[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. Peter Cantu, far left, glances back at Randy Ertman, far right, as Ertman, father of Cantu's murder victim, Jennifer, 14, shouts. / jennifer ertman autopsy photos. She and her friend Elizabeth were students at Waltrip High School in Houston. He received a 40-year prison sentence, the maximum for a juvenile, for the sexual assault of Jennifer Ertman. Turns out the friend I was with was a serial rapist. Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pena, 16, were raped, tortured and murdered by gang members while walking near TC Jester on June 24, 1993. 0000004381 00000 n 0000008255 00000 n After the gang left, Christina Cantu convinced Joe Cantu to report the crime to police. I have no good words left for President Bush. 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. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. 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. 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. 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. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. >> /S 280 trailer 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. stream The community says a prayer at the memorial site for Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena. This photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows death row inmate Derrick O'Brien who is scheduled for execution at the Texas prison in Huntsville, Tuesday, May 16, 2006. The homicide of Ertman and Pena stood out as truly newsworthy all over Texas because of the grievous idea of the wrongdoing alongside the new law that was set up that enabled the groups of the exploited people to see the execution of the killers. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1907733/posts, Death Penalty Case Puts Bush and Texas at Odds Over Mexicans Fate Police said the Waltrip High School students were. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Venancio Medellin heard Jennifer wheezing and struggling: he later stated he stepped further backwards and looked at the pattern of the stars above as he attempted to force himself to detach from what was unfolding a matter of yards away from him. A major precedent was set at the end of Cantu's trial when Harmon allowed Ertman's father to address the convicted murderer. Wow, I am speechless! To use this feature, use a newer browser. 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. 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. C.E. Randy Ertman, whose daughter and a friend were raped and killed by gang members, has died of lung cancer. 0 cemeteries found in Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA. 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. /Linearized 1 /Type /Catalog [5], Leaving the crime scene, Cantu handed Venancio Medelln a Goofy wristwatch taken from Ertman's body, saying, "Take this, I don't want it. 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. August 18, 2010 / 12:40 PM You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. 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. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Jennifer Lee Ertman I found on Findagrave.com. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Sean O' Brien, accused of rape and murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena, in courtroom for trial. 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. 0000007142 00000 n I went to school with them. 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. The murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea, two teenage girls from Houston, Texas, occurred on June 24, 1993. 0000009909 00000 n HUNTSVILLE, Texas (CBS/KHOU) Murderer Peter Anthony Cantu was executed by the state of Texas Tuesday evening. Randy Ertman, father of Jennifer Ertman, confronts an anti-death penalty activist, David Adwood outside the 262nd Criminal District Court in 2003, where Judge Mike Anderson the execution date for Raul Villarreal. O'Brien was sentenced to die for murder of Ertman, 15, and Pea, 16, in 1993. This is a sad and haunting note in the history of Houston Texas. "I told him to stick it. May the souls of these poor girls rest in peace in Gods loving arms, and may the monsters who did this be subject to the most vicious and painful torture that hell has to offer. The person not sentenced to death, 14 Peter Cantu then returned, and divided valuables that had been stolen from the girls. I think about this case a lot, usually at random times it'll pop back into my head without warning. 0000001544 00000 n /Contents [ 75 0 R ] 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. TDCJ refused to permit Kahan to witness the execution. 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. /Rotate 0 /Resources << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI ] /ColorSpace << In that case, a 27-year-old woman was found at a Houston park with her throat cut. endstream Testimony showed that Jenny had gotten free and could have run away but returned to Elizabeth when she cried out for Jenny to help her. %PDF-1.3 Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Since joining the Houston Chronicle staff in 1998, she has covered various beats, including criminal courts and transportation. Sylvia Orta Perez, 32, who had gym class with Jennifer Ertman in middle school, takes a moment at the memorial site for Ertman and Elizabeth Pea in TC Jester Park on Tuesday. [23] Both bodies had significantly decomposed, and dental records were used for identification. Cantu is the last of three men scheduled to die by lethal injection for the June 1993 murders of 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman and 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena. /Pages 63 0 R The lethal injection was performed at 6:09 pm, and at 6:17 pm, Cantu was officially pronounced dead. On June 24, 1993, the girls spent the day together.and then died together. 73 0 obj You need a Find a Grave account to continue. >> Christina Almaraz hugs Elizabeth Pena's father Adolfo Pena after the execution of Peter Anthony Cantu at the Walls Unit in Huntsville, Texas. Medellin was one of six teenagers arrested and charged with the 1993 gang rape and murders of Elizabeth Pea, 16, and Jennifer Ertman, 14. when they committed their crimes. Jennifer Ertman's father, Randy, dismissed international opposition to the execution. 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Both then completed the act by strangling the girl with a shoelace in Pea's presence. Who provided the details? "[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. Today's video is on the case of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea. connor walsh death; king eurystheus physical appearance; jennifer ertman autopsy photos. On June 24th 1993, a gang of men took the lives of 2 young girls. This had not previously been done in Texas courts and now is done as a matter of routine. "Nothing he would say to me would make any difference," he said. Venancio Medelln, the brother of Jos Medelln, was 14 at the time of the murder, the same age as Jennifer Ertman. Asked what memories she had of Ertman, Perez said, "She had a beautiful smile.". This means that the new member was required to fight every member of the gang until he passed out and then he would be accepted as a member. Randy commandeered the news van and went to the scene that was now bustling with police activity. Realizing that the girls would be capable of identifying them, Peter Cantu, the leader of the gang, ordered the members to kill the girls. [48] Another memorial exists at T.C. She felt sorry for the families and wanted them to be able to put their daughters' bodies to rest. I wish to hell he could have died the way she died.". He said he was told repeatedly by Peter Cantu to "get some". Take them out and shoot them - then hand them from a tree and let the vultures do their work. 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. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. Jennifer was a victim of homicide. Seven minutes later, O'Brien was dead. This is a carousel. "It's just a last-ditch effort to keep the scumbag breathing," Ertman said. Houston was stunned when Cantu and his gang were arrested. 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. Please try again later. [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 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. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. /Prev 62433 Jester Park.[43]. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. June 25, 1994: Family and friends of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena gather at T.C. 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 Local host Peter Boyles here in Denver is talking about it. ). A tip led authorities to the bodies. Are insane ticket costs pricing Astros fans out of Opening Day? The gang members stomped on both girls' throats to ensure their deaths. "We're looking forward to Peter Cantu being executed so he can never murder or hurt anybody again," he said. 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. Carol Christian reports on breaking news for chron.com. 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. One of the gang members later said during the brag session that by the time he got to one of the girls, "she was loose and sloppy." Failed to delete memorial. Both had observed Pea and Ertmans' abduction, initial assault, and screams for help. 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.". FILE Randy Ertman, father of Jennifer Ertman, salutes Judge Mike Anderson in the 262nd Criminal District Court in 2003 after Anderson set the execution date for Raul Villarreal. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Thanks for your help! Elizabeth's father said he was not surprised. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. By approximately 10:30 p.m., Villarreal had successfully fought two gang members before being beaten midway through his fight with the third member. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the Adolph Pena, embraced by his wife, Melissa, wears a shirt showing the pictures of his slain daughter, Elizabeth, left, and her friend, Jennifer Ertman, who were killed by killed by gang members five years ago. [35], In 2005, President George W. Bush ordered hearings to be held. Six teenagers repeatedly raped, assaulted, then beat the girls to death, beyond recognition. I was in Menlo park in during a huge gang fight. Peter Anthony Cantu, Jos Ernesto Medelln, Derrick Sean O'Brien, Efrain Prez, and Raul Omar Villarreal received death sentences. Please reset your password. One of the boys boasted of having 'virgin blood' on him. Medellin was 14 at the time of the killings and has served 27 years of his 40-year sentence, the maximum punishment allowed for a juvenile. O'Brien was sentenced to die for murder of Randy's daughter Jennifer Ertman, 15, and Elizabeth Pea, 16, in 1993. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. 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, August 17, 2010 - Peter Anthony Cantu Execution: Mastermind of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena Murders to Die. When he finally faced death, Cantu made no apology and had no statement. This is no job for the criminal justice system. Venancio received a 40-year prison sentence. Pure Murder Chapter 10: JENNIFER ERTMAN - Chapter 1 < Prev Chapter. Turner: TEA is giving Houston ISD two optionsclose school or be taken over, Who is Justin Dirden? 72 17 Cantu has been on death row longer than his victims were alive. Jester Park. Jos Medelln got a ring with an "E", so he could give it to his girlfriend, Esther. No death, but it was a year before columbine. Although only one of the brothers had fought Villarreal, both had left the initiation ceremony minutes before both girls were abducted. [7] Before the murders, Houston officials had stated that gangs were not a significant issue in the city. I need not go further. 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. After the trial of Peter Cantu, Judge Bill Harmon allowed the family members to address the convicted. She'd been raped and eviscerated. Well I better stay speechless because whats going through my head would get me banned. 1 of 3 Jennifer Ertman, left, and Elizabeth Pea both attended Waltrip High School. /Length 1385 Death penalty opponents protested the impending execution. It is stories like this that make me think this country is going to explode in a paroxysm of rage - pure rage. Oops, we were unable to send the email. English Try again later. endobj This prompted Medelln to say the gang "had fun" and that details would appear on the news. Learn more about managing a memorial . Both girls were strangled to death. << To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Jennifer Ertman, left, and Elizabeth Pea both attended Waltrip High School. O'Brien was sentenced to die for murder of Randy adn Sandra's daughter Jennifer Ertman, 15, and Elizabeth Pea, 16, in 1993. >> On June 24, 1993, Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman from Houston, Texas were raped and murdered. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, White supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes kicked out of CPAC, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Biden team readies new advisory panel ahead of expected reelection bid, At least 10 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, House Democrats unhappy with White House handling of D.C.'s new criminal code. He then apologized to his family before being executed by lethal injection. The 61-year-old died Monday, said Andy Kahan, a Houston crime victims advocate. An angry Randy Ertman stood at the trial and told the killers: "We live for the day you die. Ertman and Pea decided to take a 10-minute shortcut to Pea's residence in Oak Forest by following the railroad tracks and then passing through T.C. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. This is a carousel with slides. startxref Corey Mitchell's book "Pure Murder," which details the story of the killings, was released in 2008 and became a best seller. 1 second ago. 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. Im not sure who else has brought attention to it. Make sure that the file is a photo. Mayor: HISD has two optionsclose school or be taken over, Meet the Astros prospect tearing up Spring Training, Report: Houston ranked No. % Clerk's Record at 15. Peter Anthony Cantu was executed for the brutal murders of Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pena, 16. The gang members ran and grabbed Elizabeth and pulled her down the incline, off of the tracks. I cant even imagine those poor girls. The graves of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena are about 200 yards apart in Woodlawn Garden of Memories Cemetery. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. I saw hardened, lifelong cops get tears in their eyes when talking about the scene more than a year later. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Derrick O'Brien was the first to be executed, on July 11, 2006. Two brothers who had been with them but testified that they were not in the gang left first and passed Jenny and Elizabeth, who were unknowingly walking towards their deaths.
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