If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. You're welcome to hang with us anytime!" Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Venancio Medellin was part of a group that ambushed Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pena, 16, as they were walking near TC Jester on June 24, 1993. . 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. "This is. Try again later. [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. Learn more about merges. Six teenagers repeatedly raped, assaulted, then beat the girls to death, beyond recognition. Sources: Pure Murder by Corey Mitchell [7] Prez will become eligible for parole on October 10, 2029, while Villarreal will become eligible for parole on September 20, 2029.[27][28]. 0000009638 00000 n They are both buried at Woodlawn Garden of Memories Cemetery. [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. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Look, you're not even an animal," Ertman uttered in court. The rape and murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena rocks Houston. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers. pauline hanson dancing with the stars; just jerk dance members; what happens if a teacher gets a dui [5], Jos Medelln was executed at 9:57p.m. on August 5, 2008, after his last-minute appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. 0000008255 00000 n The two were best friends and had a beautiful, long life ahead of them. curfew. "Life without parole is a better alternative, both for society and better from the viewpoint of punishing the individuals," said Scott Cobb of the Texas Moratorium Network. Look at me good!". Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. >> You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Jennifer Latson of the Houston Chronicle said that the deaths of the girls "shook" the Oak Forest neighborhood of Houston "to its foundation. Both victims were badly decaying, and dental records were used for identification. Cantu has been on death row longer than his victims were alive. 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. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. [38], Seventeen years after the crimes, Peter Anthony Cantu was executed on August 17, 2010. [5] This location was approximately one mile from Pea's home. First published on August 17, 2010 / 5:39 PM. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? But not until an anonymous 911 call four days later were the bodies of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena finally recovered. Venancio Medelln, the brother of Jos Medelln, testified against 4 of the gang members. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Family members are now allowed to address the convicted, and victims' families now have the choice and right to view. /Rotate 0 You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Five others were convicted of capital murder in the case. You can always change this later in your Account settings. startxref You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. 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.' Courtesy photos Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Peter Anthony Cantu, shown at his 1994 trial, was the one who called . 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 Verify and try again. "He should have been hung outside the courthouse," Ertman said in an One night the words turned into acts. She was thrown to the ground by gang members Peter Cantu and Derrick Sean O'Brien. Where [are] you going?" When he finally faced death, Cantu made no apology and had no statement. / CBS News. 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. The 61-year-old died Monday, said Andy Kahan, a Houston crime victims advocate. to Ertman. 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. They expressed no regret or even a second thought at what they had done. 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. /ID [] The right of a defendant to talk with his or her consulate is specified in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations; the United States is a party to the convention, although the U.S. withdrew from compulsory jurisdiction in 1986 to accept the court's jurisdiction only on a case-by-case basis. 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. They were friends who attended the same high school in Houston, Texas, Waltrip High School. Medellin's brother, Jose, was put to death in 2008. Although only one of the brothers had fought Villarreal, both had left the initiation ceremony minutes before both girls were abducted. On June 24, 1993, Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea attended a pool party hosted by their friend, Gina Escamilla. at the time, got a 40-year sentence. They were kicked, teeth knocked out and hair pulled out and ribs broken. Of the six people convicted for the heinous crimes, five were sentenced to death. 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. trailer Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students. << << Blame the Federal Reserve. ", Death near for Ertman-Pea killer, but crime still shakes Houston. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Instead of remorse there was violence from Cantu. 76 0 R /F10 78 0 R /F11 80 0 R /F12 82 0 R /F13 84 0 R /F14 86 0 R >> >> There are multiple parking options available for those looking to attend the Houston Rodeo. Oops, we were unable to send the email. "It's been a long journey, and for the families an emotional roller coaster.". Elizabeth Christine Pena and Jennifer Ertman were friends who went to Waltrip High School in Houston. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Evidence showed Cantu kicked one of the girls in the face with his steel-toed boot. Family members linked to this person will appear here. 73 0 obj The parents of Ertman and Pe a could not be reached for comment. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Derrick O'Brien, belted to a gurney, looked through the death chamber Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Search above to list available cemeteries. This account has been disabled. /Filter /FlateDecode 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." 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. The attackers shouted obscenities at TV cameras when they were arrested and reportedly bragged of their crimes once in their jail cells. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. 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. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. She and her friend Elizabeth were students at Waltrip High School in Houston. ). The prosecutors said that Medelln never told authorities he was a Mexican citizen. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7053887/elizabeth-christine-pe%C3%B1a. /Length 166 [5][30], Before his execution, O'Brien expressed his regrets for his actions to the families of Pea and Ertman. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. /S 280 The Ertmans and Penas also witnessed the executions of three of their daughters' killers. [13], Five of the gang members proceeded to rape both girls for more than an hour repeatedly. "We're looking forward to Peter Cantu being executed so he can never murder or hurt anybody again," he said. [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. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Seven minutes later, O'Brien was dead. Jennifer's father made the drive here four years ago for the first execution. Their bodies were found four days later. "[20], Cantu dropped off Jos Medelln, Prez, and Villarreal at his residence, where he lived with his brother, Joe Cantu, and sister-in-law, Christina Cantu. Try again later. [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. Medelln gave both written and taped confessions. The Texas parole board denied parole on several occasions to Venancio Medellin, most recently in 2020. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Cantu's execution won't quite bring an end to the legal saga that followed. Add to your scrapbook. involvement "the worst mistake that I ever made in my whole life." Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Make sure that the file is a photo. 72 17 Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Wage growth is slowing. Now 35, Cantu declined requests for an interview. "Look at me. In June of 1993, the two girls stumbled across a gang initiation on White Oak Bayou. [5] Following Cantu's initial instruction, Villarreal first shouted, "Get on your knees, bitch!" The Ertmans and Penas are videotaping their protest for the parole board, in case they are not here in 18 years to protest in person. "He has matured remarkably," said Robin Norris, his appeals lawyer. concluded that Jennifer Ertman died from trauma to the neck which could include strangulation. GREAT NEWS! 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. An Orgy Of Violence At first, the teenage boys grabbed Elizabeth, while . 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. This suggested a lurking evil, omnipresent and inchoate. endobj Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? 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. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Weve updated the security on the site. There is a problem with your email/password. 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