Murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Peña
Encyclopedia
The murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Peña, two teenage girls from Houston, Texas
, occurred on June 24, 1993. 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. The execution August 5, 2008 of one of the perpetrators, José Medellín
, caused international controversy after it was revealed that Medellín was never allowed to meet with Mexican consular officials after his arrest.
students, were attending a pool party at an apartment of a friend. They realized that they were going to be late returning home and decided to leave the party. Ertman and Peña decided to take a 10 minute shortcut to Peña's residence in Oak Forest by following the railroad tracks and then passing through T.C. Jester Park, . The girls walked along the White Oak Bayou
when they encountered gang members
drinking beer after holding a gang initiation. The gang members captured Peña, and Ertman was captured after she ran to her friend as she screamed. Six gang members raped the girls repeatedly. Peter Cantu, a gang leader, ordered the members to kill the girls, so the members strangled them to death. Derrick Sean O'Brien and Raul Villarreal strangled Ertman with a red nylon belt before the belt broke; then the gang members used shoelaces. Cantu, José Medellín
, and Efrain Perez strangled Peña with shoelaces. The members then stomped on the girls' throats to ensure their deaths.
Cantu, Medellín, Perez, and Villareal then congregated at Cantu's residence, where he lived with his brother, Joe Cantu, and sister-in-law, Christina Cantu. Christina Cantu questioned why Villareal was bleeding and Perez had a bloody shirt. This prompted Medellín to say the gang "had fun," and that details would appear on the news. He then elaborated that he had raped both girls.
Peter Cantu then returned, and divided valuables that had been stolen from the girls. Medellín got a ring with an "E", so he could give it to his girlfriend, Esther. Medellín reported that he had killed a girl, and noted that he would have found it easier with a gun. Derrick Sean O'Brien was videotaped smiling at the scene of the crime. After the gang left, Christina Cantu convinced Joe Cantu to report the crime to police.
Four days after the crime, the bodies were found in the park. They were badly decaying, and dental records were used for identification. The medical examiner corroborated that the cause of death was strangulation. All those believed responsible were ultimately arrested. Medellín gave both a written and taped confession.
(TDCJ) system. Peter Cantu, José Medellín
, Derrick Sean O'Brien, Efrain Perez, and Raul Villareal received death sentences. Venancio Medellín, the brother of José Medellín, was 14 at the time of the murder. Venancio received a 40 year prison sentence. 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 Perez and Villareal were commuted to life in prison.
O'Brien was the first of the three convicted killers to be executed, in July 2006.
Medellín appealed his execution, saying that he had informed City of Houston and Harris County police officers that he was a Mexican citizen, and that he had been unable to confer with Mexican consular officials. The prosecutors said that Medellín never told authorities that he was a Mexican citizen. Medellín said in a sworn statement that he learned that the Mexican consulate could assist him in 1997. He petitioned the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
in 1998 regarding this issue; the appeal failed.
Medellín's impending execution became an international controversy, since the state did not hold a hearing about whether the inability for Medellín to meet with Mexican consular officials harmed his defense. The right of a defendant to talk with his or her consulate is specified in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
; the United States is a party to the convention. In 2004 the International Court of Justice
responded to a lawsuit filed by Mexico against the United States; the court ordered hearings to be held for inmates, including Medellín, who were denied consular rights.
In 2005 President of the United States
George W. Bush
ordered hearings to be held. The State of Texas 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. In July the World Court ordered a stay of Medellín's execution. Governor of Texas
Rick Perry
argued that Texas is not bound to World Court rulings. Death penalty opponents protested the impending execution. Randy Ertman, the father of Jennifer Ertman, favored the execution.
Randy Ertman wanted to have Andy Kahan, the City of Houston's crime advocate, witness the execution of Medellín. TDCJ refused to allow Kahan to witness the execution. Michelle Lyons, a TCDJ official, said that Tropical Storm Edouard would likely not be a factor preventing the execution of Medellín.
Medellín was executed at 9:57 p.m. on August 5, 2008, after his last-minute appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court. Governor Rick Perry
rejected calls from Mexico
and Washington, D.C.
to delay the execution, citing the torture, rape and strangulation of two teenage girls in Houston 15 years ago as just cause for the death penalty.
Peter Cantu was executed on August 17, 2010. The lethal injection was performed at 6:09 p.m. and at 6:17 p.m. Cantu was pronounced dead.
were not a significant issue in the city. C. E. Anderson, a Houston Police Department
officer who worked on the murder case, described the murder as "part of the impetus for the anti-gang programs in Houston." Jennifer Latson of the Houston Chronicle
said that the deaths of the girls "shook" the Oak Forest neighborhood of Houston "to its foundation."
Waltrip High School
contains a memorial to the girls. Another memorial exists at T.C. Jester Park.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, occurred on June 24, 1993. 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. The execution August 5, 2008 of one of the perpetrators, José Medellín
José Medellín
José Ernesto Medellín, born in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, was a Mexican national who was executed for the murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Peña in Texas in the United States....
, caused international controversy after it was revealed that Medellín was never allowed to meet with Mexican consular officials after his arrest.
Murder
On June 24, 1993, Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Peña, Waltrip High SchoolWaltrip High School
Stephen Pool Waltrip High School is a secondary school located at 1900 West 34th Street in Houston, Texas, United States, 77018.Waltrip, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Houston Independent School District....
students, were attending a pool party at an apartment of a friend. They realized that they were going to be late returning home and decided to leave the party. Ertman and Peña decided to take a 10 minute shortcut to Peña's residence in Oak Forest by following the railroad tracks and then passing through T.C. Jester Park, . The girls walked along the White Oak Bayou
White Oak Bayou
White Oak Bayou is one of the several waterways that give Houston, Texas, USA, its popular nickname, "The Bayou City." The Bayou originates northwest of FM 1960, near Highway 6 and U.S...
when they encountered gang members
Gangs in the United States
Street gangs in the United States date to the early 19th century. The most publicized street gangs in the U.S. are African-American; black gangs were not recognized as a social problem until after the great migration of the 1910s...
drinking beer after holding a gang initiation. The gang members captured Peña, and Ertman was captured after she ran to her friend as she screamed. Six gang members raped the girls repeatedly. Peter Cantu, a gang leader, ordered the members to kill the girls, so the members strangled them to death. Derrick Sean O'Brien and Raul Villarreal strangled Ertman with a red nylon belt before the belt broke; then the gang members used shoelaces. Cantu, José Medellín
José Medellín
José Ernesto Medellín, born in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, was a Mexican national who was executed for the murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Peña in Texas in the United States....
, and Efrain Perez strangled Peña with shoelaces. The members then stomped on the girls' throats to ensure their deaths.
Cantu, Medellín, Perez, and Villareal then congregated at Cantu's residence, where he lived with his brother, Joe Cantu, and sister-in-law, Christina Cantu. Christina Cantu questioned why Villareal was bleeding and Perez had a bloody shirt. This prompted Medellín to say the gang "had fun," and that details would appear on the news. He then elaborated that he had raped both girls.
Peter Cantu then returned, and divided valuables that had been stolen from the girls. Medellín got a ring with an "E", so he could give it to his girlfriend, Esther. Medellín reported that he had killed a girl, and noted that he would have found it easier with a gun. Derrick Sean O'Brien was videotaped smiling at the scene of the crime. After the gang left, Christina Cantu convinced Joe Cantu to report the crime to police.
Four days after the crime, the bodies were found in the park. They were badly decaying, and dental records were used for identification. The medical examiner corroborated that the cause of death was strangulation. All those believed responsible were ultimately arrested. Medellín gave both a written and taped confession.
Sentencing, incarceration, and execution
The offenders were sentenced into the Texas Department of Criminal JusticeTexas Department of Criminal Justice
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails and private correctional facilities, funding and certain...
(TDCJ) system. Peter Cantu, José Medellín
José Medellín
José Ernesto Medellín, born in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, was a Mexican national who was executed for the murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Peña in Texas in the United States....
, Derrick Sean O'Brien, Efrain Perez, and Raul Villareal received death sentences. Venancio Medellín, the brother of José Medellín, was 14 at the time of the murder. Venancio received a 40 year prison sentence. When the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
banned the executions of people who committed crimes while they were below 18 years of age, the sentences of Perez and Villareal were commuted to life in prison.
O'Brien was the first of the three convicted killers to be executed, in July 2006.
Medellín appealed his execution, saying that he had informed City of Houston and Harris County police officers that he was a Mexican citizen, and that he had been unable to confer with Mexican consular officials. The prosecutors said that Medellín never told authorities that he was a Mexican citizen. Medellín said in a sworn statement that he learned that the Mexican consulate could assist him in 1997. He petitioned the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the court of last resort for all criminal matters in the State of Texas, United States. The Court, which is based in the Supreme Court Building in Downtown Austin, is composed of a Presiding Judge and eight judges....
in 1998 regarding this issue; the appeal failed.
Medellín's impending execution became an international controversy, since the state did not hold a hearing about whether the inability for Medellín to meet with Mexican consular officials harmed his defense. The right of a defendant to talk with his or her consulate is specified in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963 is an international treaty that defines a framework for consular relations between independent countries...
; the United States is a party to the convention. In 2004 the International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
responded to a lawsuit filed by Mexico against the United States; the court ordered hearings to be held for inmates, including Medellín, who were denied consular rights.
In 2005 President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
ordered hearings to be held. The State of Texas challenged Bush's order, and the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
ruled that only the Congress of the United States has the right to order hearings to be held. In July the World Court ordered a stay of Medellín's execution. Governor of Texas
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
argued that Texas is not bound to World Court rulings. Death penalty opponents protested the impending execution. Randy Ertman, the father of Jennifer Ertman, favored the execution.
Randy Ertman wanted to have Andy Kahan, the City of Houston's crime advocate, witness the execution of Medellín. TDCJ refused to allow Kahan to witness the execution. Michelle Lyons, a TCDJ official, said that Tropical Storm Edouard would likely not be a factor preventing the execution of Medellín.
Medellín was executed at 9:57 p.m. on August 5, 2008, after his last-minute appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court. Governor Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
rejected calls from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to delay the execution, citing the torture, rape and strangulation of two teenage girls in Houston 15 years ago as just cause for the death penalty.
Peter Cantu was executed on August 17, 2010. The lethal injection was performed at 6:09 p.m. and at 6:17 p.m. Cantu was pronounced dead.
Aftermath
The parents of the murder victims successfully advocated for the State of Texas allowing relatives of victims to have permission to witness executions. Before the murder happened, City of Houston officials had stated that gangsGangs in the United States
Street gangs in the United States date to the early 19th century. The most publicized street gangs in the U.S. are African-American; black gangs were not recognized as a social problem until after the great migration of the 1910s...
were not a significant issue in the city. C. E. Anderson, a Houston Police Department
Houston Police Department
The Houston Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency serving the City of Houston, Texas, United States and some surrounding areas. Its headquarters are in 1200 Travis in Downtown Houston....
officer who worked on the murder case, described the murder as "part of the impetus for the anti-gang programs in Houston." Jennifer Latson of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
said that the deaths of the girls "shook" the Oak Forest neighborhood of Houston "to its foundation."
Waltrip High School
Waltrip High School
Stephen Pool Waltrip High School is a secondary school located at 1900 West 34th Street in Houston, Texas, United States, 77018.Waltrip, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Houston Independent School District....
contains a memorial to the girls. Another memorial exists at T.C. Jester Park.