he would say to me would make any difference," he said. They were both abducted and murdered. Year should not be greater than current year. If it could show up at such a nondescript moment - teenagers unknown to each other passing in the night - perhaps no one's safety was more than an illusion. 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. County, Texas, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list strongly the. 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