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." Governor Rick Perry argued that Texas is not bound to World Court rulings. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. On death row, Cantu, now 35, was classified among the best-behaving inmates. Drag images here or select from your computer for Jennifer Lee Ertman memorial. [7] Prez will become eligible for parole on October 10, 2029, while Villarreal will become eligible for parole on September 20, 2029.[27][28]. 0000004381 00000 n Wage growth is slowing. GREAT NEWS! "I told him to stick it. "No one who was there will forget it," Kahan said. It was a case that shaped Andy Kahan as the newly-appointed crime victim's advocate for the city. /Pages 63 0 R 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. /Linearized 1 Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. The architect of their deaths will pay with his own life Tuesday evening. 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. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. The parents of the murder victims successfully advocated for the State of Texas allowing relatives of victims to have permission to witness executions. This location was approximately one mile from Pea's home. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. When the teacher told Cantu the trouble he would get into for such a thing, he said he didn't care. The. were 17 when the girls were killed were spared the death penalty when And Cantu's brother, upset at the gang's gloating about having fun with the girls, called police. 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. Christina Cantu questioned why Villarreal was bleeding and Prez had a bloody shirt. WASHINGTON The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday to consider whether one of the six killers of Houston teenagers Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea should escape execution because he was . Hell, no.". /PageMode /UseNone We have set your language to Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. To use this feature, use a newer browser. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Verify and try again. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? The Ertmans and Penas also witnessed the executions of three of their daughters' killers. /Info 70 0 R << As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. 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. curfew. If they hung all five of them, that would Shortly thereafter, he held a beer aloft, proclaiming things were to be great. [1], Although the girls were just over one year in age difference, both sets of parents approved of their friendship, with Pea's father viewing Ertmana modest girl who had only recently begun experimenting with makeupas a "positive influence" on his daughter, later recollecting that, shortly after the two became friends at Waltrip High School, Pea "just straightened up her act" following a brief streak of teenage rebellion in his daughter before her 1992 enrollment at the school. 73 0 obj Ertman, however, doesn't agree with that viewpoint. Randy Ertman's fiery red hair is gray, and now Cantu is dead. He was 35 and had lived on death row longer than his victims were alive. 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. This prompted Medelln to say the gang "had fun" and that details would appear on the news. Four days later, when searchers finally found Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea, their bodies were unrecognizable. Look at me good!". [32] He petitioned the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 1998 regarding this issue; the appeal failed. [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. What would I tell them? 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. Elizabeth Pena's body was similarly . Medelln gave both written and taped confessions. Shoelaces were used to strangle Pena. He threatened to kill security guards at the alternative school he periodically attended. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. /PageLayout /SinglePage 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. In: Mangino, Matthew T. This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 03:48. Instead, they stumbled on to a gang initiation and they were tortured, assaulted and killed. 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. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. [5], Jos Medelln was executed at 9:57p.m. on August 5, 2008, after his last-minute appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court. pauline hanson dancing with the stars; just jerk dance members; what happens if a teacher gets a dui This is a carousel with slides. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. She was then forced to remove her underwear. Family and friends gathered at the park this weekend to pay tribute to a pair of lives lost and the impact they had on criminal justice policy. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Courtesy photos Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Peter Anthony Cantu, shown at his 1994 trial, was the one who called . Seventeen years after the crimes, Peter Anthony Cantu was executed on August 17, 2010. Wage growth is slowing. Medellin has been denied parole five times now. He made a promise to their families. /Type /Catalog 25 years after the murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena. "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. 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. HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- Randy Ertman . Family members linked to this person will appear here. Three were executed, and the rest are still in prison. Six anonymous teens stoked on alcohol and testosterone needed only an hour or so to make their mark on the city. /Root 73 0 R The annual Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo is no fun and games if you don't have a ticket. As a general rule, immediate family members, grandparents, and other close family members can request and will be transferred management of the memorial. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Venancio Medellin has been denied parole five times. 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.". For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. He also worked with former State District Judge Bill Harmon, who presided over the trial, to allow Randy Ertman to address Cantu immediately before sentence was pronounced.Victim impact statements, now commonplace, were all but unheard-of until Ertman was given leave to speak to Cantu in open court. /OpenAction 71 0 R He then elaborated that he had raped both girls. Jennifer was a victim of homicide. The gang members then stomped on both girls' throats to ensure their deaths. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Try again later. This was something more than the danger inherent in big-city life. Their bodies were found four days after they were murdered. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Medelln said in a sworn statement that he learned that the Mexican consulate could assist him in 1997. Learn more about managing a memorial . All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Jennifer Ertman, left, and Elizabeth Pea both attended Waltrip High School. Failed to remove flower. Jester Park. Peter Anthony Cantu, Jos Ernesto Medelln, Derrick Sean O'Brien, Efrain Prez, and Raul Omar Villarreal received death sentences. I hope you rot in hell.". way, but if they want to make the death penalty a deterrent, up in When the police followed this suggestion, they found the badly decaying bodies of Jenny and Elizabeth. As previously stated, Jennifer Louise Ertman who was born on August 15, 1978, and Elizabeth Christine Pena who was born on June 21, 1977 were both raped and killed on June 24, 1993. They stumbled on to a gang initiation and they were tortured, sexually assaulted and killed. Medelln reported that he had killed a girl and noted that he would have found it easier with a gun. [8], Minutes later, the leader of the gang, Peter Cantu, approached Villarreal, exclaiming: "You're in! The families of both Ertman and Pea strongly favored the execution(s). Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. The girls were raped and murdered by the gang members in a field near T.C. Three were executed, and the rest are still in prison. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Huntsville Unit prison. "Peter A. Cantu, Texas Executed August 17" (Chapter 35). Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena were raped, tortured and murdered by gang members while walking near TC Jester on June 24, 1993. O'Brien was videotaped smiling at the scene of the crime. English In response, Medelln stated: "No, baby! Consider that their case wasn't known by the names of their killers, but their names, and that those who loved them will tell you is as it should be. 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. 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. /Parent 64 0 R "Why do I watch? No crime in modern Houston history has resonated like this one, Kahan said. At first, Pea desperately attempted to appease her abusers as she wept, offering her phone number so they could "get together". [47] Medellin is scheduled to be released in 2034. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. / CBS News. Both victims were badly decaying, and dental records were used for identification. Sorry! Governor Rick Perry argued that Texas is not bound to World Court rulings. endobj The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Jester Park.[43]. 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. xc```b``^dL`c@ >f(T0Fk^350QxA]gY=kfNy-3&00xLd$OexQ8 9L-K~p800.m``:Q *R The girls were grabbed, repeatedly raped, then strangled, beaten and stomped beyond recognition. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Houston was stunned when Cantu and his gang were arrested. C.E. Add to your scrapbook. 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. In that case, a 27-year-old woman was found at a Houston park with her throat cut. The case was also notable in that the state of Texas rejected attempts by the International Court of Justice to halt several perpetrators' executions. Jester Park looks much the same as it did 25 years ago, but there's an addition of two park benches in honor of two friends who died here in 1993. [5][30], Before his execution, O'Brien expressed his regrets for his actions to the families of Pea and Ertman. "He's a guy who fully accepts his responsibility.". /Resources << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI ] /ColorSpace << The murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena have had an impact on victim's rights in Texas still felt 25 years after their deaths. Realizing that the girls would be capable of identifying them, Peter Cantu, the leader of the gang, ordered the members to kill the girls. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Jennifer Lee Ertman I found on Findagrave.com. endstream /Length 166 Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. concluded that Jennifer Ertman died from trauma to the neck which could include strangulation. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Weve updated the security on the site. 0000006863 00000 n Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. >> 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. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. The teens were killed in TC Jester Park as part of a gang initiation Ertman Pena Fol. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? 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. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. As a general rule, immediate family members, grandparents, and other close family members can request and will be transferred management of the memorial. One of the gang members grabbed Pena. 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. By coincidence, a handful of teenagers who had just completed a boozy, fight-filled gang initiation ritual noticed their shadowy figures. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Medelln reported that he had killed a girl, and noted that he would have found it easier with a gun. /E 11282 Their bodies were found four days later. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. He petitioned the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 1998 regarding this issue; the appeal failed. 0000000931 00000 n 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. The 2008 execution of one of the perpetrators, Jos Medelln . [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. This prompted Medelln to say the gang "had fun" and that details would appear on the news. 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