0 cemeteries found in Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA. In response to accusations from anti-death penalty advocates that capital punishment is a cruel and unusual form of punishment, Pea's father later remarked O'Brien's death had occurred peacefully, "in twenty seconds", adding: "I wish to God that my daughter could have died that easily. Who provided the details? 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. Today's video is on the case of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea. Instead of remorse there was violence from Cantu. Christina Almaraz was a childhood friend of both Ertman and Pena. /N 31
According to later testimony, on one occasion, Pea glanced in the direction of her younger friend as she herself was raped by Efrain Prez and began weeping as she observed Ertman. I|L~D*Vh.il)5]m:rm1Jm$E*jEj60
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VSv+v"3pcj$[c=Ys]$fpAyTFpX]6uCtb`hQ3+1:Dk4J6E.LBqLu9oT9Jj? 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. After the gang left, Christina Cantu convinced Joe Cantu to report the crime to police. /Prev 62433
Both victims were badly decaying, and dental records were used for identification. Medellin was one of six teenagers arrested and charged with the 1993 gang rape and murders of Elizabeth Pea, 16, and Jennifer Ertman, 14. Jos Medelln got a ring with an "E," so he could give it to his girlfriend, Esther. 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. 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. 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. Premiered Apr 29, 2022 17 Dislike Share Save Sinister Intelligence 147 subscribers ****WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT**** The absolutely heinous murder of teenage friends Jennifer Louise Ertman and. Where [are] you going?" Shortly thereafter, he held a beer aloft, proclaiming things were to be great. Those poor poor girls. I wish to hell he could have died the way she died. In 2008, when convicted murderer Jose Medillin, a Mexican national, was facing execution, Ertman said he didn't care about international opposition. After the gang left, Christina Cantu convinced Joe Cantu to report the crime to the police. [8], Minutes later, the leader of the gang, Peter Cantu, approached Villarreal, exclaiming: "You're in! 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. Four days after the girls disappeared, a person identifying himself as 'Gonzalez' called the Crimestoppers Tips number. 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. to Ertman. The medical examiner later testified that this is how she could be sure as to the horrible brutality of the rapes, beatings and murders. Well I better stay speechless because whats going through my head would get me banned. [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. Pure Murder Chapter 10: JENNIFER ERTMAN - Chapter 1 < Prev Chapter. For the families, it is a fight they will take beyond the grave. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. 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. . This was clearly a job for a lynch mob. But after the execution Tuesday things were different. %PDF-1.3
The State of Texas prosecuted Cantu and his four fellow gang members simultaneously but in separate trials. exemption for fair use of copyrighted works. August 18, 2010 / 12:40 PM "You're not even an animal," in the courtroom of Judge Bill Harmon, on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 1994. /PageLayout /SinglePage
Peter Anthony Cantu, Jos Ernesto Medelln, Derrick Sean O'Brien, Efrain Prez, and Raul Omar Villarreal received death sentences. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Part of the belt was left at the murder scene, the rest was found in O'Brien's home. [40], Cantu, Medelln, and O'Brien are buried at Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery. Wow, I am speechless! Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. visiting the murder location of Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman two houston teenager who were brutally taped and murdered by gang memebers in a jouston ar. Following Cantu's initial instruction, Villarreal first shouted "Get on your knees, bitch!" Disclaimer: One of them bragged about having virgin blood on his underwear. Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pena, 16, were beaten, gang raped, and strangled in Houston, Texas. In 2005, President George W. Bush ordered hearings to be held. I'm going to show up to his parole. Jos Medelln was executed at 9:57 pm on August 5, 2008, after his last-minute appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court. Are ticket costs pricing Houston Astros fans out of Opening Day? Venancio Medelln, the brother of Jos Medelln, was 14 at the time of the murder, the same age as Jennifer Ertman. /O 74
Raul was an acquaintance of Efrain and was not known to the other gang members. CONTACT FILED: RANDY ERTMAN. Try again later. I have no good words left for President Bush. be a deterrent.". Venancio received a 40-year prison sentence. [5], Jos Medelln was executed at 9:57p.m. on August 5, 2008, after his last-minute appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. 0000004107 00000 n
Money can't stop gangs. The gang members stomped on both girls' throats to ensure their deaths. Mayor: HISD has two optionsclose school or be taken over, Meet the Astros prospect tearing up Spring Training, Report: Houston ranked No. /MediaBox [ 0 0 612 791 ]
She was thrown to the ground by gang members Peter Cantu and Derrick Sean O'Brien. "He never should have been breathing in the first place.". Ertman and Pea passed the gang and one member, Jos Medelln, attempted to grope and pinch one of Pea's breasts. Sean O' Brien, accused of rape and murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena, in courtroom for trial. Neither attempted to prevent the assaults or to inform the police. It's a saying you hear time and time again yet, time and time again, parents are made to bury their young children. 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. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. The juvenile pled guilty to his charge and his sentence will be reviewed when he turns 18, at which time he could be released. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Failed to delete memorial. [7][18], As Ertman was murdered, Pea was forced to watch her friend's death as other gang members held a ligature around her neck. [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. Thank you for doing this write up. [38], Seventeen years after the crimes, Peter Anthony Cantu was executed on August 17, 2010. The gang continued drinking and 'shooting the breeze' for some time and then decided to leave. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? 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. The families of both Ertman and Pea strongly favored the execution(s). Medelln said in a sworn statement that he learned that the Mexican consulate could assist him in 1997. 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. 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. [45] Michelle Lyons, a TDCJ official, said that Tropical Storm Edouard would likely not be a factor preventing the execution of Medelln.[46]. Medelln said in a sworn statement that he learned that the Mexican consulate could assist him in 1997. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. 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. They were kicked, teeth knocked out and hair pulled out and ribs broken. [19], Cantu, Jos Medelln, and Prez then strangled Pea to death with shoelaces. To use this feature, use a newer browser. She'd been raped and eviscerated. 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. interview with The Associated Press. [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. The families of both Ertman and Pea strongly favored the execution(s). By . We have set your language to I think it's the first really sickening and gut-wrenching crime I read about when I was young. The lethal injection was performed at 6:09 pm, and at 6:17 pm, Cantu was officially pronounced dead. . Elizabeth Pea (left) and Jennifer Ertman (right), Murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea. 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. Christina Almaraz hugs Elizabeth Pena's father Adolfo Pena after the execution of Peter Anthony Cantu at the Walls Unit in Huntsville, Texas. This is one that truly, truly haunts me. June 25, 1994: Family and friends of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena gather at T.C. [7] Before the murders, Houston officials had stated that gangs were not a significant issue in the city. Ertman's daughter Jennifer, 14, and her friend, 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena, were attacked June 24, 1993, by gang members as they walked home along White Oak Bayou. If you can live in this country for years illegally and then remember you did not get to talk to the Mexican Council general, it should be to damn bad. Waltrip High School has a memorial to the girls. I wondered that too. A major precedent was set at the end of Cantu's trial when Harmon allowed Ertman's father to address the convicted murderer. 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. Both had observed Pea and Ertmans' abduction, initial assault, and screams for help. I dont knowLaura Ingraham is talking aboutI think I first heard about it the other day from her. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Shoelaces were used to strangle Pena. The two were close friends, attended the same high school, lived in the same neighborhood, and enjoyed hanging . Cantu was the ringleader of five gang members who raped and killed the girls at a Houston park - a crime that horrified the city in 1993. The graves of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena are about 200 yards apart in Woodlawn Garden of Memories Cemetery. Medelln reported that he had killed a girl and noted that he would have found it easier with a gun. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab.