Jester Park. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Jennifer Latson of the Houston Chronicle said that the deaths of the girls "shook" the Oak Forest neighborhood of Houston "to its foundation. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Neither attempted to prevent the assaults or to inform the police. GREAT NEWS! Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- T.C. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. This prompted Medelln to say the gang "had fun" and that details would appear on the news. Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman were friends who went to Waltrip High School in Houston. 0 cemeteries found in Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. endobj There are multiple parking options available for those looking to attend the Houston Rodeo. The graves of Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman are about 200 yards apart in Woodlawn Garden of Memories Cemetery. Try again later. /ID [] Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. 0000009638 00000 n This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "Look at me. of Criminal Justice), How Alaska became one of fentanyl's deadliest frontiers, Pennsylvania police seized gloves, flashlight from home of Idaho murders suspect, Where things stand in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial. In June of 1993, the two girls stumbled across a gang initiation on White Oak Bayou. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Ertman tried to help. In July, the World Court ordered a stay of Medelln's execution. stream In response to accusations from anti-death penalty advocates that the death penalty 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. 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. /Prev 62433 He then apologized to his own family before he was executed by lethal injection. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. [33], Medelln's impending execution became an international controversy since the state did not hold a hearing about whether the inability of Medelln to meet with Mexican consular officials harmed his defense. Ogg personally signed a letter to the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole protesting any possible release earlier this year. murders of jennifer ertman and elizabeth pena jose medellin murders of jennifer ertman and elizabeth pena jose medellin Posted at 01:41h in to avoid accidents, a defensive driver should by FROM 2018: How brutal killings of 2 Houston teens changed Texas justice. Serious crime was still a problem, but the overall trends looked good. Family members are now allowed to address the convicted, and victims' families now have the choice and right to view the execution of their perpetrators. When he finally faced death, Cantu made no apology and had no statement. Their bodies were found four days after they were murdered. 0000000017 00000 n Follow Deborah Wrigley on Facebook and Twitter. Oops, something didn't work. Their bodies were found four days later. [11][n 1], Ertman could've easily run to escape at this point but ran to help her friend. He then elaborated that he had raped both girls. 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. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? /Pages 63 0 R This account has been disabled. No one came to witness on Cantu's behalf when he received his lethal injection. 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Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 0000005484 00000 n / CBS News. Learn more about managing a memorial . "Most people know it from the defendant's name. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Notice: This memorial is being managed in abeyance until a proper manager requests control of the memorial. Three officers shot, standoff follows in Kansas City, Mo., police say, Vanessa Bryant, family settles claims over Kobe crash site photos for $28.5M, Peter Anthony Cantu (AP Photo/Texas Dept. They were friends who attended the same high school in Houston, Texas, Waltrip High School. A system error has occurred. The architect of their deaths will pay with his own life Tuesday evening. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? /Length 166 There is a problem with your email/password. Fugitive in $18 million COVID fraud scheme extradited to U.S. August 17, 2010 - Peter Anthony Cantu Execution: Mastermind of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena Murders to Die. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. For the families, it is a fight they will take beyond the grave. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. 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.". 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. . >> In: Mangino, Matthew T. This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 03:48. All those believed responsible were ultimately arrested. First published on August 17, 2010 / 5:39 PM. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. There was an error deleting this problem. You can always change this later in your Account settings. The case forced a change in state police. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Ertman's daughter Jennifer, 14, and her friend, 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena, were attacked June 24, 1993, by. [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. 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. 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. Verify and try again. Elizabeth's father said he was not surprised. Jennifer's father made the drive here four years ago for the first execution. 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. Villarreal then sat alongside the other gang members, relaxing, talking, trading insults and compliments, and drinking beer. % August 17, 2010 / 5:39 PM The murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea, two teenage girls from Houston, Texas, occurred on June 24, 1993.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.. Try again later. 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. Pea brushed aside Medelln's hand and continued walking. In 2005, President George W. Bush ordered hearings to be held. Learn more about managing a memorial . "We can't go back and change what happened to your family, but we can change for others who come along, and we'll leave a lasting legacy for your daughters that will last for eternity," Kahan said. /Contents [ 75 0 R ] A tip led authorities to the bodies. /H [ 931 256 ] . All Rights Reserved. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. 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. Those who lived near his home in Houston Heights described him as a nightmare neighbor - loud, obnoxious, rude and uncaring - and spoke of large groups of young men his age who would gather at the home when no adults were around. Three were executed, and the rest are still in prison. Failed to delete memorial. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. [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. This browser does not support getting your location. Four days after the murders, the girls' bodies were found in the park during hot weather conditions. Corey Mitchell's book "Pure Murder," which details the story of the killings, was released in 2008 and became a best seller. Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena were raped, tortured and murdered by gang members while walking near TC Jester on June 24, 1993. The two were best friends and had a beautiful, long life ahead of them. "Assuming everything goes as we hope it goes on Tuesday, that chapter of that book for the Ertmans and Pe as will be forever done," said Andy Kahan, the former head of the Mayor's Crime Victims office, who now holds a similar position with the Houston Police Department. Weve updated the security on the site. Peter Anthony Cantu, Jos Ernesto Medelln, Derrick Sean O'Brien, Efrain Prez, and Raul Omar Villarreal received death sentences. The families of both Ertman and Pea strongly favored the execution(s). After the gang left, Christina Cantu convinced Joe Cantu to report the crime to the police. 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. We have set your language to /L 64011 Prior to his execution, O'Brien expressed his regrets for his actions to the families of Pea and Ertman. 0000000931 00000 n Jos Medelln got a ring with an "E," so he could give it to his girlfriend, Esther. On the night of June 24, 1993 -. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. This case galvanized the residents of Houston. Ertman, however, doesn't agree with that viewpoint. Cantu, Jos Medelln, and Prez then strangled Pea to death with shoelaces. C.E. She'd been raped and eviscerated. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. 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. This is a carousel with slides. The 61-year-old died Monday, said Andy Kahan, a Houston crime victims advocate. Please reset your password. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). If they hung all five of them, that would This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. The rape and murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena rocks Houston. Shoelaces were used to strangle Pena. [47] Medellin is scheduled to be released in 2034. 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. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. front of [Houston] City Hall, they've got all these beautiful trees. Put a needle in her arm and just go to sleep. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. << After the gang left, Christina Cantu convinced Joe Cantu to report the crime to police. But Elizabeth's desperate cries brought Jennifer back to help her best friend. Failed to remove flower. [21], Peter Cantu then returned and divided the valuables that had been stolen from the girls. On June 24, 1993, Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea attended a pool party hosted by their friend, Gina Escamilla. Of the six people convicted for the heinous crimes, five were sentenced to death. There was a problem getting your location. xc```b``^dL`c@ >f(T0Fk^350QxA]gY=kfNy-3&00xLd$OexQ8 9L-K~p800.m``:Q *R Cameras caught Cantu cuffed and escorted by two officers still trying to kick news photographers. [38], Seventeen years after the crimes, Peter Anthony Cantu was executed on August 17, 2010. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. /N 31 Venancio received a 40-year prison sentence. ", It also had other ramifications. [5], Jos Medelln was executed at 9:57p.m. on August 5, 2008, after his last-minute appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Cantu's execution won't quite bring an end to the legal saga that followed. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Kahan, who had become close to the families, said Ertman's bellicose rebuke was an inevitable culmination of eight exhausting months and five trials filled with gruesome details of his daughter's death. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. [8], Minutes later, the leader of the gang, Peter Cantu, approached Villarreal, exclaiming: "You're in! [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. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Now 35, Cantu declined requests for an interview. Courtesy photos Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Peter Anthony Cantu, shown at his 1994 trial, was the one who called . Three officers shot, standoff follows in Kansas City, Mo., police say, Vanessa Bryant, family settles claims over Kobe crash site photos for $28.5M, Peter Anthony Cantu (AP Photo/Dept. 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. There is a problem with your email/password. Elizabeth Christine Pea (June 21, 1977 June 24, 1993) and Jennifer Lee Ertman (August 15, 1978 June 24, 1993) were close friends who both attended Waltrip High School. In July, the World Court ordered a stay of Medelln's execution. Even the police were stunned. HUNTSVILLE, Texas --The State of Texas executed Peter Cantu Tuesday evening for the brutal murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena. In response, Cantu repeatedly kicked the girl in her face and body, dislodging three of her teeth and fracturing several ribs. Medellin has been denied parole five times now. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. The families of both Ertman and Pea strongly favored the execution(s). >> You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Failed to report flower. Outside the girls' school, Waltrip High, death penalty opponents were calling for a halt to all executions in Texas. "He has matured remarkably," said Robin Norris, his appeals lawyer. [45] Michelle Lyons, a TDCJ official, said that Tropical Storm Edouard would likely not be a factor preventing the execution of Medelln.[46]. 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