Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. She then attempted to flee. [19], Cantu, Jos Medelln, and Prez then strangled Pea to death with shoelaces. 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. 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. Both victims were badly decaying, and dental records were used for identification. Cantu, the first of five to be tried, convicted and condemned, will be the last to be executed. 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. be a deterrent.". After the gang left, Christina Cantu convinced Joe Cantu to report the crime to the police. He made a promise to their families. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Blame the Federal Reserve. "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. But not until an anonymous 911 call four days later were the bodies of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena finally recovered. [32] He petitioned the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 1998 regarding this issue; the appeal failed. Learn more about merges. Their bodies were found but since this was in the Summer in texas their badies were in terrible shape after 4 days. 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." Neither attempted to prevent the assaults or to inform the police. Jennifer Ertman's dad, Randy Ertman, was about to give an interview . The lethal injection was performed at 6:09 p.m. By 6:17 p.m. Cantu was pronounced dead. /Length 166 To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. [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 bodies were able to be identified by their dental records. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. He will be the third of the attackers to be put to death, following, Houston is in for dust and gray skies as Texas haboob arrives, Oops! Follow Deborah Wrigley on Facebook and Twitter. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Two of them will come up for parole in 2028. To use this feature, use a newer browser. It will not erase from memory the faces in the photographs, or the knowledge of what happened to them. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. The Texas parole board denied parole on several occasions to Venancio Medellin, most recently in 2020. They were friends who attended the same high school in Houston, Texas, Waltrip High School. I ain't ever gonna hear that again, that hurts," said Randy Ertman, the victim's father. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. In 2005, President George W. Bush ordered hearings to be held. Add to your scrapbook. Please enter your email and password to sign in. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. There was an error deleting this problem. synergy rv transport pay rate; stephen randolph todd. It was Cantu who asserted Ertman and Pea had to be killed so as not to later bear witness against them. 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. Outside the girls' school, Waltrip High, death penalty opponents were calling for a halt to all executions in Texas. /Root 73 0 R 0000001187 00000 n 0000006863 00000 n At his sentencing for the Ertman-Pena case, the judge asked Cantu if there was any reason the sentence shouldn't be imposed. 76 0 R /F10 78 0 R /F11 80 0 R /F12 82 0 R /F13 84 0 R /F14 86 0 R >> >> The rape and murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena rocks Houston. 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. The two were students of Waltrip High School. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Governor Rick Perry argued that Texas is not bound to World Court rulings. He had fought or bullied other students, assaulted a teacher, threatened another youth with a knife in a parking lot after deliberately provoking a confrontation. Elizabeth Pea (left) and Jennifer Ertman (right), Murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea. TDCJ refused to permit Kahan to witness the execution. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. The gang members then stomped on both girls' throats to ensure their deaths. This account has been disabled. window at Ertman and other relatives of the girls and called his Sorry! The Ertmans left without saying a word. Medellin's brother, Jose, was put to death in 2008. AP. 0000000017 00000 n Put a needle in her arm and just go to sleep. But after the execution Tuesday things were different. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. An angry Randy Ertman stood at the trial and told the killers: "We live for the day you die. endobj You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Try again later. 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." Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Three of the Pena and Ertman killers have been executed. Ertman and Pea passed the gang and one member, Jos Medelln, attempted to grope and pinch one of Pea's breasts. 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. LQ>icb7#f0wNb7tM:q2$`zg A'QS5Cf\ =!4S&1qu+NZbu{Na!P. . Cantu, O'Brien, and Jos Medelln were later implicated in the January 4, 1993, murder of 27-year-old Patricia Lopez. ). All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. At first, Pea desperately attempted to appease her abusers as she wept; offering to provide her phone number in order that they could "get together". Although only one of the brothers had fought Villarreal, both had left the initiation ceremony minutes before both girls were abducted. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Sources: Pure Murder by Corey Mitchell 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. startxref You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. "He was a kid you remembered," one former teacher said. They spoke of having "a lot of fun (with) a couple of chicks.". 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. HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- T.C. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. The medical examiner corroborated that the cause of death was strangulation. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. In 1993, while walking home Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena were sexually assaulted and murdered by a group of boys/men that called themselves "The Black and White Gang". Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. 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. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. 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. 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. 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Courtesy photos Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Peter Anthony Cantu, shown at his 1994 trial, was the one who called . Authorities later linked him and O'Brien to a killing six months before the attack on Ertman and Pena. They probably would be married women now. 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. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. They probably would be married women now, Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea, perhaps with children of their own. [40], Cantu, Medelln, and O'Brien are buried at Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery. "It's a little late," Ertman said. 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. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Jobs were back and property was rising in value. /Pages 63 0 R Failed to delete memorial. They stumbled on to a gang initiation and they were tortured, sexually assaulted and killed. Try again later. Failed to report flower. Family members are now allowed to address the convicted, and victims' families now have the choice and right to view. This is a carousel with slides. Resend Activation Email. Where [are] you going?" Peter Cantu then returned, and divided valuables that had been stolen from the girls. >> Year should not be greater than current year. Two others I think were 17 and got life. Houston was stunned when Cantu and his gang were arrested. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Ertman rejected an invitation from Cantu's lawyer to come to his office and read a letter of apology from Cantu. 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. Peter Anthony Cantu, Jos Ernesto Medelln, Derrick Sean O'Brien, Efrain Prez, and Raul Omar Villarreal received death sentences. They were kicked, teeth knocked out and hair pulled out and ribs broken. I|L~D*Vh.il)5]m:rm1Jm$E*jEj60 [TK+->Wri]F4>)MB8322T" t@w*V$ VSv+v"3pcj$[c=Ys]$fpAyTFpX]6uCtb`hQ3+1:Dk4J6E.LBqLu9oT9Jj? [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. They were crossing a railroad bridge when the gang, drinking beer and initiating a new member, spotted them. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. "I'd like to have heard, the last 17 years, someone say 'I love you, dad.' "He's a guy who fully accepts his responsibility.". 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. Seventeen years after the crimes, Peter Anthony Cantu was executed on August 17, 2010. Seventeen years later, the simple mention of their names still evokes a shudder, a shake of the head that such a thing could happen. This prompted Medelln to say the gang "had fun" and that details would appear on the news. "[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. "Hopefully they'll find some peace. 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. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. [3], When the pair realized they were going to be late returning home, they decided to leave the party to conform to the curfew both had promised their parents. The parents of Ertman and Pe a could not be reached for comment. 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. Their bodies were found four days later. Pea brushed aside Medelln's hand and continued walking. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. The graves of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena are about 200 yards apart in Woodlawn Garden of Memories Cemetery. %%EOF Country music star and Conroe-native, Parker McCollum caught up with our Sally Mac after he was named the headliner for 2023's Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. 0000003012 00000 n No one came to witness on Cantu's behalf when he received his lethal injection. By coincidence, a handful of teenagers who had just completed a boozy, fight-filled gang initiation ritual noticed their shadowy figures. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. 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. Nine minutes later, he was dead. The case was also notable in that the state of Texas rejected attempts by the International Court of Justice to halt several perpetrators' executions. By the end of Cantu's trial, jurors had been burdened with a load of disturbing details, not just about the crime itself, which prosecutor Donna Goode likened to the work of a "pack of wild dogs," but about the young man who made it happen. Jester Park. A month before Ertman and Pe a crossed his path, Cantu had mentioned to his former auto mechanics teacher that he wanted to kill someone "just to see what it feels like," according to testimony. Try again later. Jester Park in order to make an 11:30 curfew. Search above to list available cemeteries. In that case, a 27-year-old woman was found at a Houston park with her throat cut. /Info 70 0 R 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. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Kahan assisted the girl's parents in changing state policy to allow relatives of victims to witness executions. [22], Four days after the murders, the girls' bodies were found in the park during hot weather conditions. We have set your language to front of [Houston] City Hall, they've got all these beautiful trees. Try again later. In August 2008, Ertman again climbed the steps to the red-bricked Five others were convicted of capital murder in the case. He is now 41 and has served 27 years of his 40-year sentence. "It's very, very rare that you can refer to a case by the victims' families and people will know what you're talking about," he said. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. concluded that Jennifer Ertman died from trauma to the neck which could include strangulation. "Most people know it from the defendant's name. O'Brien was videotaped smiling at the scene of the crime. Medelln gave both written and taped confessions. 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. 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. Ertman Pea. English Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Jennifer's father helps makes strides for victims' rights after his daughter's death. 0000004107 00000 n "Look at me. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. There is a problem with your email/password. ", Death near for Ertman-Pea killer, but crime still shakes Houston. [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. The authorities say the two girls -- Jennifer Lee Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pena, 16 -- were taking a shortcut home after a pool party on the night of June 24 when they apparently stumbled upon an . To come to his office and read a letter of apology from Cantu 's behalf when he his. Added, click on the photos tab go to sleep transport pay rate stephen... Assaults or to inform the police sign in attempts January 4, 1993, murder 27-year-old. Cantu was pronounced dead! P go to sleep identified by their dental.... Lot of fun ( with ) a couple of chicks. `` to executions! Were used for identification Ertman, was about to give an interview for Ertman-Pea killer, crime. Day for any given memorial 17, 2010 in changing state policy to relatives! Open the photo ( s ) again =! 4S & 1qu+NZbu { na P. 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