José MedellíN
Mexican Serial Killer Case
CLASSIFICATION: Serial Homicide
LOCATION
Houston, Texas
TIME PERIOD
June 1993
VICTIMS
2 confirmed
José Ernesto Medellín Rojas, a Mexican national, was executed by lethal injection on August 5, 2008, for the brutal rapes and murders of 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman and 16-year-old Elizabeth Peña in Houston, Texas, on June 24, 1993. Medellín was part of a gang initiation that escalated into violence when the two girls, returning home from a birthday party, encountered the gang at T.C. Jester Park. Alongside five accomplices, Medellín and others raped both girls before murdering them to eliminate any chance of identification. The case gained international attention when Mexico sued the United States in the International Court of Justice, claiming violations of the Vienna Convention regarding consular rights, but the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately upheld the execution. Significant evidence included DNA from the victims linking Medellín to the crime, and his conviction was affirmed despite the international legal challenges.
Many believe that Medellín's gang initiation ritual was a significant factor in the brutal nature of the murders, as it involved a group dynamic that escalated violence. There is speculation that the case highlighted systemic issues regarding the treatment of foreign nationals in the U.S. legal system, particularly regarding consular rights. Some theorize that the international ramifications of the case, including Mexico's legal actions against the U.S., reflect broader tensions between national sovereignty and international human rights obligations.
The Dark Path of José Medellín: A True Crime Chronicle
The Crime and Its Aftermath
On a balmy night in June 1993, the vibrant city of Houston, Texas, became the backdrop for a harrowing crime that would reverberate through the halls of international justice. José Ernesto Medellín Rojas, born on March 4, 1975, in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, was a young man whose life spiraled into notoriety as a murderer. His actions on that fateful summer night led to his execution by lethal injection on August 5, 2008, marking the end of a grim chapter in the annals of true crime.
On June 24, 1993, Medellín, alongside five others—Peter Cantu, Ramon Sandoval, Efrain Perez, and Derrick Sean O'Brien—engaged in a gang initiation at T.C. Jester Park, a seemingly innocuous location that would become infamous. Frank Sandoval and Venancio Medellín were also present but did not partake in the initiation. The rite of passage involved Raul Villareal enduring beatings from the gang members. As the night wore on, the group remained in the park, alcohol flowing freely among them.
Unbeknownst to the gang, two young girls, Jennifer Ertman, just 14, and Elizabeth Peña, 16, were making their way home from a birthday party, trying to beat an 11:30 p.m. curfew. Their shortcut through the park intersected tragically with the gang's gathering. Medellín initiated a conversation with Peña, which quickly turned into a violent assault. As Peña cried for help, Ertman rushed to her friend's aid, only to be overpowered and pushed to the ground by Cantu and O'Brien. Witnessing this horror, Ramon and Frank Sandoval chose to leave the scene.
What followed was a brutal and heinous crime. The remaining gang members, including Venancio Medellín, took turns raping the girls. After this horrifying act, they decided to eliminate the witnesses. Medellín, along with Cantu and Perez, strangled Peña with her own shoelaces, crushing her neck with his foot for good measure. Villareal and O'Brien did the same to Ertman, using a nylon belt until it snapped under the strain.
The Aftermath and Investigation
In the immediate aftermath, the perpetrators retreated to Peter Cantu's home, where his brother Joe Cantu and sister-in-law Christina Cantu lived. Observing Villarreal's injuries and Perez's bloody shirt, Christina pressed for details. Medellín casually remarked that they had "fun" and that it would make the news, boasting of the rapes. Peter Cantu returned, distributing stolen valuables among the group. Medellín took a ring marked with an "E" for his girlfriend, Esther, and nonchalantly admitted to killing a girl, noting he would have preferred a gun for the task. Derrick Sean O'Brien, meanwhile, was captured on videotape grinning at the crime scene.
Disturbed, Christina Cantu convinced her husband to alert the authorities. Four days later, the girls' decomposing bodies were discovered in the park, identified through dental records. The medical examiner confirmed the cause of death as strangulation, leading to the arrest of all involved. Medellín provided both written and recorded confessions.
The Legal Battle
As the gruesome details of the crime emerged, a complex legal battle unfolded. Medellín's case gained international attention when Mexico sued the United States in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), arguing that the U.S. had breached the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations by not informing Medellín of his right to consult with Mexican diplomats. The ICJ ruled that the U.S. was obliged to reopen the cases of 51 Mexican nationals, including Medellín.
Initially dismissive, the U.S. government ultimately agreed to adhere to the ruling, with the White House instructing states to reconsider the convictions. However, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals refused to comply, prompting the Bush administration to appeal on Medellín's behalf to the Supreme Court. On March 25, 2008, in Medellín v. Texas, the Supreme Court sided with Texas, rejecting the Bush administration's arguments and allowing the execution to proceed. Justice Roberts, joined by Justices Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, and Alito, formed the majority, while Justice Stevens concurred separately. Justices Breyer, Souter, and Ginsburg dissented.
The Execution
Despite the International Court of Justice's plea for a stay of execution on July 16, 2008, Texas Governor Rick Perry's spokesman, Robert Black, asserted that the state would proceed with the execution, prioritizing the victims' plight over international edicts.
On August 5, 2008, after a four-hour delay as the Supreme Court reviewed a late appeal, José Ernesto Medellín was executed at 9:57 p.m. CST in the Huntsville Unit, a solemn end fitting a crime of such brutality. He was later buried at Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery, alongside fellow perpetrators Cantu and O'Brien.
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Murders of Ertman and Peña
José Medellín and gang rape and murder Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Peña in Houston.
Bodies Discovered
The bodies of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Peña are found in T.C. Jester Park.
Arrests Made
José Medellín and others are arrested and charged with the murders.
Conviction
Medellín is convicted of capital murder for the deaths of Ertman and Peña.
Mexico Sues US
Mexico files a lawsuit against the US in the International Court of Justice regarding Medellín's case.
Supreme Court Hearing
The Supreme Court agrees to hear the case Medellín v. Texas regarding his execution.
Supreme Court Decision
The Supreme Court rules against Medellín, allowing Texas to proceed with the execution.
Execution
José Medellín is executed by lethal injection in Texas.
José Ernesto Medellín Rojas, a Mexican national, was executed by lethal injection on August 5, 2008, for the brutal rapes and murders of 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman and 16-year-old Elizabeth Peña in Houston, Texas, on June 24, 1993. Medellín was part of a gang initiation that escalated into violence when the two girls, returning home from a birthday party, encountered the gang at T.C. Jester Park. Alongside five accomplices, Medellín and others raped both girls before murdering them to eliminate any chance of identification. The case gained international attention when Mexico sued the United States in the International Court of Justice, claiming violations of the Vienna Convention regarding consular rights, but the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately upheld the execution. Significant evidence included DNA from the victims linking Medellín to the crime, and his conviction was affirmed despite the international legal challenges.
Many believe that Medellín's gang initiation ritual was a significant factor in the brutal nature of the murders, as it involved a group dynamic that escalated violence. There is speculation that the case highlighted systemic issues regarding the treatment of foreign nationals in the U.S. legal system, particularly regarding consular rights. Some theorize that the international ramifications of the case, including Mexico's legal actions against the U.S., reflect broader tensions between national sovereignty and international human rights obligations.
The Dark Path of José Medellín: A True Crime Chronicle
The Crime and Its Aftermath
On a balmy night in June 1993, the vibrant city of Houston, Texas, became the backdrop for a harrowing crime that would reverberate through the halls of international justice. José Ernesto Medellín Rojas, born on March 4, 1975, in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, was a young man whose life spiraled into notoriety as a murderer. His actions on that fateful summer night led to his execution by lethal injection on August 5, 2008, marking the end of a grim chapter in the annals of true crime.
On June 24, 1993, Medellín, alongside five others—Peter Cantu, Ramon Sandoval, Efrain Perez, and Derrick Sean O'Brien—engaged in a gang initiation at T.C. Jester Park, a seemingly innocuous location that would become infamous. Frank Sandoval and Venancio Medellín were also present but did not partake in the initiation. The rite of passage involved Raul Villareal enduring beatings from the gang members. As the night wore on, the group remained in the park, alcohol flowing freely among them.
Unbeknownst to the gang, two young girls, Jennifer Ertman, just 14, and Elizabeth Peña, 16, were making their way home from a birthday party, trying to beat an 11:30 p.m. curfew. Their shortcut through the park intersected tragically with the gang's gathering. Medellín initiated a conversation with Peña, which quickly turned into a violent assault. As Peña cried for help, Ertman rushed to her friend's aid, only to be overpowered and pushed to the ground by Cantu and O'Brien. Witnessing this horror, Ramon and Frank Sandoval chose to leave the scene.
What followed was a brutal and heinous crime. The remaining gang members, including Venancio Medellín, took turns raping the girls. After this horrifying act, they decided to eliminate the witnesses. Medellín, along with Cantu and Perez, strangled Peña with her own shoelaces, crushing her neck with his foot for good measure. Villareal and O'Brien did the same to Ertman, using a nylon belt until it snapped under the strain.
The Aftermath and Investigation
In the immediate aftermath, the perpetrators retreated to Peter Cantu's home, where his brother Joe Cantu and sister-in-law Christina Cantu lived. Observing Villarreal's injuries and Perez's bloody shirt, Christina pressed for details. Medellín casually remarked that they had "fun" and that it would make the news, boasting of the rapes. Peter Cantu returned, distributing stolen valuables among the group. Medellín took a ring marked with an "E" for his girlfriend, Esther, and nonchalantly admitted to killing a girl, noting he would have preferred a gun for the task. Derrick Sean O'Brien, meanwhile, was captured on videotape grinning at the crime scene.
Disturbed, Christina Cantu convinced her husband to alert the authorities. Four days later, the girls' decomposing bodies were discovered in the park, identified through dental records. The medical examiner confirmed the cause of death as strangulation, leading to the arrest of all involved. Medellín provided both written and recorded confessions.
The Legal Battle
As the gruesome details of the crime emerged, a complex legal battle unfolded. Medellín's case gained international attention when Mexico sued the United States in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), arguing that the U.S. had breached the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations by not informing Medellín of his right to consult with Mexican diplomats. The ICJ ruled that the U.S. was obliged to reopen the cases of 51 Mexican nationals, including Medellín.
Initially dismissive, the U.S. government ultimately agreed to adhere to the ruling, with the White House instructing states to reconsider the convictions. However, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals refused to comply, prompting the Bush administration to appeal on Medellín's behalf to the Supreme Court. On March 25, 2008, in Medellín v. Texas, the Supreme Court sided with Texas, rejecting the Bush administration's arguments and allowing the execution to proceed. Justice Roberts, joined by Justices Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, and Alito, formed the majority, while Justice Stevens concurred separately. Justices Breyer, Souter, and Ginsburg dissented.
The Execution
Despite the International Court of Justice's plea for a stay of execution on July 16, 2008, Texas Governor Rick Perry's spokesman, Robert Black, asserted that the state would proceed with the execution, prioritizing the victims' plight over international edicts.
On August 5, 2008, after a four-hour delay as the Supreme Court reviewed a late appeal, José Ernesto Medellín was executed at 9:57 p.m. CST in the Huntsville Unit, a solemn end fitting a crime of such brutality. He was later buried at Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery, alongside fellow perpetrators Cantu and O'Brien.
Sources
For a deeper dive into the intricacies of this case, you can explore the original Wikipedia article and related references:
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
Loading comments...
Murders of Ertman and Peña
José Medellín and gang rape and murder Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Peña in Houston.
Bodies Discovered
The bodies of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Peña are found in T.C. Jester Park.
Arrests Made
José Medellín and others are arrested and charged with the murders.
Conviction
Medellín is convicted of capital murder for the deaths of Ertman and Peña.
Mexico Sues US
Mexico files a lawsuit against the US in the International Court of Justice regarding Medellín's case.
Supreme Court Hearing
The Supreme Court agrees to hear the case Medellín v. Texas regarding his execution.
Supreme Court Decision
The Supreme Court rules against Medellín, allowing Texas to proceed with the execution.
Execution
José Medellín is executed by lethal injection in Texas.