Matjeka typed her answers into a computer. Of course she did. I could mail out 50 letters and not one of them would [get a response] back, said Elizabeth, who scoured medical and legal textbooks in the prison library and spent nearly all of her commissary money on stamps. Thank you for using this website. It was the first day of testimony in a hearing involving Stephanie Limon Martinez, 25, and her husband, Joseph Martinez, 29, who both believe the accusations against them are in retaliation. The prosecutions expert witness was a doctor named Nancy Kellogg, who estimated that she had examined roughly 3,500 sexual assault victims, most of them children. He went back inside as everyone exhaled. Elizabeth, who had recently turned 20, climbed into his unmarked police car. Morales stands accused of allegedly orchestrating the August 2014 murder of Javier Limon, who the prosecution claims was killed over unpaid drug debts to gang members. Anna Vasquez, recently released on parole, speaks at a Work-In-Progress screening of "San Antonio Four" a documentary by Deborah S. Esquenazi, about Vasquez and three of her friends, who are still in prison, found guilty of sexual assault of two minors. She recorded a second phone call with Morales, and in that same call, Morales still denied any involvement, she testified. The next day, the fish died and they returned it. In September 2015, Morris texted Alejandre, telling her to show up to court for her drug possession for sale charges, along with special gang enhancements, she testified. Anna, right, is greeted by Gloria Herrera, mother of Elizabeth Ramirez who is still in prison. Little Liz! Her father had left, but the rest of Elizabeths large familythree brothers, two sisterswas tight and affectionate. A version of this story ran in the January 2014 issue. VL claimed that the court reporter must have incorrectly taken down her remarks at Elizabeths trial. She knew by then she was either going to accept my lifestyle, or I wasnt going to be a part of her life, Elizabeth said. She warned her daughter not to take care of Javiers daughters. I want my babies back, she said, crying. As Elizabeths mother, Gloria, remembers it, her daughter handed over the letters from Javier and said, Mom, hes after me. Gloria invited Javier out to breakfast and confronted him. I thought you said that if youre gay and you were friends, thats a gay relationship?, No. Subscribe now to get the latest news delivered right to your inbox. In her original statement to police, there had been no gun, but now there was one. Her older niece hadnt acted the way she expected. Elizabeth told him about Javier, about her trial, and about the guilt she felt for her friends prison sentences. Vasquez's story could have happened to anyone, just as it did to her 19-year-old self, fresh out of high school. They also wouldnt face sex offender restrictions. Limon was the boyfriend of Ramirez's sister at the time. No, Elizabeth said. Originally the most reticent of the four, Anna became their spokeswoman. She spoke confidently, her voice cracking a little when she talked about Kristie, Cassie and Anna, and her son. But as he scanned articles on the Internet, there was one case that didnt fit the pattern. Elizabeth Ramirez is in the Hobby Unit in Marlin, Texas, September 5, 2012. Now Kristie had been at the apartment, whereas before she hadnt. When Ramirez rebuffed him, her family claimed, Limon retaliated by coaching his daughters to accuse her of molestation, and the girls ended up accusing Ramirez's three friends as well. Javiers older daughterwho, because she is still officially considered a victim of child sexual abuse, Ill identify with the initials VLtestified that after several carefree days at Elizabeths apartment, her aunt called her into the bedroom one afternoon and began shouting at her. She wanted a relationship with me. This makes us one of the biggest by prevailing local standards. Alejandre testified that she agreed to plead to the charges in September 2016 but still believed her case would be dismissed. Elizabeths roommate Kristie Mayhugh was at her mothers apartment in Rosenberg, outside Houston, when the police surrounded the building and ordered her out. She would do the same thing if somebody was hurting her child., Elizabeth herself, several months earlier, had said nearly the same words. Her relationship with her mother improvedGloria co-signed for Elizabeths new apartment. At H-E-B they met Cassie Rivera, who, before coming to terms with her attraction to other women, had a son and a daughter and then split with their father. Mr. Limon took his daughters to the Alamo Children's Advocacy Centre where they underwent a physical examination for evidence of . I will make things right, and I am sorry for everything I put you through. They grew closer and, with Elizabeth beginning to realize she was attracted to women, eventually started dating. Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012. The letter was several pages long and written in clear cursive script. Limon was her sister's ex-boyfriend, and the two daughters were her 7- and. Guards at the rural prison stared in surprise at his Canadian ID card. The new technology was fascinating, but so were social mores. In terms of mileage from the Yukon, the North Pole would have been a shorter journey. Javier said that after the girls spent the week at Elizabeths in July 1994, he didnt notice anything different at first. Anna had seen Elizabeth unable to deal with the interests of men before. You have permission to edit this article. He knew what was going to hurt me the most, she told me. So he traveled to Texas to get a better sense of who she was. Outlets must also tag the Observer in all social media posts. [Javiers younger daughter] told me herself, They were kissing us., Lonnie Gentry, the jury foreman at Elizabeths 1997 trial, listened to Javiers older daughter describe what had happened to her. They ask her to keep secrets and instruct her to call at specific times, between 7 and 7:15 a.m. or 5:45 and 6 p.m. I hope these letters are not upsetting, disturbing, or making you feel uncomfortable, one reads. Prosecutor Cindy Gresser later pointed to Alejandre's plea form that she had signed, noting the form indicated she must obey all laws, keep in contact with Morris and follow his terms. Yes. After splitting with her first girlfriend, Elizabeth started dating a man named Hector. When Ramirez rebuffed him, her family claimed, Limon retaliated by coaching his daughters to accuse her of molestation, and the girls ended up accusing Ramirez's three friends as well. But he sounded like a respectable guy., As Nathan examined the case, the testimony of Dr. Kellogg, who first examined the victims and described markings on their hymens as signs of abuse, jumped out to her. She served 12 and a half years. Gloria Herrera has taped a picture of her daughter Elizabeth Ramirez, as a young girl, to a rosary and placed it around a statue of Jesus displayed in a shrine, Friday, Dec. 3, 2010. The women held her down and started kissing her and putting cold liquid stuff inside her, and then they inserted a tampon into her vagina, she testified. She was 22. From the bathroom, she heard screams from her younger sister. Prior to the accusation, Elizabeth had rejected the advances of the children's father Javier Limon. He found criminals particularly fascinating, especially the psychologically obscure, because, like him, they were on the fringes of society. About a month before, they had spent a week at her apartment. In September, a new state law had taken effect, passed in the spring by the Texas Legislature. Get our latest in-depth reporting straight to your inbox. . You know why? They would barbecue at the park on weekends and take trips to a nearby lake. More of his work can be found at mauricechammah.com. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Javier Limon makes his way to the 315th District Court in Houston to for a hearing concerning his daughter, Stephanie Limon Martinez's custody of her children. We were inseparable, Cassie said. So she left her sisters home and moved in with a girlfriend from school. I thought she should have gotten life, said Gentry, the foreman. She testified that she called Stafford police because she didn't want an argument between her father and her husband getting out of hand. Because I could say something, and you could twist it around., At the second trial, there was far less talk of lesbianism. Though her attraction to women made her an outsider at home, it led her to new friendships. Esquenazi became passionately involved, collecting footage for a documentary that she is still filming. She had not spoken to him for 13 years, though family members had updated her on his growth, his football games and his girlfriends, and informed her that he was staying out of trouble. He is now 18, with a job and a girlfriend. Javier Limn Customer Service Manager & Chief Digital Officer (CDO) en Volkswagen Financial Services - Mxico As prison guards at the Crain Unit in Gatesville close the gate behind her, Anna Vasquez opens the door to a relative's car after being released on parole Nov. 2, 2012. Visitors give TX state park final farewell after land sold, Dallas judge revives sexual misconduct suit against Jerry Jones. Gloria took her to the hospital and then kicked her out of the house. Cassie recalls that Elizabeth promised Javier she would marry him. By the time of VL and Stephanies outcries, these public dramas had largely died out, though Dr. Kellogg, in her exam notes, had written, this could be satanic-related. Nathan told me it was probably the last time anyone wrote in the record, This looks satanic., She checked Ottos background, since it seemed strange that he was so interested in the case. She and her husband, Joseph Martinez (right), were in a Houston courtroom Dec. 3 fighting child-abuse allegations leveled at her by her father Javier Limon, who was given as the reason his two daughters made accusations of sexual abuse against four women in 1994 that led to them being sent to prison. Morales maintained that he was minding his own business and focused on appealing his prior criminal case to get out of prison, and denied any involvement in the murder. A friend had brought 10 outfits on hangers, including black slacks and blouses in various shades of blue and gold, so the women could pick what theyd like to wear.. No olvides preguntar por sus ofertas, descuentos y especiales del momento. In November, Anna was released on parole. Six months before graduation, overwhelmed with her work schedule, she dropped out of high school. HOUSTON A young woman who recently recanted a nearly 20-year-old accusation of sexual assault, which had sent her aunt and three other women to prison, was in a courtroom here Monday fighting child-abuse allegations leveled at her. If you support this mission, we need your help. He let the letter sit on his desk for a week before he put it in the mail. The families did their best to move on. Ramirez theorized at the time that Javier Limon, her sister Rosemary's ex-boyfriend and her nieces' father was upset with her because she rejected his many romantic overtures after he went through a bad breakup with her sister, the Texas Observer reported. But money was tight, and at various times Elizabeth held jobs at Taco Cabana, Arbys and H-E-B. She discovered that Javiers two daughters had made abuse allegations before, in Denver, but then claimed at Elizabeths trial to not remember having done so. Even as a toddler, Elizabeth Ramirez was small for her age. Kristie Mayhugh, seen here Sept. 4, 2012, is incarcerated at the Had he offered to marry her? We were friends; me, Cassie, and Anna. Now it was Anna who had wielded the gun, not Elizabeth. Kazen asked if she was dating Kristie Mayhugh, her roommate and one of the other women accused of abuse. Elizabeth's brother-in-law, Javier Limon, father to the two accusers, had been pursuing Elizabeth romantically, and was angry that she rejected his advances. Rosemary, who had trouble fighting for custody since she lived outside of Texas, floated around, at one point moving to Mexico with a husband who had immigration issues. Kristie Mayhugh is at Mountain View Unit in Gatesville, Texas. Of course she did. Statis. Casie Gotro, Stephanie's lawyer, is at left. She says she didnt pay because he wouldnt let her see the kids. Kids' removal called payback for recanting, Woman fighting to clear name in 1994 sex assault is paroled, Parole OK'd for woman fighting for exoneration. Kristie wanted to return to veterinarian school at Texas A&M if she could find the money. A tearful Anna Vasquez speaks on a phone during a prison interview Sept. 4, 2012. The questioning continued, focusing on Elizabeths relationships with women. Maybe the lawyer could explain to the authorities that no crime had occurred; it was just a malicious accusation orchestrated by a bitter man. When Elizabeth went to get a haircut, the hairdresser wouldnt let her pay. Other 7 month ago 0 answers 12 views. Deborah Esquenazi sat in the front seat and held a camera as Stephanie read. They are signed Javier Limon.. Javier said that Stephanie had taken advantage of his kindness. Ive kind of prepared myself for the feelings he might have, that I abandoned him., Several weeks later, the night she was released, she met him for dinner at Pizza Hut. I always felt like an outsider, my whole life, he said. There was a problem saving your notification. Elizabeth claims back then Limon would. Anna Vasquez served more than a decade of time in jail while the three other women are still serving time. Michelle Mondo published a story strongly implying that Javier filed the allegation as punishment for Stephanies recantation. Anna Vasquez hugs one of her older brothers, Robert Vasquez, as they embrace each other for the first time in 12 and a half years on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012. Nathan contacted family members and others connected to the case, and Otto sought out reporters and published a short essay of his own on Texas Monthlys website. On Saturday evening, officers were called to the apartment. He was an ex-boyfriend of Ramirez's sister who the family said had made romantic advances toward the much younger Ramirez. Around the same time, Anna was put on maintenance duty and assigned to fix the lights in Cassies cell. Vasquez could not attend the meeting because of her parole restrictions. In 2012, one of the nieces admitted to having been pressured by her father, Javier Limon, to make the false accusations. Anna Vasquez fills in answering phones at her brother David Vasquez's auto shop on N. WW White on Feb. 19, 2013, while he is out of town. Ramirez has testified that the. Alejandre further denied ever selling drugs for Morales or being asked to do so. Anna remembers Elizabeth coming to her real upset and describing Javiers inappropriate comments. Released on parole after serving 12 and a half years of a 15-year sentence, Anna Vasquez speaks at a screening of "San Antonio Four," a documentary by Deborah S. Esquenazi, on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012, while holding photos of her friends who are still in prison. Do you know anything about where she learned it? Serafina asked. All four were indicted for sexually assaulting Elizabeths nieces, and all four maintained their innocence while scrambling to remember if anything out of the ordinary had happened the week the girls stayed at Elizabeths apartment. Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. In the early 1990s, he told me, he had been working as a heavy-equipment operator for the city of San Antonio and dating Rosemary. (That account was backed up by Oscar, Rosemarys partner in Denver, as well as by Rosemary herself in recent interviews. At the station, Matjeka asked if she knew a man named Javier Limon and his two daughters. The three women reported to prison, where they were all given higher security levelsincluding, at one point, more than 30 days in solitary confinement for Cassiebecause they refused to take sex offender rehabilitation classes. 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