AN ORGY OF VIOLENCE At first, the teenage boys grabbed Elizabeth, while Jennifer escaped. << Then again, no one has forgotten much of anything about those murders. Resend Activation Email. C.E. Failed to report flower. Notice: This memorial is being managed in abeyance until a proper manager requests control of the memorial. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. "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. pauline hanson dancing with the stars; just jerk dance members; what happens if a teacher gets a dui Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers. At his sentencing for the Ertman-Pena case, the judge asked Cantu if there was any reason the sentence shouldn't be imposed. 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.' interview with The Associated Press. They were friends who attended the same high school in Houston, Texas, Waltrip High School. Huntsville Unit prison. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. The day after the murders, Cantu showed up at his job at an oil change shop and acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary, his boss told the Chronicle at the time. Six anonymous teens stoked on alcohol and testosterone needed only an hour or so to make their mark on the city. Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena were 14 and 16 years old, respectively. The graves of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena are about 200 yards apart in Woodlawn Garden of Memories Cemetery. Where [are] you going?" It will not erase from memory the faces in the photographs, or the knowledge of what happened to them. This browser does not support getting your location. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. GREAT NEWS! 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. << . Because of their deaths, the state allows victim impact. 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. endobj >> based on information from your browser. 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. curfew. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. 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. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. AP. trailer HUNTSVILLE, Texas --The State of Texas executed Peter Cantu Tuesday evening for the brutal murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena. 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. 72 0 obj On a summer night in Houston, two bright, beautiful, success-bound teenage girls crossed paths with a group of young men fueled with alcohol and rage. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. When the police followed this suggestion, they found the badly decaying bodies of Jenny and Elizabeth. Three of the Pena and Ertman killers have been executed. 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Memorials to Ertman and Pea in TC Jester Park: In the background is the railroad bridge where the two were initially attacked. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Cantu's mother, sometimes absent, appeared unconcerned when school officials or authorities showed up to discuss his behavior. a. Jennifer's father helps makes strides for victims' rights after his daughter's death. On June 24, 1993, Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea attended a pool party hosted by their friend, Gina Escamilla. 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." 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. He petitioned the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 1998 regarding this issue; the appeal failed. 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! They were both abducted and murdered. Authorities later linked him and O'Brien to a killing six months before the attack on Ertman and Pena. Elizabeth Christine Pena and Jennifer Ertman were friends who went to Waltrip High School in Houston. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. A red nylon belt, with an attacker tugging at each end, was pulled so tightly around Ertman's neck the belt snapped. Four days later, when searchers finally found Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea, their bodies were unrecognizable. Neither attempted to prevent the assaults or to inform the police. Venancio Medellin has been denied parole five times. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7053887/elizabeth-christine-pe%C3%B1a. English front of [Houston] City Hall, they've got all these beautiful trees. Try again later. According to later testimony, on one occasion, Pea glanced in the direction of her younger friend as she herself was raped by Efrain Prez and began weeping as she observed Ertman. [1], Although the girls were just over one year in age difference, both sets of parents approved of their friendship, with Pea's father viewing Ertmana modest girl who had only recently begun experimenting with makeupas a "positive influence" on his daughter, later recollecting that, shortly after the two became friends at Waltrip High School, Pea "just straightened up her act" following a brief streak of teenage rebellion in his daughter before her 1992 enrollment at the school. Wage growth is slowing. The rape and murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena rocks Houston. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Two Innocent Teens The crime was unspeakable. I hope you rot in hell.". On the night of June 24, 1993 -. She then attempted to flee. /ID [] Venancio Medellin was 14 at the time of the killings and is serving a 40-year prison term. In: Mangino, Matthew T. This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 03:48. Try again. 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. Now 35, Cantu declined requests for an interview. The gang of attackers had showed up at his house after the killings. 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. They are both buried at Woodlawn Garden of Memories Cemetery. ", It also had other ramifications. But Elizabeth's desperate cries brought Jennifer back to help her best friend. Make sure that the file is a photo. Jennifer Latson of the Houston Chronicle said that the deaths of the girls "shook" the Oak Forest neighborhood of Houston "to its foundation. Six teenagers repeatedly raped, assaulted, then beat the girls to death, beyond recognition. A tip led authorities to the bodies. For justice for my little girl," Elizabeth's father, Adolph Pena, said. Ertman's daughter Jennifer, 14, and her friend, 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena, were attacked June 24, 1993, by. /Root 73 0 R Seventeen years later, the simple mention of their names still evokes a shudder, a shake of the head that such a thing could happen. Year should not be greater than current year. The parents of the murder victims successfully advocated for the State of Texas allowing relatives of victims to have permission to witness executions. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Medelln gave both written and taped confessions. The Ertmans and Penas are videotaping their protest for the parole board, in case they are not here in 18 years to protest in person. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Cantu had been troubled and violent since his early youth. One night the words turned into acts. Their bodies were found four days after they were murdered. If it could show up at such a nondescript moment - teenagers unknown to each other passing in the night - perhaps no one's safety was more than an illusion. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? All of it - the entire ugly tableau of human destruction - was told as if it had been a TV rerun from a year ago. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. This is a carousel with slides. I|L~D*Vh.il)5]m:rm1Jm$E*jEj60 [TK+->Wri]F4>)MB8322T" t@w*V$ VSv+v"3pcj$[c=Ys]$fpAyTFpX]6uCtb`hQ3+1:Dk4J6E.LBqLu9oT9Jj? Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Jennifer Ertman (7051821)? Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. /Linearized 1 For the families, it is a fight they will take beyond the grave. He was the ringleader intheslayings, whichstruck a. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. 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. 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.". On Friday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles refused his clemency petition. Even the police were stunned. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. They should have hung them. He apparently did as he pleased. The. We love them and miss them," Adolph Pena said. 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. Medelln said in a sworn statement that he learned that the Mexican consulate could assist him in 1997. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. 25 years after the murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. This location was approximately one mile from Pea's home. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Failed to remove flower. At first, Pea desperately attempted to appease her abusers as she wept, offering her phone number so they could "get together". There was an error deleting this problem. /OpenAction 71 0 R She was thrown to the ground by gang members Peter Cantu and Derrick Sean O'Brien. Venancio Medelln, the brother of Jos Medelln, was 14 at the time of the murder, the same age as Jennifer Ertman. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. In that case, a 27-year-old woman was found at a Houston park with her throat cut. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. /Type /Catalog Jennifer Ertman, left, and Elizabeth Pea both attended Waltrip High School. Jos Medelln was executed at 9:57 pm on August 5, 2008, after his last-minute appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court. HUNTSVILLE, Texas (CBS/AP/KHOU) Tonight, Peter Anthony Cantu will be executed for two of the most notorious deaths in Houston history, the 1993 rapes and murders of 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena. The case spurred legislative reform in Texas' criminal justice system. Jobs were back and property was rising in value. 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