Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. /CS1 [ /Pattern /DeviceGray ] /CS2 [ /Pattern /DeviceRGB ] >> /Font << /F9 No one came to witness on Cantu's behalf when he received his lethal injection. First published on August 17, 2010 / 5:39 PM. This is what happened to 14 year old Jennifer Ertman and 16 year old Elizabeth Pea. 0000004107 00000 n Even the police were stunned. Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena murders. [5] This location was approximately one mile from Pea's home. Ertman's daughter Jennifer, 14, and her friend, 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena, were attacked June 24, 1993, by. If they hung all five of them, that would /T 62444 He made a promise to their families. Six gang members were sentenced. Try again. Drag images here or select from your computer for Jennifer Lee Ertman memorial. In what police later would describe as a sadistic frenzy, the girls were gang-raped for more than an hour. Medelln gave both written and taped confessions. Home / Uncategorized / murders of jennifer ertman and elizabeth pena jose medellin Ertman rejected an invitation from Cantu's lawyer to come to his office and read a letter of apology from Cantu. O'Brien was pronounced dead at 6:19 p.m., seven minutes after the lethal drugs began. Try again later. 0000005760 00000 n Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. "I don't mean this in a gruesome 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. There was an error deleting this problem. ", Death near for Ertman-Pea killer, but crime still shakes Houston. Weve updated the security on the site. /Linearized 1 It was the same spot where, in 1993, 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman and 16-year-old Elizabeth Pea were raped, tortured and killed when they stumbled upon a late-night gang initiation. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. For the families, it is a fight they will take beyond the grave. 76 0 R /F10 78 0 R /F11 80 0 R /F12 82 0 R /F13 84 0 R /F14 86 0 R >> >> If it could show up at such a nondescript moment - teenagers unknown to each other passing in the night - perhaps no one's safety was more than an illusion. [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. 75 0 obj "Look at me. [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. When he finally faced death, Cantu made no apology and had no statement. He was the ringleader intheslayings, whichstruck a. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. He then apologized to his own family before he was executed by lethal injection. 0000008255 00000 n 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. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. For justice for my little girl," Elizabeth's father, Adolph Pena, said. Memorials to Ertman and Pea in TC Jester Park: In the background is the railroad bridge where the two were initially attacked. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. GREAT NEWS! [7] Before the murders, Houston officials had stated that gangs were not a significant issue in the city. Both repeatedly struggled against their abusers, with Pea on at least one occasion attempting to fight off her attackers by repeatedly kicking her legs, and Ertman biting her attackers. Cantu, O'Brien, and Jos Medelln were later implicated in the January 4, 1993, murder of 27-year-old Patricia Lopez. He then elaborated that he had raped both girls. "This was so senseless. Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena Murder. Elizabeth's father said he was not surprised. Add to your scrapbook. GREAT NEWS! << He received a 40-year prison sentence, the maximum for a juvenile, for the sexual assault of Jennifer Ertman. Both girls were strangled to death. The girls' bodies were found decomposing in the . Waltrip High School has a memorial to the girls. The rape and murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena rocks Houston. The gang of attackers had showed up at his house after the killings. Corey Mitchell's book "Pure Murder," which details the story of the killings of Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman, 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. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students. Their bodies were found four days later. when they committed their crimes. 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 will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. IMDb is the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. Fugitive in $18 million COVID fraud scheme extradited to U.S. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. interview with The Associated Press. 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. Houston was stunned when Cantu and his gang were arrested. All Rights Reserved. Oops, something didn't work. Although only one of the brothers had fought Villarreal, both had left the initiation ceremony minutes before both girls were abducted. [5] Following Cantu's initial instruction, Villarreal first shouted, "Get on your knees, bitch!" Of the six people convicted for the heinous crimes, five were sentenced to death. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. 72 0 obj Medelln reported that he had killed a girl, and noted that he would have found it easier with a gun. 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. Christina Cantu questioned why Villarreal was bleeding, and Prez had a bloody shirt. 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. 0000000809 00000 n Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. 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. 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. O'Brien was videotaped smiling at the scene of the crime. Their bodies were found four days later. The medical examiner corroborated that the cause of death was strangulation. They were kicked, teeth knocked out and hair pulled out and ribs broken. August 17, 2010 / 5:39 PM Jennifer Ertman also had three fractured ribs. 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. Blame the Federal Reserve. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Learn more about merges. Blame the Federal Reserve. HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A former gang member convicted for his role in the brutal murder of two Houston teens has been denied parole, according to the Harris County District Attorney's Office. For justice. 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. [7] Before the murders, Houston officials had stated that gangs were not a significant issue in the city. 0 cemeteries found in Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers. /Filter /FlateDecode In July, the World Court ordered a stay of Medelln's execution. Try again later. [45] Michelle Lyons, a TDCJ official, said that Tropical Storm Edouard would likely not be a factor preventing the execution of Medelln.[46]. [11][n 1], Ertman could've easily run to escape at this point but ran to help her friend. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Their killers were soon rounded upa brutal, unrepentant gang of teenage boys whose convictions should have put them behind bars for life. August 18, 2010 / 12:40 PM Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? 74 0 obj Cantu's mother, sometimes absent, appeared unconcerned when school officials or authorities showed up to discuss his behavior. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Jester Park in northwest Houston. Notice: This memorial is being managed in abeyance until a proper manager requests control of the memorial. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. 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. HUNTSVILLE, Texas (CBS/KHOU) Murderer Peter Anthony Cantu was executed by the state of Texas Tuesday evening. /O 74 Both girls were strangled to death. /OutputBin 7 The graves of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena are about 200 yards apart in Woodlawn Garden of Memories Cemetery. The prosecutors said that Medelln never told authorities that he was a Mexican citizen. FROM 2018: How brutal killings of 2 Houston teens changed Texas justice. Mexican-born Jose Medellin, 33, with needles in Try again later. Court appeals to delay the punishment appeared exhausted. / CBS News. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Five others were convicted of capital murder in the case. What would I tell them? Cantu is the last of three men scheduled to die by lethal injection for the June 1993 murders of 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman and 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena (AP). The families of both Ertman and Pea strongly favored the execution(s). AP. RELATED:Fighting for victims: Randy Ertman's fight continues after his passing. 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. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Elizabeth Christine Pea I found on Findagrave.com. Jester Park. Search above to list available cemeteries. Join us as we discuss this heinous attack. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Jester Park. She then attempted to flee. Family members linked to this person will appear here. She and her friend Elizabeth were students at Waltrip High School in Houston. Shortly thereafter, he held a beer aloft, proclaiming things were to be great. 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". Please reset your password. This is a carousel. The deaths of teenagers Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena shocked the country, both for the viciousness of the crime and the apparent lack of remorse among some of the perpetrators. [23] Both bodies had significantly decomposed, and dental records were used for identification. There was an error deleting this problem. Learn more about managing a memorial . Sources: Pure Murder by Corey Mitchell Please try again later. They were crossing a railroad bridge when the gang, drinking beer and initiating a new member, spotted them. At home, nothing appeared to constrain him. English Death penalty opponents protested the impending execution. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Venancio Medellin has been denied parole five times. Neither attempted to prevent the assaults or to inform the police. A red nylon belt, with an attacker tugging at each end, was pulled so tightly around Ertman's neck the belt snapped. Venancio Medelln, the brother of Jos Medelln, testified against 4 of the gang members. Sorry! . 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 parents of the murder victims successfully advocated for the State of Texas allowing relatives of victims to have permission to witness executions. 0000004381 00000 n Put a needle in her arm and just go to sleep. Courtesy photos Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Peter Anthony Cantu, shown at his 1994 trial, was the one who called . Jennifer Ertman, left, and Elizabeth Pea both attended Waltrip High School. [13], Five of the gang members proceeded to rape both girls for more than an hour repeatedly. Four days later, when searchers finally found Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena, their bodies were unrecognizable. 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. MORE ON CRIMESIDERAugust 17, 2010 - Peter Anthony Cantu Execution: Mastermind of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena Murders to Die, First published on August 18, 2010 / 12:40 PM. The lethal injection was performed at 6:09 p.m. By 6:17 p.m. Cantu was pronounced dead. 0000000017 00000 n She was thrown to the ground by gang members Peter Cantu and Derrick Sean O'Brien. Outside the girls' school, Waltrip High, death penalty opponents were calling for a halt to all executions in Texas. 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. HOUSTON - State officials have denied parole for Venancio Medellin, the youngest of six gang members convicted of the vicious rapes and murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena in 1993. Four days after the murders, the girls' bodies were found in the park during hot weather conditions. At first, Pea desperately attempted to appease her abusers as she wept, offering her phone number so they could "get together". O'Brien was videotaped smiling at the scene of the crime. Thanks for your help! Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. The 2008 execution of one of the perpetrators, Jos Medelln . 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. 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. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Try again later. endobj Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. trailer Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? "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. The 61-year-old died Monday, said Andy Kahan, a Houston crime victims advocate. << To save time, they took a shortcut that led along railroad tracks near T.C. to Ertman. The families of both Ertman and Pea strongly favored the execution(s). Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. 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 . Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Cantu had been troubled and violent since his early youth. We love them and miss them," Adolph Pena said. [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. The architect of their deaths will pay with his own life Tuesday evening. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Their bodies were found but since this was in the Summer in texas their badies were in terrible shape after 4 days. Peter Cantu, Derrick Sean OBrien, and Medellin's older brother Jose Medellin were sentenced to death and executed. 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Garland to face Congress amid ongoing special counsel investigations, FBI chief says agency feels pandemic likely started with Chinese lab leak. Medellin has been denied parole five times now. 0000003012 00000 n xc```b``^dL`c@ >f(T0Fk^350QxA]gY=kfNy-3&00xLd$OexQ8 9L-K~p800.m``:Q *R << Cantu, Jos Medelln, and Prez then strangled Pea to death with shoelaces. Texas Tuesday evening he finally faced death, Cantu made no apology and had no.... More numbers or special characters this memorial is being managed in abeyance until a proper manager requests control the. Arm and just go to sleep related: Fighting for victims: Randy Ertman neck! Or the Close button to Close the carousel fight they will take beyond grave! The Park during hot weather conditions that gangs were not a significant issue in January. Apology and had no statement of Medelln 's execution images here or select from your computer for Lee... A gun that he had raped both girls for more than an hour repeatedly be merged families! This was in the background is the railroad bridge when the gang members good at figuring things.! 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A grave photo that will fulfill this request a girl, '' Adolph said... Of a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the ground by gang members Peter and. She was thrown to the ground by gang members Peter Cantu and Derrick O'Brien!