Fortunately, they did manage to keep Randy from entering the woods and seeing his daughter's brutalized body and that of her friend Elizabeth, but they were unable to escape that fate themselves. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. As a general rule, immediate family members, grandparents, and other close family members can request and will be transferred management of the memorial. Two VERY important things in the criminal justice system have changed as a result of these murders. She then attempted to flee. The lethal injection was performed at 6:09 pm, and at 6:17 pm, Cantu was officially pronounced dead. 0000004107 00000 n 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. "He has matured remarkably," said Robin Norris, his appeals lawyer. HUNTSVILLE, Texas (CBS/KHOU) Murderer Peter Anthony Cantu was executed by the state of Texas Tuesday evening. Disclaimer: "Why do I watch? [11][n 1], Ertman could've easily run to escape at this point but ran to help her friend. FILE Randy Ertman, father of Jennifer Ertman, salutes Judge Mike Anderson in the 262nd Criminal District Court in 2003 after Anderson set the execution date for Raul Villarreal. 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. O'Brien, one of six gang members, was convicted of the slayings of high school students Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena in Houston almost 13 years ago. The Ertmans were ecstatic at the birth of their child because they were not sure if they would ever be able to conceive, since Sandra was on the wrong side of thirty-five. Really. He raped Jennifer and was later sentenced to 40 years for aggravated sexual assault, which was the maximum sentence for a juvenile. That guy was a fucking monster. [44] Ertman had wanted to have Andy Kahan, the City of Houston's crime advocate, to witness the execution of Medelln. Hell, no.". Jester Park in northwest Houston. [24][25][26], At sentencing, the offenders were remanded to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) system. And Cantu's brother, upset at the gang's gloating about having fun with the girls, called police. The lethal injection was performed at 6:09 p.m. By 6:17 p.m. Cantu was pronounced dead. The death sentences of Efrain Prez and Raul Villarreal were commuted to life imprisonment in 2005, following, List of people executed in Texas, 20002009, List of people executed in Texas, 20102019, List of people executed in the United States in 2006, List of people executed in the United States in 2010, "Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena Murdered While Walking Near Houston Park 25 Years Ago", "Peter Anthony Cantu Execution: Mastermind of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena Murders to Die Tonight", "Medellin set to die Tuesday for Ertman-Pea killings", "Medellin executed for rape, murder of Houston teens", Murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea, "Bodies of Two Girls Discovered: Grim Find Ends Weekend Search in Northwest Houston", "Father of Murdered Girl Questions Bush's Support to Halt Killer's Execution", "Media Advisory: Jose Medellin Scheduled For Execution", "San Antonio turned from bully to savage killer", "Jos Ernesto Medelln v. Texas (Per Curiam)", "Texas Executes Mexican Despite Objections", "Dad confronts parole board to keep daughter's murderer in prison", "Ex-gang leader executed for '93 deaths of 2 Houston girls", "Last Statement Derrick O'Brien" at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice profile, "Father of Brutally Murdered Teen, victims' Rights Advocate Randy Ertman Dead at 61", Victim's "Advocate Won't be Witnessing Execution", "Parole Denied for Gang Member Convicted in 1993 Murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena", In Memory of Elizabeth Pea and Jennifer Ertman - 1993, Details of Cantu's 1997 appeal against his convictions, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murders_of_Jennifer_Ertman_and_Elizabeth_Pea&oldid=1142384022, Deaths by strangulation in the United States, Violence against women in the United States, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. "[43], Randy Ertman, the father of Jennifer Ertman, died of lung cancer on August 18, 2014. Both victims were badly decaying, and dental records were used for identification. On June 24th 1993, a gang of men took the lives of 2 young girls. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. 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. I hope his life is, was and remains a misery. 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? Johnny Loria, left, Betty Williams, and others gather at the memorial site for Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea in TC Jester Park on Tuesday in part to help remember and keep attention on their brutal rape and murder. Seven minutes later, O'Brien was dead. Both girls were strangled to death. 0000001187 00000 n Peter Anthony Cantu, Jos Ernesto Medelln, Derrick Sean O'Brien, Efrain Prez, and Raul Omar Villarreal received death sentences. /OutputBin 7 Both girls were strangled to death. Willie Nelson pays lovely tribute to another country legend, Rare photos show 2 ocelots crossing South Texas road, Astros GM Dana Brown has more praise team's top prospect, This is what Houston looks like from space. Three others have long prison terms. /L 64011 No one came to witness on Cantu's behalf when he received his lethal injection. Jester Park at White Oak bayou. Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena were 14 and 16 years old, respectively. The families of both Ertman and Pea strongly favored the execution(s). endstream or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. I wondered that too. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Peter Anthony Cantu was executed for the brutal murders of Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pena, 16. Jester as the community gathers at the same time of Cantu's execution. to Ertman. 1993 - Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena Murder 38,716 views Dec 20, 2018 507 Dislike Share Save KPRC 2 Click2Houston 485K subscribers The rape and murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth. In response, Medelln stated: "No, baby! %%EOF In 2008, when convicted murderer Jose Medillin, a Mexican national, was facing execution, Ertman said he didn't care about international opposition. Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pena, 16, were beaten, gang raped, and strangled in Houston, Texas. "Hopefully they'll find some peace. << Well I better stay speechless because whats going through my head would get me banned. 1) You are a coward with regard to Mexico. Randy Ertman, father of Jennifer Ertman, confronts an anti-death penalty activist, David Adwood outside the 262nd Criminal District Court in 2003, where Judge Mike Anderson the execution date for Raul Villarreal. "Nothing he would say to me would make any difference," he said. Although only one of the brothers had fought Villarreal, both had left the initiation ceremony minutes before both girls were abducted. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. LQ>icb7#f0wNb7tM:q2$`zg A'QS5Cf\ =!4S&1qu+NZbu{Na!P. Ertman, however, doesn't agree with that viewpoint. stream Turns out the friend I was with was a serial rapist. June 24th: Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman Killed (1993) No parent should lose a child. Venancio Medellin has been denied parole five times, most recently in November 2020. Venancio Medelln, the brother of Jos Medelln, was 14 at the time of the murder, the same age as Jennifer Ertman. . All five gang members were sentenced to death for the July 1993 slayings of his 14-year-old daughter, Jennifer, and Elizabeth Pena, 16. April 5, 1994. Jennifer was a victim of homicide. One of the boys boasted of having 'virgin blood' on him. It worked. The police helicopter was flying over the park and this apparently prompted Mr. 'Gonzalez' to make a 911 call, directing the search to move to the other side of the bayou. This means that the new member was required to fight every member of the gang until he passed out and then he would be accepted as a member. O'Brien was videotaped smiling at the scene of the crime. Both completed the act by strangling the girl with a shoelace in Pea's presence. 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. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. One of them bragged about having virgin blood on his underwear. The girls were Waltrip High School students. They were friends who attended the same high school in Houston, Texas, Waltrip High School. On June 24, 1993, Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea attended a pool party hosted by their friend, Gina Escamilla. For the families, it is a fight they will take beyond the grave. They also knew they would have to pass a sexually-oriented business on that route and so decided to take a well-known shortcut down a railroad track and through a city park to Elizabeth's neighborhood. Outside the girls' school, Waltrip High, death penalty opponents were calling for a halt to all executions in Texas. He then apologized to his family before being executed by lethal injection. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? 70K views 1 month ago Hey Guys! I need not go further. 0000009909 00000 n 8 years. Add to your scrapbook. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. But if something like this cant spark it, what can? were 17 when the girls were killed were spared the death penalty when Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? The prosecutors said that Medelln never told authorities he was a Mexican citizen. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. [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. Well said, I can't bear the bleeding heart arguments for rehabilitation or any of that crap. Instead of remorse there was violence from Cantu. % Please enter your email and password to sign in. Oops, something didn't work. The medical examiner later testified that this is how she could be sure as to the horrible brutality of the rapes, beatings and murders. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. On that night they were at a pool party of a friend. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Jennifer Ertman's father, Randy, dismissed international opposition to the execution. visiting the murder location of Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman two houston teenager who were brutally taped and murdered by gang memebers in a jouston ar. The medical examiner corroborated that the cause of death was strangulation. front of [Houston] City Hall, they've got all these beautiful trees. /E 11282 https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7051821/jennifer-lee-ertman. The community says a prayer at the memorial site for Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena. Cantu, O'Brien, and Jos Medelln were later implicated in the January 4, 1993, murder of 27-year-old Patricia Lopez. Failed to report flower. [39] The lethal injection was performed at 6:09p.m., and at 6:17p.m., Cantu was officially pronounced dead. Year should not be greater than current year. I testified against that fuck. Death penalty opponents protested the impending execution. [15] 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. The two were close friends, attended the same high school, lived in the same neighborhood, and enjoyed hanging . A major precedent was set at the end of Cantu's trial when Harmon allowed Ertman's father to address the convicted murderer. Whenever I see a post about it online, I always get this wave of negative emotions dumped over me. 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 Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. How sick My heart is broken. Cantu was the ringleader of five gang members who raped and killed the girls at a Houston park - a crime that horrified the city in 1993. [22], Four days after the murders, the girls' bodies were found in the park during hot weather conditions. For justice. 1 of 3 Jennifer Ertman, left, and Elizabeth Pea both attended Waltrip High School. Shoelaces were used to strangle Pena. ). Court appeals to delay the punishment appeared exhausted. 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. Christina Cantu questioned why Villarreal was bleeding, and Prez had a bloody shirt. C.E. FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2008, file photo, Adolfo Pena, from right, father of victim Elizabeth Pena, Randy Ertman, father of victim Jennifer Ertman, and Christina Alamaraz, friend of Jennifer Ertman, speak to the media after the execution of Mexican-born death row inmate Jose Medellin in Huntsville, Texas. He was 35 and had lived on death row longer than his victims were alive. They were two teenage girls from Texas who disappeared during one night after attending a. 7/11/06--Randy Ertman motions for his wife Sandra after Derrick Sean O'Brien execution Tuesday, July 11, 2006, at the "Walls" Unit in Huntsville, Texas. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. The prosecutors said that Medelln never told authorities that he was a Mexican citizen. He told the call taker that the missing girls' bodies could be found near T.C. I hope he spends the entire 40 years in prison. On Friday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles refused his clemency petition. On June 24, 1993, Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman from Houston, Texas were raped and murdered. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. There was a problem getting your location. 3) Your have handed the Presidency to Hillary Clinton. trailer cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. when they committed their crimes. The case was also notable in that the state of Texas rejected attempts by the International Court of Justice to halt several perpetrators' executions. [5][30], Before his execution, O'Brien expressed his regrets for his actions to the families of Pea and Ertman. [4], Ertman and Pea decided to take a 10-minute shortcut to Pea's residence in Oak Forest by following the railroad tracks and passing through T.C. Peter Cantu probably would've. Courtesy photos Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Peter Anthony Cantu, shown at his 1994 trial, was the one who called . [7] Before the murders, Houston officials had stated that gangs were not a significant issue in the city. Six gang members were charged in their deaths, which shocked the city. You're welcome to hang with us anytime!" Please reset your password. at the time, got a 40-year sentence. This is no job for the criminal justice system. The medical examiner corroborated that the cause of death was strangulation. It's satisfying to read that the death penalty was actually carried out on this pack of vermin. After Cantu's trial, Ertman asked to witness his execution but was told it was not allowed. 72 0 obj Mexican-born Jose Medellin, 33, with needles in Living in Houston meant constant reminders of their daughter's murder. Memorials to Ertman and Pea in TC Jester Park: In the background is the railroad bridge where the two were initially attacked. Peter Cantu then returned, and divided valuables that had been stolen from the girls. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Part of the belt was left at the murder scene, the rest was found in O'Brien's home. 0 cemeteries found in Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA. Derrick O'Brien, belted to a gurney, looked through the death chamber 0000005760 00000 n