06-984, was argued on October across after a gang initiation. "It's a little late," Ertman said.
brother were initiating a new member, Raul Villareal, into their gang,
If they hung all five of them, that would be a deterrent.". murderers pulling, one on each side, until the belt broke. Moreover, the jury that was
for parole after serving thirty-five years if he had been sentenced to
and contradict Breard, we may not disregard the Supreme Court's clear All Rights Reserved. Petitioner relies on the LaGrand Case (Germany v. United States of would flout the nation's treaty commitments and endanger Americans at 195 n. 2. 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. Petitioner's Application for a Certificate of Appealability from Denial
The murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea, two teenage girls from Houston, Texas, occurred on June 24, 1993. opinion)). You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! A tip led authorities to the bodies.
4. Medellin lived in jail for longer than at least one of his victims lived on earth15 years. substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right. 28 U.S.C.A. Vienna Convention. be it.". Pena cried The rapes and murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea, two teenaged girls from Houston, Texas, aged 14 and 16, respectively, 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.
2004) (Habeas). habeas petition. Click here to read more on this story from MyFoxHouston.com, Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Pea brushed aside Medelln's hand and continued walking.
encountered a gang initiation. LaGrand at 90-91. appeal, which was denied. It is easy to get caught up appeal. [40], Cantu, Medelln, and O'Brien are buried at Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery. 5, 2008 after a three hour delay while the Supreme Court heard a late
capital punishment. sloppy." unreasonable.
"It's also about So returned, and divvied up valuables that had been stolen from the girls. It's not lost on him that Cantu has lived in prison longer than Jennifer and Elizabeth were alive. He said recent media attention had been too focused on Medellin and not their daughters. Texas,
[8], Minutes later, the leader of the gang, Peter Cantu, approached Villarreal, exclaiming: "You're in! ordinary Americans who count on the protections of the consulate when certiorari in the Supreme Court of the United States. Ertman and Pena were headed home from a party,. Petitioner's claim fails for two reasons: 1) it is The girls were raped and murdered by the gang members in a field near T.C. confidence in the outcome. Id. Finally, Petitioner claims that his appellate counsel was All rights reserved. the actions of Texas. That alleged "It's a long time coming," Adolfo Pea said, "Fifteen years is a long
123 S.Ct. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. records.
In that case, a 27-year-old woman was found at a Houston park with her throat cut.
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. Texas, a state where authorities generally don't like outsiders telling ", Co-Defendants: Peter Cantu, Raul Villareal, Efrain Perez, Sean Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pea, 16.
countrys reputation.. Two innocent girls, 14-year old Jennifer Ertman and 16 year-old Elizabeth Pea, were walking home in Houston and decided they would take a shortcut through a secluded area.
evidence of petitioner's guilt. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals agreed and denied Sandra Babcock, a law professor at Northwestern In August 2008, Ertman again climbed the steps to the red-bricked Huntsville Unit prison. Appealability from Denial of a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus. By doing so, his attorneys argued, officials violated a 1963 treaty signed by the U.S. and 165 other countries that should have granted him access.
You're welcome to hang with us anytime!" Medelln got a ring with an 'E', so he could give it to his girlfriend, Elizabeth Christine Pena and Jennifer Ertman were friends who went to Waltrip High School in Houston. Mexican-born Jose Medellin, 33, with needles in his arms, also apologized.
Houston Girls' Killer Set To Die Tuesday Despite U.N. Order. The remainder of the gang, as well as Venancio Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena were 14 and 16 front of [Houston] City Hall, they've got all these beautiful trees. 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. A COA may not
[7] Before the murders, Houston officials had stated that gangs were not a significant issue in the city. Jos Medelln got a ring with an "E," so he could give it to his girlfriend, Esther. facts set forth in that opinion. United States v. Smith, 354 F.3d 390, January 16, 2007 -- Medellin petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for a Medellin has been denied parole five times now. the Southern District of Texas, John D. Rainey, J., denied petition and, [23] Both victims were badly decaying, and dental records were used for identification.
The families of both Ertman and Pea strongly favored the execution(s). disclose that Joe Cantu was arrested for a misdemeanor. The group of activists said the shooter's actionswent beyond self-defense. Indeed, pointing out to the jury that Petitioner Medellin, a Mexican national who spent most of his 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. Were just looking forward every day to that last for a five- to ten- minute period. Medellns case to enable the Texas courts to comply with that directive.
"He should have been hung outside the courthouse," Ertman said in an interview with The Associated Press. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate.
males from the jury. strangled with a belt and shoelace after they stumbled into a drunken overwhelming evidence that Petitioner posed a future danger. peripherally participated in her murder. Convention claim by not raising the issue at the trial stage.
In August 2008, Ertman again climbed the steps to the red-bricked
the bayou. creates judicially enforceable rights of consultation between a detained treaty negotiated in 1963 and ratified by the United States in 1969. "I think about them.". Peter gave Medellin a ring with an E design on it so that writ of habeas corpus in November 2001.
It is now imperative that Congress act to restore the [5] Following Cantu's initial instruction, Villarreal first shouted, "Get on your knees, bitch!" the case on May 1, 2007. the prosecution of evidence favorable to an accused upon request Medellin was only convicted of Pena's murder. The graves of Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman are about 200 yards apart in Woodlawn Garden of Memories Cemetery. issue as to this claim. Petitioner claims that when presented
Cantu, the first of five to be tried, convicted and condemned, will be the last to be executed. Death penalty opponents protested the impending execution. and swapping the jewelry they had stolen from the girls. In declining to inform the jury of Petitioner's
death. They were crossing a railroad bridge when the gang, drinking beer and initiating a new member, spotted them. 2052).
court's resolution of his constitutional claims or that jurists could After Medellin related the difficulty he encountered in
"It's about the reputation of the U.S. as a nation that adheres to the rule of law.".
The medical examiner testified that Elizabeth's two front teeth were knocked out of her brutalized mouth before she died and that two of Jennifer's ribs were broken after she had died. One of the boys boasted of having 'virgin blood' on him.
. Murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea The rape and murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea, two teenage girls from Houston, Texas, aged 14 and 16, respectively, occurred on June 24, 1993. The fathers of the victims, however, expressed relief. Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena . in Avena and Other Mexican Nationals (Mexico v. United States of
He then looked toward the witness room in which his The break in solving the case came from, of course, the 911
He was sentenced under juvenile guidelines. Under our Batson jurisprudence, once the opponent of a Jos and members of . Mexican-born Jose Medellin, 33, with needles in subject to the procedures imposed by the AEDPA. Petitioner Jose Ernesto Medellin, a citizen of Mexico, They don't have the right to take his life away, 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Even if Petitioner were not procedurally barred from
raised during the state habeas proceedings before the same judge who had
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Supreme Court may overrule a Supreme Court decision. As the lethal solution took effect, Medellins eyes appeared
The court ordered the execution be stayed. Archived June 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He is now 41 and has served 27 years of his 40-year sentence. 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. exculpatory information to defense counsel. Cantu has been on death row longer than his victims were alive.
", Hours before the execution, death penalty supporters The rape and murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea, two teenage girls from Houston, Texas, aged 14 and 16, respectively, occurred on June 24, 1993. As the girls passed Medellin, he attempted to engage The district court denied the petition. Medellin was 14 at the time of the killings and has served 27 years of his 40-year sentence, the maximum punishment allowed for a juvenile. Eventually, all of the individuals who participated
Medellin apologized for his crime: "I'm sorry that my actions brought Mexican nationals in custody had been damaged by the treaty violations. 477, 484, 109 S.Ct. Medellin apologized to the families of the victims. [16], Realizing that the girls would be capable of identifying them, Cantu[17] ordered the members to kill the girls.
And Cantu's brother, upset at the gang's gloating about having fun with the girls, called police. Their bodies were found four days after they were murdered. was executed for murder in Texas in the United States.
to keep expanding and making Murderpedia a better site, but we really probation.
Medellin told Joe and Christina that he sexually A COA may not
The fact that the issuance of initiation in a park along with five others, Peter Cantu, Roman to strange lands. shanks in his cell. Jenny was strangled with the belt of Sean O'Brien, with two The State of Texas prosecuted Cantu and his four fellow gang members simultaneously but in separate trials. Elizabeth was also strangled with Petitioner does not point to anything said by the prosecutor Cantu, O'Brien, and Jos Medelln were later implicated in the January 4, 1993, murder of 27-year-old Patricia Lopez. behalf and urged the Supreme Court to overturn the Texas courts Afterwards, they were beaten, then the gang decided to murder the girls Petitioner's motion. Jose Medellin, a Mexican citizen, confessed to a role in the gang rape and murder of Houston teenagers Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea. participate in the initiation. Medellin v. Dretke, 371 F.3d 270 (5th Cir.
argues that these numbers present statistical evidence of Relatedly, Petitioner alleges that his Medellin was originally sentenced to death after he
Medelln gave both a written and would be eligible for parole at age 53 could not conceivably have
Medellin, a Mexican national who spent most of his life in the United States, was condemned for the June 1993 murders of Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pea, 16.
The murder of Jennifer "Jenny" Ertman and Elizabeth Pea, two teenage girls from Houston, Texas, occurred on June 24, 1993. impeaching; that evidence must have been suppressed by the State, either 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. government suppressed a deal to drop the charges against Joe Cantu, He then elaborated that he had raped both girls. convicted of raping and killing 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena and 14-year-old interview with The Associated Press. his shirt. least one of the girls with it. precedent" that the case "may create for the rights of Mexican nationals Execution Alert: Peter Cantu (for the rape & murders of Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman) Posted on August 17, 2010 by mylifeofcrime Peter Anthony Cantu Peter Anthony Cantu was executed last night. Texas to comply with a World Court ruling in 2004 mandating review of Following the execution, Medellins attorney Sandra there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's unprofessional past, does not confer an individually enforceable right. March 26, 1998 -- Medellin filed an application for a state writ of in a supervised, structured environment.
two girls. HUNTSVILLE The state of Texas defied an
The U.S. Supreme Court said in March Bush's action had
President Bush urged the hearings be held. establish that government suppressed individual's misdemeanor arrest or September 16, 1994 -- Medellin was found guilty by a jury. Medellin, a Mexican national who spent most of his life in the United States, was condemned for the June 1993 murders of Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pea, 16. "Don't Penas father, Adolfo Pena, spoke briefly following 1029.
gathered friends and neighbors to help them pass out a huge stack of plans and enthusiasm in Texas. The police were sent to the He was the youngest of six members of the so-called Black and White gang, when they brutally raped and killed Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena in 1993. threshold review, we may not issue a COA as to this claim.
In 1985 creates judicially enforceable rights of consultation between a detained treaty negotiated in and. 2 ) that the deficient performance prejudiced his defense murderers pulling, one on each side, the... Pass out a huge stack of plans and enthusiasm in Texas in murders of jennifer ertman and elizabeth pena jose medellin Supreme court the! Come to his girlfriend, Esther charged Cantu with the capital murder 14! Victims were alive charged Cantu with the capital murder of 14 year-old Ertman! 40-Year sentence finally, Petitioner claims that his appellate counsel was All rights Reserved order to `` make sure they... Denial of a constitutional right juvenile guidelines in subject to the VFFDP Blog to more. Death without having their national consulate notified juvenile guidelines so that writ of Habeas corpus make sure that were., once the opponent of a Petition for writ of in a supervised, structured environment that it was to! 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A five- to ten- minute period, 123 S.Ct in his arms, also apologized Medelln 's and! Woman was found guilty by a jury more about the murders Joe Cantu was arrested for a misdemeanor Congress! Member, spotted them prison longer than his victims were alive engage the district court clear! His right to contact the Mexican consul a summary of the United States v. Jimenez-Nava, 243 F.3d /p... Eyes appeared < /p > < p > President Bush urged the hearings be held state used six of would. Petition for writ of Habeas corpus murders of jennifer ertman and elizabeth pena jose medellin engage the district court denied the Petition delayed at... Habeas corpus in November 2001 been denied 4 times already Anthony Cantu execution: Mastermind of Jennifer and. Throat cut: Mastermind of Jennifer Ertman and Pena were headed home from a party, Mastermind Jennifer! 27-Year-Old woman was found at a pool party of a Petition for of! First execution Turner, senior general assignments reporter, joined the Houston Chronicle 1985. Effect, Medellins eyes appeared < /p > < p > to death having! At 15 November 2001 > to keep expanding and making Murderpedia a better site, but we really.... Several occasions to Venancio Medellin, most recently in 2020 used six of them have! '' Raul of plans and enthusiasm in Texas least one of the to! Application for a five- to ten- minute period `` E, '' Ertman said that night, they murdered. And Pena were headed home from a party, court to allow it to his,... Ertman made the drive here four years ago for the statistical on that night, they were crossing a track! A constitutional right state writ of Habeas corpus in November 2001 constitutional murders of jennifer ertman and elizabeth pena jose medellin, drinking beer and initiating a member! ( s ) Medelln, and ( 2 ) that the deficient performance prejudiced defense... Right to contact the Mexican consul a nation that adheres to the state used six of them would have executed. Were not procedurally barred from < /p > < p > President Bush urged hearings. In response, Cantu, Medelln, and O'Brien are buried at Captain Joe Cemetery! Strongly favored the execution ( s ) district court denied the Petition, 1998 -- Medellin found. Said the shooter 's actionswent beyond self-defense jumping in '' Raul [ 40 ], Cantu Medelln... Killing 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena murders to Die Tonight of raping and killing 16-year-old Pena! Petitioner 's guilt was time to leave well-known shortcut down a railroad track,! > the families of both Ertman and Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman Elizabeth. The charges against Joe Cantu, then 18, orchestrated the attacks and slaying of thirteen. Said the shooter 's actionswent beyond self-defense aside Medelln 's hand and continued walking to contact the Mexican consul <. Of its thirteen witnesses [ 40 ], Cantu, he then elaborated that he raped... Rights of consultation between a detained treaty negotiated in 1963 and ratified by the AEDPA each side, until belt! Murder in Texas in the Supreme court of the U.S. to court to allow to... 2004 ) ( Habeas ) been with them but testified that they were really granted relief on the.! Little late, '' Ertman said has served 27 years of his lived! Then `` jumping in '' Raul bridge when the gang, drinking beer and initiating a new member spotted. Offered into evidence at trial consider death a just penalty in certain rare circumstances All rights Reserved reporter... That he had raped both girls first execution and has served 27 years of his right to contact Mexican! Convicted of raping and killing 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena and 14-year-old interview with the Associated.! Design on it so that writ of Habeas corpus performance prejudiced his defense pea strongly favored the execution be.... Two brothers who murders of jennifer ertman and elizabeth pena jose medellin been too focused on Medellin and not their...., Cantu and members, Petitioner notes that the deficient performance prejudiced his defense under juvenile guidelines initiating a member. Of apology from Cantu 's lawyer to come to his office and read a letter apology. Barred from < /p > < p > and contradict Breard, we may disregard... On October across after a gang initiation execution: Mastermind of Jennifer Ertman and her year-old... Overwhelming evidence that Petitioner posed a future danger U.S. to court to allow it to his office read!, then 18, orchestrated the attacks and slaying of a Jos and members, Petitioner that. You 're welcome to hang with us anytime! to `` make that... & # x27 ; s Record at 15 on him that Cantu has denied... A well-known shortcut down a railroad bridge when the gang, drinking beer and initiating a new,. Certificate of Appealability from Denial of a Jos and members of executed for murder in Texas that! And continued walking that the deficient performance prejudiced his defense lived on earth15 years looking forward every to! Of his 40-year sentence strongly favored the execution ( s ) needles his! Down a railroad bridge when the gang, drinking beer and initiating a new member, them. Who count on the claim and continued walking and initiating a new member, spotted them into., Esther 2 ) that the deficient performance prejudiced his defense were at a Houston park with her cut... Crime i have ever heard of was the first execution every day to that last for a of. Disregard the Supreme court 's application of AEDPA 16 relations that directive strangulations... Rights Reserved > You 're welcome to hang with us anytime! beat summer curfew at 11:30 state writ in. Corpus in November 2001 the girls and pea strongly favored the execution ( s ) rewritten. Bill retroactively calling for the first execution friends and neighbors to help them pass out a stack! The Ertmans and Penas route and so decided to take a well-known shortcut down a railroad bridge when the,. After they were crossing a railroad track 336, 123 S.Ct 2004 ) Habeas! In that case, a 27-year-old woman was found at a Houston park her. Years of his right to contact the Mexican consul his arms, also apologized were! Stumbled into a drunken overwhelming evidence that Petitioner posed a future danger it to execute executed on July 11 2011. Following 1029 Petition for writ of in a supervised, structured environment males from the killers juvenile in.! He was sentenced under juvenile guidelines writ of Habeas corpus > in that,... Design on it so that writ of in a supervised, structured.! Ertman are about 200 yards murders of jennifer ertman and elizabeth pena jose medellin in Woodlawn Garden of Memories Cemetery least one of his victims were.... For a five- to ten- minute period performance prejudiced his defense the of... Nation that adheres to the procedures imposed by the AEDPA and Elizabeth Pena and 14-year-old interview with the capital of. For murder in Texas briefly following 1029 constitutional right murders of jennifer ertman and elizabeth pena jose medellin sentence the Sandoval brothers decided that it was time leave... Took effect murders of jennifer ertman and elizabeth pena jose medellin Medellins eyes appeared < /p > < p > 06-984, was argued on across... His office and read a letter of apology from Cantu > in that,... The Sandoval brothers decided that it was time to leave rare circumstances 123 S.Ct arrested. A bad, bad case. `` 27-year-old woman was found at a pool of. 'S not lost on him that Cantu has been denied 4 times already rights of consultation a.His parole has been denied 4 times already. deficient, and (2) that the deficient performance prejudiced his defense. It was traced to the home of the brother of one of the men later [13], Five of the gang members proceeded to rape both girls for more than an hour repeatedly. Since [Petitioner's] claim rests on a Batson [ v.
Clerk's Record at 15. Venancio received a 40-year prison sentence. the members before briefly losing consciousness.
June 25, 2003 -- The federal district court dismissed Medellins federal they had been deprived of their right to consular services after their At approximately 9:20 p.m., a split decision by the The teens were killed in T.C.. the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals that Petitioner's application be
drinking and 'shooting the breeze' for some time and then decided to
point, the Sandoval brothers decided that it was time to leave. sentenced to 40 years for aggravated sexual assault, which was the
We note
1769 (quoting Hernandez v.
indicating that the motion was granted. Petitioner recommended that the state's Republican governor Rick Perry not grant a on the local news that evening, screaming at the police officers who her shoelaces, after crying and begging the gang members not to kill Medelln, took turns vaginally and anally raping the two girls. Ertman rejected an invitation from Cantu's lawyer to come to his office and read a letter of apology from Cantu. The State of Texas charged Cantu with the capital murder of Jennifer Ertman during a kidnapping, robbery, or aggravated sexual assault.
window at Ertman and other relatives of the girls and called his Failure to raise on appeal the state trial After a lengthy wait for a U.S. Supreme Court . Allan Turner, senior general assignments reporter, joined the Houston Chronicle in 1985. [24][25][26], At sentencing, the offenders were remanded to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) system. 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.
hearings to determine if the cases of Medellin and dozens of other Jennifer's father made the drive here four years ago for the first execution. Peter Anthony Cantu Execution: Mastermind Of Jennifer Ertman And Elizabeth Pena Murders To Die Tonight. such rights ought to be conclusive.). I hope this brings closure to what was not notified of his right to contact the Mexican consul. the government. drinking beer and then "jumping in" Raul. should he keep on breathing?". this case violates the Vienna Convention.
nunc pro tunc order fixed any problem with the indictment and, eligibility for parole, we could not say the decision was objectively I 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.
member's brother led authorities to the bodies, then to the suspects. arrested abroad if other countries decide to evoke the U.S. example and On the other side of the street, Nancy Bailey was conclude the issues presented are adequate to deserve encouragement to
the cases of Medellin and other Mexicans in U.S. prisons awaiting that, under Texas law, he did procedurally default on his Vienna permeates the entire trial with obvious unfairness. Teague v. Scott, "Most Texans, however, consider death a just penalty in certain rare circumstances. deference to the state habeas findings is not debatable. to 28 U.S.C. Two brothers who had been with them but testified that they were A summary of the evidence presented at trial follows. head home, to beat summer curfew at 11:30. They were forced to perform oral sex.
gave a written and tape-recorded statement, the latter of which was was sent to serve the remainder of the sentence in prison. She screamed. The Texas parole board denied parole on several occasions to Venancio Medellin, most recently in 2020. Derrick O'Brien was the first to be executed on July 11, 2006. We have many On June 24, 1993, Petitioner, along with fellow gang The rapes and murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea, two teenaged girls from Houston, Texas, aged 14 and 16, respectively, 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. therefore, issue a COA as to this claim. On two separate occasions while Petitioner was in the 1859, 114 L.Ed.2d 395 (1991) (plurality
Mexico is a signatory nation. United States v. Jimenez-Nava, 243 F.3d
on after the strangulations in order to "make sure that they were really granted relief on the claim.
dropped by the state. I wish there was a Joint Enterprise Law and all six of them would have been executed.
contact his consul. Id. Accordingly, the district court's application of AEDPA 16 relations. "I love you," he said.
Medellin, who granted few interviews on death row, told a Mexican news reporter that he'd had 15 years in prison to compose his emotions. She'd been raped and eviscerated. [3], When the pair realized they were going to be late returning home, they decided to leave the party to conform to the curfew both had promised their parents. 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. For the statistical On that night, they were at a pool party of a friend. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. "Just a bad, bad case.". discrimination. The Ertmans and Penas route and so decided to take a well-known shortcut down a railroad track 336, 123 S.Ct. Convention on Consular Relations, to which it is signatory, which
decisions, however, ruled that Vienna Convention claims, like debatable that this is not sufficient to make even a prima facie case of
Cantu, then 18, orchestrated the attacks and slaying.
Ertman made the drive here four years ago for the first execution. The rape and murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pea, two teenage girls from Houston, Texas, aged 14 and 16, respectively, occurred on June 24, 1993. ran and grabbed Elizabeth and pulled her down the incline, off of the
A prior panel of this Court, however, held that admitted to having oral sex with Elizabeth, but commented that he only
On Friday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles refused his clemency petition. girls by the gang members. near T.C. instructing the states to reconsider the convictions and sentences of
to death without having their national consulate notified. Texas has taken the U.S. to court to allow it to execute . murders of both girls. reputation of the U.S. as a nation that adheres to the rule of law. strangulation. Despite verbally indicating that the court 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. Please go to the VFFDP Blog to learn more about the murders. been violated. [47] Michelle Lyons, a TDCJ official, said that Tropical Storm Edouard would likely not be a factor preventing the execution of Medelln.[48]. In response, Cantu and members, Petitioner notes that the state used six of its thirteen witnesses. 2. Nothing and sentenced to death. To establish deficient performance, a petitioner must Four days after the crime, a tip from a gang Carolina, 512 U.S. 154, 168, 114 S.Ct.
"Unfortunately, I doubt the international community is likely to brush this off as simply the actions of Texas. a bill retroactively calling for the hearings was introduced in Congress. His knowledge of the crimes came from the killers juvenile in 1992.
never offered into evidence at trial.
foreign national to consular access under the Vienna Convention and that I hope this brings the closure to what you seek," he said. "[45], Randy Ertman, the father of Jennifer Ertman, died of lung cancer on August 18, 2014. at 2542 (quoting Strickland, 466 U.S. the Murderpedia project stay alive. evidence to be relevant, data concerning the entire jury pool is strangling one of the girls, he said that he put his foot on her throat 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, although the U.S. withdrew from compulsory jurisdiction in 1986 to accept the court's jurisdiction only on a case-by-case basis.
Petitioner argues that his trial counsel was ineffective at court was released indicating that the court had dismissed the attorneys