He was 35 and had lived on death row longer than his victims were alive. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. The girls' families came to witness the execution and were met by supporters and applause when they walked out of the Walls Unit. Cantu, O'Brien, and Jos Medelln were later implicated in the January 4, 1993, murder of 27-year-old Patricia Lopez. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Ertman tried to help. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Both girls were strangled to death. 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". Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. /N 31 startxref ", Death near for Ertman-Pea killer, but crime still shakes Houston. 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. Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pena, 16, were raped, tortured and murdered by gang members while walking near TC Jester on June 24, 1993. . C.E. Search above to list available cemeteries. They spoke of having "a lot of fun (with) a couple of chicks.". "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. Both girls were sexually assaulted by all but one of the gang members, 14-year-old Venancio "Yuni" Medelln, on a minimum of four occasions. All those believed responsible were ultimately arrested. He then elaborated that he had raped both girls. 72 17 And Cantu's brother, upset at the gang's gloating about having fun with the girls, called police. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7051821/jennifer-lee-ertman. way, but if they want to make the death penalty a deterrent, up in to Ertman. [16], Realizing that the girls would be capable of identifying them, Cantu[17] ordered the members to kill the girls. The medical examiner corroborated that the cause of death was strangulation. 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. Outside the girls' school, Waltrip High, death penalty opponents were calling for a halt to all executions in Texas. >> << Both girls were sexually assaulted by all but one of the gang members, 14-year-old Venancio "Yuni" Medelln, on a minimum of four occasions. AN ORGY OF VIOLENCE At first, the teenage boys grabbed Elizabeth, while Jennifer escaped. They stumbled on to a gang initiation and they were tortured, sexually assaulted and killed. His stinging denunciation of Cantu, pain evident in each word, reached a climax when Cantu turned away from the grieving father and Ertman yelled, "You look at me! /Length 166 Sorry! Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Elizabeth Pea (7053887)? GREAT NEWS! Elizabeth Pena's body was similarly . As Ertman was murdered, Pea was forced to watch her friend's death as other gang members held a ligature around her own neck. >> HUNTSVILLE, Texas (CBS/KHOU) Murderer Peter Anthony Cantu was executed by the state of Texas Tuesday evening. It will not erase from memory the faces in the photographs, or the knowledge of what happened to them. 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. ", It also had other ramifications. Cantu, then 18, orchestrated the attacks and slaying. 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.". /Resources << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI ] /ColorSpace << Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Because of their deaths, the state allows victim impact. Death penalty opponents protested the impending execution. The execution of, Now 35, Cantu declined requests for an interview. 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. [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. Jester Park in northwest Houston. . >> ", New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Scan this QR code to download the app now. to Ertman. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. New development was everywhere, spurred by a mayor and city council devoted to the cause of building. The graves of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena are about 200 yards apart in Woodlawn Garden of Memories Cemetery. Resend Activation Email. I wish to hell he could have died the way she died. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. 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. We love them and miss them," Adolph Pena said. If they hung all five of them, that would Jos Medelln was executed at 9:57 pm on August 5, 2008, after his last-minute appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Please enter valid email address to continue. By coincidence, a handful of teenagers who had just completed a boozy, fight-filled gang initiation ritual noticed their shadowy figures. Failed to remove flower. 0000005484 00000 n But Elizabeth's desperate cries brought Jennifer back to help her best friend. This account has been disabled. The medical examiner corroborated that the cause of death was strangulation. Shoelaces were used to strangle Pena. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Elizabeth Christine Pea I found on Findagrave.com. "No one who was there will forget it," Kahan said. Prior to his execution, O'Brien expressed his regrets for his actions to the families of Pea and Ertman. 1 of 3 Jennifer Ertman, left, and Elizabeth Pea both attended Waltrip High School. 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. Join us as we discuss this heinous attack. "[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. LQ>icb7#f0wNb7tM:q2$`zg A'QS5Cf\ =!4S&1qu+NZbu{Na!P. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. In fact, they laughed and joked as they divvied up the pitiful spoils of the evening: a small amount of cash, some inexpensive rings and gold chains. The architect of their deaths will pay with his own life Tuesday evening. The girls were raped and murdered by the gang members in a field near T.C. 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. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Houston was stunned when Cantu and his gang were arrested. The lethal injection was performed at 6:09 pm, and at 6:17 pm, Cantu was officially pronounced dead. "Peter A. Cantu, Texas Executed August 17" (Chapter 35). [23] Both bodies had significantly decomposed, and dental records were used for identification. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. "We're looking forward to Peter Cantu being executed so he can never murder or hurt anybody again," he said. When the teacher told Cantu the trouble he would get into for such a thing, he said he didn't care. based on information from your browser. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Five others were convicted of capital murder in the case. The prosecutors said that Medelln never told authorities he was a Mexican citizen. Learn more about merges. Cantu was a good worker who was courteous with customers, the boss said, stunned that the "yes, sir" guy he knew changed so dramatically when the workday ended. Jester Park. Huntsville Unit prison. interview with The Associated Press. They are both buried at Woodlawn Garden of Memories Cemetery. Instead of remorse there was violence from Cantu. The two were best friends and had a beautiful, long life ahead of them. They were both abducted and murdered. There was a problem getting your location. The case was also notable in that the state of Texas rejected attempts by the International Court of Justice to halt several perpetrators' executions. On the night of June 24, 1993 -. Three were executed, and the rest are still in prison. [47] Medellin is scheduled to be released in 2034. ). Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? [5], Jos Medelln was executed at 9:57p.m. on August 5, 2008, after his last-minute appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court. No crime in modern Houston history has resonated like this one, Kahan said. One night the words turned into acts. But after the execution Tuesday things were different. In 2005, President George W. Bush ordered hearings to be held. 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. . You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Christina Cantu questioned why Villarreal was bleeding and Prez had a bloody shirt. Medelln gave both written and taped confessions. Christina Cantu questioned why Villarreal was bleeding, and Prez had a bloody shirt. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Three of the Pena and Ertman killers have been executed. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The person not sentenced to death, 14 Pea brushed aside Medelln's hand and continued walking. At sentencing, the offenders were remanded to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) system. 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. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman were friends who went to Waltrip High School in Houston. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers. You're not even an animal. [30][41][42], The parents of the murder victims successfully advocated for the State of Texas to allow victims' relatives to have permission to witness executions. The case spurred legislative reform in Texas' criminal justice system. Then, on the morning of June 30, the city awoke to learn of events of a few days earlier that defied belief. "He's a guy who fully accepts his responsibility.". No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Year should not be greater than current year. Both had observed Pea and Ertmans' abduction, initial assault, and screams for help. Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena were 14 and 16 years old, respectively. There was an error deleting this problem. Please reset your password. Jos Medelln got a ring with an "E", so he could give it to his girlfriend, Esther. He then elaborated that he had raped both girls. 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. August 17, 2010 / 5:39 PM [7] Prez will become eligible for parole on October 10, 2029, while Villarreal will become eligible for parole on September 20, 2029.[27][28]. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. /Pages 63 0 R 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. After the gang left, Christina Cantu convinced Joe Cantu to report the crime to police. 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." [39] The lethal injection was performed at 6:09p.m., and at 6:17p.m., Cantu was officially pronounced dead. Derrick O'Brien was the first to be executed on July 11, 2006. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. The graves of Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman are about 200 yards apart in Woodlawn Garden of Memories Cemetery. There is a problem with your email/password. Look at me! O'Brien (the only non-Hispanic, Black person in the gang) and Villarreal strangled Ertman with O'Brien's red nylon belt before breaking the belt. 0000001187 00000 n Two others I think were 17 and got life. 0 cemeteries found in Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA. "This is. endstream Raul Villareal and Efrain Perez were also sentenced to death but saw their punishment commuted to a life sentence because they were both 17 when the crime was committed. They were crossing a railroad bridge when the gang, drinking beer and initiating a new member, spotted them. /Filter /FlateDecode Three others have long prison terms. Derrick O'Brien was the first to be executed, on July 11, 2006. << . The annual Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo is no fun and games if you don't have a ticket. Jester Park. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. This is a carousel. At least 29 dead, 85 injured after trains collide in Greece: officials, Driver feedback needed for 3-mile Hardy Toll extension into downtown, Man found dead in middle of Fort Bend County crosswalk, police say. 3 of the main members who were 18 or over were sentenced to death and it was carried out 2006,2008,2010 respectively. All Rights Reserved. They were both abducted and murdered. O'Brien was videotaped smiling at the scene of the crime. Family members are now allowed to address the convicted, and victims' families now have the choice and right to view. The two were students of Waltrip High School. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. 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. One of the gang members grabbed Pena. Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena murders. 0000005760 00000 n By approximately 10:30 p.m., Villarreal had successfully fought two gang members before being beaten midway through his fight with the third member. O'Brien (the only non-Hispanic in the gang) and Villarreal then proceeded to strangle Ertman with a red nylon belt before the belt broke. his arms, also apologized. Elizabeth Christine Pena and Jennifer Ertman were friends who went to Waltrip High School in Houston. Cantu's brother, Joe, testified about what inspired him to call police. front of [Houston] City Hall, they've got all these beautiful trees. 25 years after the murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena. You're the worst thing I've ever seen. She screamed. /Rotate 0 Try again later. [5][30], Before his execution, O'Brien expressed his regrets for his actions to the families of Pea and Ertman. "[43], Randy Ertman, the father of Jennifer Ertman, died of lung cancer on August 18, 2014. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. As a general rule, immediate family members, grandparents, and other close family members can request and will be transferred management of the memorial. The case forced a change in state police. "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 Pena 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 everyone's sake," District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Fv 27, 2023 . 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. 74 0 obj Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). . 0000006863 00000 n Jester Park. 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.' Venancio Medelln, the brother of Jos Medelln, testified against 4 of the gang members. This location was approximately one mile from Pea's home. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Six gang members were sentenced. 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. Two of Cantu's companions in the gang they dubbed the Black and White preceded him to the death chamber. Try again. Jester Park.[43]. Ertman and Pea passed the gang and one member, Jos Medelln, attempted to grope and pinch one of Pea's breasts. 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". Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. << 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. Fugitive in $18 million COVID fraud scheme extradited to U.S. They should have hung them. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. In response, Cantu repeatedly kicked the girl in her face and body, dislodging three of her teeth and fracturing several ribs. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Seven minutes later, O'Brien was dead. Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. /CS1 [ /Pattern /DeviceGray ] /CS2 [ /Pattern /DeviceRGB ] >> /Font << /F9 /Contents [ 75 0 R ] It was a case that shaped Andy Kahan as the newly-appointed crime victim's advocate for the city. 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. On June 24, 1993, Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea attended a pool party hosted by their friend, Gina Escamilla. If you're planning on using the METRO to helo you get to and from the Houston Rodeo, here's everything you need to plan out your ride! [36] Governor Perry rejected calls from Mexico and Washington, DC, to delay the execution, citing the torture, rape, and strangulation of two teenaged girls in Houston 15 years ago as just cause for the death penalty. 73 0 obj "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. Medellin has been denied parole five times now. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. 0000009638 00000 n The Ertmans and Penas also witnessed the executions of three of their daughters' killers. The 61-year-old died Monday, said Andy Kahan, a Houston crime victims advocate. Peter Anthony Cantu, Jos Ernesto Medelln, Derrick Sean O'Brien, Efrain Prez, and Raul Omar Villarreal received death sentences. [44] Ertman had wanted to have Andy Kahan, the City of Houston's crime advocate, to witness the execution of Medelln. Failed to delete memorial. [35], In 2005, President George W. Bush ordered hearings to be held. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? She was then forced to remove her underwear. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. In July, the World Court ordered a stay of Medelln's execution. The parents of Ertman and Pe a could not be reached for comment. Nine minutes later, he was dead. endobj Make sure that the file is a photo. TDCJ refused to permit Kahan to witness the execution. Wage growth is slowing. /PageMode /UseNone /S 280 The parents of the murder victims successfully advocated for the State of Texas allowing relatives of victims to have permission to witness executions. In what police later would describe as a sadistic frenzy, the girls were gang-raped for more than an hour. Cantu, Jos Medelln, and Prez then strangled Pea to death with shoelaces. He apparently did as he pleased. /Length 1385 cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Jennifer Ertman (7051821)? No one came to witness on Cantu's behalf when he received his lethal injection. 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. 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. She then attempted to flee. 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? Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. This prompted Medelln to say the gang "had fun" and that details would appear on the news. All of it - the entire ugly tableau of human destruction - was told as if it had been a TV rerun from a year ago. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? All those believed responsible were ultimately arrested. / CBS News. 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. Ertman rejected an invitation from Cantu's lawyer to come to his office and read a letter of apology from Cantu. Ertman and Pena were headed home from a party, and took a shortcut to make it home by their 11 p.m. curfew the night they were killed. Three were executed, and the rest are still in prison. /PageLayout /SinglePage Look, you're not even an animal," Ertman uttered in court. They were forced to perform oral sex. On June 24, 1993, Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea attended a pool party hosted by their friend, Gina Escamilla. It was Cantu who asserted Ertman and Pea had to be killed so as not to later bear witness against them. HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- Randy Ertman . 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. Blame the Federal Reserve. 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. Two Innocent Teens The crime was unspeakable. Ertman's daughter Jennifer, 14, and her friend, 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena, were attacked June 24, 1993, by. 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. "Anytime girls came down the street, they'd come out and hoot and holler at them and make vulgar remarks to them," a former neighbor said the day after his arrest. We have set your language to

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