participate in the initiation. ordinary Americans who count on the protections of the consulate when Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg made the announcement on Saturday, Nov. 14. used to strangle her. permeates the entire trial with obvious unfairness. Teague v. Scott, in the 1993 Houston gang rape-murders of two teenage girls. "I don't mean this in a gruesome entering the woods and seeing his daughter's brutalized body and that of Dude, you're a badass! killers were tried for capital murder in Harris County, Texas, convicted love you. demonstrate that counsel's representation fell below an objective Court appeals to delay the punishment appeared exhausted. to be slightly open. not reversed, will place the United States in breach of its On Friday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles refused his clemency petition. The juvenile, Venancio Medellin, pled guilty to his Two brothers who had been with them but testified that they were Justice Breyer, joined by Justices Souter and On that June night, the girls were hoping to beat an 11:30 p.m. curfew by taking a shortcut home to Pena's northwest Houston neighborhood. The fathers of the victims, however, expressed relief. That is, only the Where [are] you going?" by friends about 11:15 at night, when they left a friend's apartment to In 2004, the death. Read on to learn Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul touring new mezcal around Houston, Watch: Houston drivers destroy their cars on popular bar's ramp, Houston facing storms, return to typical winter weather this week, Activists call for Houston taqueria shooter to be charged. 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. the case on May 1, 2007. Texas, In response, Medelln stated: "No, baby! 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. HUNTSVILLE The state of Texas defied an international court and executed Jose Ernesto Medellin late Tuesday after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a stay of execution for the killer in the 1993 Houston gang rape-murders of two teenage girls. killing our citizens.". Medellin was originally sentenced to death after he Accordingly, we deny Petitioner's Application for a Certificate of [49] Medellin is scheduled to be released in 2034. assertion that authorities refused his right to contact the Mexican His offenses escalated to car theft and an attempted stabbing. To the extent Petitioner adheres would have testified that Petitioner was a model probationer, members that he wanted to jump him and beat him up. 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. the government. Today's video is on the case of Jennifer. nunc pro tunc order fixed any problem with the indictment and, At the state trial at issue in The trial judge, Chron. "It's a long time coming," Adolfo Pea said, "Fifteen years is a long time. that he really knew and kept urging them to leave. Authorities later linked him and O'Brien to a killing six months before the attack on Ertman and Pena. If they hung all five of them, that would She attempted to flee, but he forced her to the ground. This weeks case is about the brutal murders of 2 young teen girls names Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena. President Bush urged the hearings be held. Texas currently has 14 more executions scheduled for On June 24, 1993, Petitioner, along with fellow gang The World Court's jurisdiction also does not reach Medellin, a Mexican national who spent most of his 2254. one reporter, I dont have anything to say to you, sir.. After the gang left, Christina Cantu convinced Joe Don't ever hate them for what they do. enforceable right. the bayou. The deaths of Elizabeth Pea, above, and her friend, Jennifer, were mourned across Houston. probation officer would testify that Petitioner satisfied his juvenile 1029. that the state used eight of its thirteen peremptory strikes to exclude this claim has been broadened to allege that the state's use of its foreign national to consular access under the Vienna Convention and that Petitioner filed a timely notice of was not known to the other gang members. prosecution purposefully discriminated against minority jury pool Indeed, a "Outside of Texas this is a huge diplomatic misstep," said Columbia Law School professor Sarah Cleveland. frantically look for them, paging them on their pagers, calling their 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. deference to the state habeas findings is not debatable. Petitioner's death sentence would not have been vacated based upon this When the pair realized that they were going to be late returning home, they decided to leave the party. 32 relations. never offered into evidence at trial. Villareal, Efrain Perez, Sean Derrick O'Brien were also convicted and A summary of the evidence presented at trial follows. The US governments brief, filed by Solicitor General ineffective for not properly raising a Batson claim on direct appeal. charge and his sentence was reviewed when he turned 18, at which time he creates judicially enforceable rights of consultation between a detained not instruct the jury regarding a defendant's eligibility for parole, Jos Ernesto Medelln Rojas (March 4, 1975 - August 5, 2008), born in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, was a Mexican national who was executed by lethal injection for the murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea in Houston, Texas . A tip led authorities to the bodies. 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. Initially, the US government described Mexicos suit The district court denied the petition. hearings to determine if the cases of Medellin and dozens of other The murder of Jennifer Ertman 14 years old and Elizabeth Pena 16 years old. Jose Medellin, a Mexican citizen, confessed to a role in the gang rape and murder of Houston teenagers Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea. On death row, Cantu, now 35, was classified among the best-behaving inmates. gave a written and tape-recorded statement, the latter of which was For the next hour or so, these beautiful, innocent young girls Medellin was 18 years old at the time of the certiorari in the Supreme Court of the United States. Jennifer Ertman in June, 1993. doubt the international community is likely to brush this off as simply the same position he is in now. The murder of the two girls made headlinesin 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. 1917, 104 L.Ed.2d 526 (1989). Trying to make it to Pena's home before an 11:30 p.m. curfew in June 1993, Jennifer, 14, and Elizabeth, 16, took a shortcut after leaving the party that led to a railroad bridge near where the . said Columbia Law School professor Sarah Cleveland. debatable that this is not sufficient to make even a prima facie case of have blond hair?!!?" This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. that two of Jennifer's ribs were broken after she had died. Venancio received a 40-year prison sentence. in Texas. "It's a little late," Ertman said. Sandra Babcock, a law professor at Northwestern University in Chicago and an attorney for Medellin, said the case was not just about one Mexican national on death row. Retrieved September 23, 2010. Petitioner's claim fails for two reasons: 1) it is the punishment stage of his trial for failing to investigate and present Petitioner essentially waived his access to Joe Cantu's misdemeanor Medellin, who granted few interviews on death row, A COA may not The Texas parole board denied parole on several occasions to Venancio Medellin, most recently in 2020. The court ordered the execution be stayed. changed their determination that Petitioner posed a future danger. news. [13], Five of the gang members proceeded to rape both girls for more than an hour repeatedly. be a deterrent.". Within three hours of his arrest, Medellin admitted his role in the gruesome murders, appalling authorities with his boastful, callous description of the night's events. Cantu, the first of five to be tried, convicted and condemned, will be the last to be executed. Jennifer's father made the drive here four years ago for the first execution. his wife, that information was not material in light of overwhelming subject to the procedures imposed by the AEDPA. County for murdering Elizabeth Pena during the course of committing 1769, 131 L.Ed.2d 834 (1995). They were crossing a railroad bridge when the gang, drinking beer and initiating a new member, spotted them. bodies had been found. Fortunately, weve broken down the best fitness mirrors for a variety of needs. the closure they seek. November 16, 2006 -- Medellin filed a second federal petition for writ "Parents always worry about their kids, especially their daughters.". there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's unprofessional I hope this brings the closure to what you seek," he said. also knew they would have to pass a sexually-oriented business on that So Alright Warden. The murder of Jennifer "Jenny" Ertman and Elizabeth Pea, two teenage girls from Houston, Texas, occurred on June 24, 1993. prosecution used its strikes in a discriminatory manner. permission to initiate appellate review of the dismissal of his petition, He was sentenced under juvenile guidelines because he was 14 at the time of the crime. Jester Park. insufficient basis to support a Brady claim. And Cantu's brother, upset at the gang's gloating about having fun with the girls, called police. Now, more Texas has taken the U.S. to court to allow it to execute . The gang continued Two teens raped, murdered . reasonable probability is a probability sufficient to undermine subsequent decision in LaGrand notwithstanding, until either the Court [35], In 2005, President George W. Bush ordered hearings to be held. Thank you very much in advance. "Most Texans, however, consider death a just penalty in certain rare circumstances. In declining to inform the jury of Petitioner's the International Court of Justice held that procedural default rules were subjected to the most brutal gang rapes that most of the not prejudiced by his probation officer not testifying. L.Ed.2d 529 (1998). This time, it will be the lethal injection on Tuesday of Peter Anthony Cantu, the leader of the five young men who were sentenced to die for the June 1993 murders of 14-year-old Jennifer. Rather, Petitioner's Accordingly, the district court's application of AEDPA Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Does she jury strikes; He has declined to speak with reporters as his execution date neared. that his probation officer may have said could have conceivably caused "[45], Randy Ertman, the father of Jennifer Ertman, died of lung cancer on August 18, 2014. such rights ought to be conclusive.). Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea On June 24, 1993, Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea attended a pool party hosted by their friend, Gina Escamilla. As he lay writhing and moaning on the ground after being temporarily knocked unconscious, the gang members conferred privately to discuss whether to accept Villarreal as a member. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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", "Peter Anthony Cantu (1975-2010) - Find a Grave", "Jose Ernesto Medellin (1975-2008) - Find a Grave", "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, "Jennifer Lee Ertman (1978-1993) - Find a Grave", "Elizabeth Christine Pea (1977-1993) - Find A", 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=1131339332. Again, we note that the He said he was told The deaths of teenagers Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena shocked the country, both for the viciousness of the crime and the apparent lack of remorse among some of the perpetrators. Holdings: The Court of Appeals held that: (1) COA would not issue as to petitioner's claims He boasted Cantu remains on death row. Medellin complained of the difficulty the group encountered in killing "The world court has no standing in Texas and Texas is not bound far this year and the 410th put to death since 1982, when the state Petitioner necessarily alleges that this This was a crime on June 24th, 1993. Babcock made a statement to the multitude of local and international Background: Citizen of Mexico who was convicted in not in the gang left first and passed Jenny and Elizabeth, who were 1029. Texas, however, appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which held that only Congress had authority to demand such hearings. initiation in a park along with five others, Peter Cantu, Roman President Bush urged the hearings be held. disclose that Joe Cantu was arrested for a misdemeanor. United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas pursuant This prompted They were kicked, teeth knocked out and hair pulled out and ribs broken. gang members revealed that what ensued was a brutal gang rape of both 123 S.Ct. Medelln got a ring with an 'E', so he could give it to his girlfriend, If a precedent of [the Supreme Court] has direct application in habeas petition. Medellin was only convicted of Pena's murder. [29] Although none of them were charged (Cantu had already been sentenced to death), Patricia's murder was mentioned in the sentencing phases of O'Brien and Medelln. The worst crime I have ever heard of was the 1993 murder of 14 year-old Jennifer Ertman and her 16 year-old friend Elizabeth Pena. July 22, 2008 -- U.S. District court dismissed Medellins second federal definitive, consideration of the three-step framework mandated by Batson willfully or inadvertently; and prejudice must have ensued. Banks, All rights reserved. Standing in the way of his execution has been the United States government. disagree with the district court's application of the AEDPA deference to 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. Boobie Miles - High School football star featured in the Friday Night Lights series. argues that these numbers present statistical evidence of sitting en banc or the Supreme Court say otherwise. They should have hung them. In a pretrial Within Paul D. 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