Peter Anthony Cantu, Efrain Perez, Derrick Sean O’Brien, Raul Omar Villarreal, Vernancio “Vinnie” Medellin and Jose Ernesto Medellin
I lived in the Houston area for about 6 years, I absolutely loved it. I loved the different cultures, the great food, the historical landmarks, shopping and never got bored or ran out of things to do. Yes, the traffic was horrible and it was hot and humid.
We also had to evacuate for Hurricane Rita but aside from that I had no complaints. I traveled into the city for work and lived about 30 minutes out, if there was no traffic, which was rare.
Inside the Houston city limits there are plenty of seedy areas that most people would try to avoid if at all possible. There are lots of gangs and crime in general. The National Gang Threat Assessment group reports Houston has more gangs than any other city in TX with 225 different documented gangs. Houston has a population of 4 million people, not including the undocumented residents, so I guess it’s no surprise.
Gangs at one time were believed to be an inner-city problem amongst lesser fortunate people in crime ridden areas. These days, it has become an epidemic that affects any class, any race and any town. Money is the motive for these sleazebags so they go where ever the money is.
This story is about a lesser known gang called the Black and Whites.
Peter Anthony Cantu, 18, Efrain Perez, 17, Raul Omar Villarreal, 17, Derrick Sean O’Brien, 18, Jose “Joe” Medellin, 18, and Vernancio “Vinnie” Medellin, 14, were members of the Black and White gang. The gang made the national spotlight on June 23rd, 1993, after they murdered and raped Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pena, 16. The two girls were good friends who had spent the day together, and on that same night in 1993 they died together.
The girls left a mutual friends home after a party around 11:15 p.m. to head to Elizabeth’s house and they veered off their path to take a 
short cut on a railroad track and through a park. They took this short cut to avoid walking by a sexually oriented business and because it would save them time – their curfew was at 12:00.
The next morning, the family realized the girls were not there and they began to panic. In 1993 cell phones were not very common and the average teenager did not have one. I was 18 at the time and I didn’t have one.
Jennifer and Elizabeth did have pagers however, so the family began desperately paging them and calling their friends. The girls friends told them they had not seen them since the night before when they left to go home.
Both families contacted the Houston Police Department and filed a missing persons report. I’m sure they were told that nothing could be done until the girls had been missing for the standard 24 hours.
The Ertmans and the Penas started independent searches on their own with the help of friends, neighbors and family. They handed out 
hundreds of fliers with the girls’ pictures and even gave them to the roadside vendors to insert them into the newspapers they were selling.
On June 27, 1993, someone calling himself “Gonzalez” called in a tip to Crimestoppers. He said the Jennifer’s and Elizabeth’s bodies could be found at the White Oak bayou in the T.C. Jester Park. The police went to the scene and a police chopper was also there to search the area.
Reports never said if it was being broadcast or if “Gonzalez” was watching as the officers were searching but “Gonzalez” called 911 and said to go to the other side of the bayou. When police searched the other side they found Elizabeth’s and Jennifer’s partially decomposed bodies.
As I mentioned, heat and humidity in the Houston area is unlike anywhere else I have every lived, it caused the girls’ bodies to both be in an advanced stage of decomposition, specifically on their heads, necks and genitals. Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena had to be identified by dental records.
Jennifer’s dad, Randy Ertman was about to do an interview with the news when he heard on the news scanner that 2 bodies had been on the bayou. He immediately went to the location, which was swarming with reporters and police. He was heard on the television broadcast of the scene screaming, “Does she have blond hair? DOES SHE HAVE BLOND HAIR?”
The police on the scene were able to keep Randy Ertman away from 
the crime scene, sparing him the sight of his daughter in the horrendous condition she was in. Those who witnessed this incident were brought to tears, from the toughest cop to the most jaded newsperson, even when discussing this case years later.
Detectives began their investigation with the call from Gonzalez. Once they traced it and caught up to him, “Gonzalez” said he made the call ”at his 16-year-old wife’s urging”. He was Jose “Joe” Cantu, the brother of Peter Cantu, ringleader of the gang that had committed this heinous act.
Peter Cantu, Efrain Perez, Sean O’Brien, Vinnie Medellin, Joe Medellin and a few others were doing a gang initiation with Raul Villarreal. They spent the evening drinking beer and “jumping in” Raul.
For anyone who may not know what the term “jumping in” means, it means the new gang hopeful has to fight every gang member there and take an ass-whuppin’ until he was unconscious. Most gangs used the term ”blood in, blood out”. These days that term means nothing, once you join there’s no leaving the gang alive.
After the thugs jumped in their newest member Raul Villarreal, they continued drinking and then went out to celebrate the night’s festivities. Two guys that were with them but denied being in the Black and Whites gang said they passed Jennifer and Elizabeth in the park.
The posse grabbed Elizabeth and pulled her down the hill. Jennifer broke loose from the gang’s grip but turned and went back when she 
heard Elizabeth crying out for help.
For over an hour the sleazeballs savagely raped the girls. Investigators said when the gang gave details of the rape it was the worst they had ever heard and all of these guys were boasting about what they had done.
The report said there were always at least 2 gang members on each girl, raping them orally, vaginally and anally for over an hour. The boys were said to have been bragging later to their friends and family saying ” She was loose and sloppy”. Another one of the boys said he got him some “virgin blood”.
Vinnie Medellin, 14, the youngest of the gang said he kept telling the guys they all needed to leave. He said they told him to “get some” so he raped Jennifer.
When they finished raping Elizabeth and Jennifer they took them to another area in the park. They told Vinnie to stay put because he was too young to watch what was going to happen next.
Sean and Raul took a belt and wrapped it around Jennifer’s neck. They pulled each end of the belt so tight the belt broke. They finished her off with her own shoe laces. Elizabeth begged for her life, out of desperation she offered to give them her phone number to call her so they 
could meet up another time for sex.
They choked her to death also with her own shoelaces.
After they finished torturing, beating, raping and murdering the girls they went back to Peter Cantu’s house. He shared a house with his brother Joe Cantu and Joe’s wife Christina. The guys started bragging about their antics and said it would soon be all over the news.
The medical examiner took the stand and testified that two of Elizabeth’s teeth were knocked out of her mouth before she died. Jennifer had two ribs that were broken after she was dead. They were kicked with steel-toe boots and had their hair ripped out. Both of these girl were brutally beaten and their necks were stomped on “to make sure they were really dead”.
The girl’s family attended all the court dates and had to relive these girl’s deaths every time a picture or a witness got on the stand. Prior to 1993, families of the victim did not get the choice to view the abuser’s execution in the state of Texas. This case changed that.
Also, because of this case, victim’s families now have the right to give an impact statement at the trial. When Randy Ertman made his impact statement, he told Peter Cantu “We live for the day you die, I hope you rot in hell.” The Ertmans and the Penas always stayed in the public and they vocalized their anger as victims. They stayed involved and that’s why the laws were changed.
Vernacio “Vinnie” Medellin Pleads Guilty:
All of the guys except Vinnie was charged with Capital Murder.
When Vinnie took the stand in his trial he was asked about his behavior that night. He said, he went with that gang for 1 hour and he ruined his life forever. Vinnie was charged with aggravated sexual assault. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison, the maximum for a juvenile in Texas. His new address is at the Texas Dept. of Corrections.
Vinnie testified against all of the gang members except his brother. He has never taken full responsibility in his part of the crimes.
Derrick Sean O’Brien:
Derrick O’Brien was executed on July 11, 2006. His last words were ” I’m sorry, I have always been sorry. It’s the worst mistake I have ever made in my whole life. Not because I am here, but because of what I did. I hurt a lot of people, you and my family.”
Derrick O’Brien denied himself the right of a last meal.
Derrick O’Brien was linked to another murder that happened 7 months earlier, the woman’s neck was slashed. She had been raped and disemboweled.
Derrick O’Brien’s own mother and grandfather testified against him saying he was cruel and intentionally harsh.
If the very person that birthed you can say you are evil and deserve to die I think it’s safe to say Derrick O’Brien was a waste of oxygen. He should have been removed from the gene pool long before he ever had the chance to hurt anyone.
Derrick O’Brien’s Last Statement:
I do. I am sorry. I have always been sorry. It is the worst mistake that I ever made in my whole life. Not because I am here, but because of what I did and I hurt a lot of people – you, and my family. I am sorry; I have always been sorry. I am sorry. You look after each other. I love you all. Be there for one another. Alright. But I am sorry; very sorry. I love you too. Alright.
Jose Ernesto Medellin:
Joe Medellin was also executed August 26, 2008. He was 33 at the time. His last words were, “I’m sorry that my actions brought you pain. I hope this brings the closure to what you seek,” he said. “Don’t ever hate them for what they do. Never harbor hate.” He then looked toward the witness room in which his friend, Sandra Crisp, was watching, crying softly, and smiled. “I love you,” he said.
Before his execution he tried to get a stay because he was never offered the option to contact the Mexican Consulate. His stay was denied, Judge Strickland ruled that even if he had contacted them the outcome would have remained the same. He also quoted “The law is clear: Texas is bound not by the World Court, but by the U.S. Supreme Court, which reviewed this matter and determined that this convicted murderer’s execution shall proceed,” Strickland said of Medellin’s case.”
Peter Cantu:
Peter Cantu was executed August 17, 2010. He was the ringleader of these horrible crimes. He had no last words. No one showed up to witness his execution except for the girls’ families. He was asked by the presiding judge if there was any reason he shouldn’t get the death penalty and his response was “nah”.
Peter portrayed himself as a conceded, self-righteous punk when he was in front of the news camera. In court, he would smile, roll his eyes and make faces. He never took anything serious, including his own sentence of death. The only opinion I have of him is that I’m upset that my hard earned Texas dollars went to feed, cloth and shelter him for so many years. I’m also sad that he could not be publicly executed. I would have happily cheered his death on while he was sitting in “old sparky”.
Peter Cantu’s Last Statement:
No.
Efrain Perez and Raul Villarreal:
Efrain Perez and Raul Villarreal were both convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. Perez and Villarreal later had their sentences commuted to to life in prison because they were 17 at the time the crime was committed. They will be eligible for parole in 2028. The Ertmans and the Penas have videotaped their protest when Efrain and Raul come up for parole, just in case they don’t live long enough to be there. They plan to always be able to speak on behalf of their daughter’s, even if it means they have to do it from their graves.
Editor’s Notes: The Photos Are, From Top To Bottom:
1. Peter Anthony Cantu
2. The Victims, Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman
3. Efrain Perez (Click on image to view at full size)
4. Derrick Sean O’Brien
5. Raul Omar Villarreal (Click on image to view at full size)
6. Jose Ernesto Medellin
Do Peter Cantu, Efrain Perez, Sean O’Brien, Raul Villarreal, Vinnie Medillan and Jose Medillan Deserve Hell?
- Yes (98%, 458 Votes)
- No (2%, 9 Votes)
Total Voters: 467
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92 Comments »
Teeth knocked out, hair torn out, necks stomped on, raped in every hole but the damn ear…Jesus, man, why didn’t they just include all this bullshit with their “jumping in” and do it to each other. Preferably to the death. Save us all the nightmares.
Rot in hell, bastardos.
One of the girls gets away and goes back when she hears her friend crying out for help…..what if she hadnt? would she be alive? would they have been worried jennifer would tell and would have let the elizabeth go? what a tormenting thought for both girls families…I hope that if I am ever in a situation like this, that I would have friends who would stick by my side, although, I bet elizabeth feels guilty for being the one her friend came back for….
I wondered if she would’ve been able to get help in time, or if the morons would’ve just let the other one go.
Kelly-
I doubt Elizabeth can feel guilty…as she’s been dead for over a decade.
honest to god was that really necessary, she was probably thinking out loud and wondering if elizabeth felt guilty for calling her friend back before she died
Actually, yes it was necessary.
Why? Because it was a stupid idea that Kelly unfortunately happened to “think out loud”. The poor girl is dead. Why should she have felt guilt while she was still alive, fighting for her life? Why was you rebuttal necessary?
what if elizabeth had lived through the ordeal and just jennifer died?? could you live with that guilt?? just saying .
I don’t care what rational you use for your criticism, it was still a jerky comment Debbie. Maybe the commenter believes in an afterlife… who knows, but it’s bizarre that you felt moved to give them a snarky critique over it, and waste time defending yourself when you get called to the carpet over it.
Well actually I was thinking the same thing and had a bit of a laugh at Debs witty response.Seriously the girl was getting abused in every imaginable way,guilt was probably the last thing she was feeling.
Sorry – can’t un-rape someone, can’t un-murder them either – not too many people have been brought back to life and not that recently either…
I am glad that the parents video taped their objections because by 2028 most people will have forgotten Jennifer and Elizabeth, who will have been dead for / about 35 years by then. Many of the people dealing with Efran and Raul may not even have been born by 1993!
While Efran and Raul will miss the better years of their lives in jail, I am glad that the parents want to insure that they’ll miss all the years of their lives in jail. It’s not like Elizabeth and Jennifer are going to get out of their coffins in 35 years, except for an act of God… Last time that happened was / about 2000 years ago…..
While I am glad that there is such a thing as victim impact statements, when did the system change to favor the criminal rather than the victim?
I am glad that the system does not come down hard on the accused, that the system presumes innocence (although such is exploited regularly), but it still seems that victims are left fighting for themselves.
I’m with you, that was an inspired move by the parents, and I hope that some of the younger folks in both families keep the pressure up when the time comes too. Just think of the Manson family members that Sharon Tate’s sister has worked hard to make sure a ‘life sentence’ is exactly what they serve.
If the criminal justice system continues to break down, people will lose complete faith in it, and you’ll see vigilantism rise all across the country.
Here in CT some POS Anthony Perry is trying to say that his 27 year sentence is illegal – trying to say “double jeopardy” – with the fact that the person he shot was not the person he intended to kill….
http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/convicted-girl-shooter-says-sentence-is-illegal
What an incredible story. What horrible monsters people can be. Unfathomable. The write up was excellent.
I think people like this must live in hell now, on earth..to be so miserable, so hateful, so violent, they must be living hell on earth to commit such crimes….but they all deserve hell after they leave here too…don’t get me wrong!
I’ve waited a while for this story to appear on this site. I was 16 years old when this happened and I still live outside Houston. I’ve had nightmares about what these assholes did to those girls every time one of them filed an appeal. I cried when Peter Cantu was executed. Not for him, believe me when I say that day was too long in coming. I cried for the loss of two innocent girls who never had the chance to become great women. I cried for the Pena’s and the Ertman’s, two families that have remained strong in the face of horrible tragedy and continue to fight every day for justice.
Thank you Stone, for bringing this particular story to light.
Diversity!
I remember this case as a kid. I am glad to see it here at PYSIH. What a horrible case. Peter Anthony Cantu, Efrain Perez, Derrick Sean O’Brien, Raul Omar Villarreal, Vernancio “Vinnie” Medellin, and Jose Ernesto Medellin deserve to rot in the worst layer of Hell along side with Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, Ted Bundy, Osama bin Laden and 9/11 Terrorists, Adolf Hitler, and Joseph Stalin. They deserve each other.
These guys are real scumbags. One positive about this case, is that no one in Houston remembers their names. Everyone remembers the names Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman, but these bastards didn’t even achieve fame with their reprehensible acts. Remembering the victims is so important, and Houston will always remember these two young women.
Omg. Tears sprang to my eyes. Atleast the bastards got what they deserved
Unfortunately not, true justice would have had them endure an hour of the hell they put these girls through. But, in this day and age, I say we take what we can get. I’ve read the court transcripts, depositions, interviews…these disgusting punks were arrogant, pompous, and cruel. Yet Danny was right, they leave no legacy behind. Elizabeth and Jennifer, though cut so tragicly short, do.
All of them need to be executed and Efrain Perez and Raul Villarreal need to be exeuted as well. So what that they were 17 when they commited those horrible crimes, they were convicted of capital murder and should share the same fate with their idiot friends.
I hope that they’re stay in prison is filled with daily abuse and humiliation and that is still not enough. Here’s to hoping that hey commit suicide while in prison.
If you click on Efrain Perez’s name above you’ll see a document stating that he was 18 when he committed the crime of capital murder and since he was an adult at the time, he should have a date with Mr. Death like the rest of them.
oops, my bad he was only 17, I clicked the wrong name.
I’m a distant relative of one of the girls, and I tell you, Cantu’s execution was way too long in coming. I just wish the rest of them would go the same way. Those of you who wonder why Jennifer went back instead of going for help, remember, she was only 14, and she was hearing her best friend crying for her help. She was a physically strong girl and probably thought she could help Elizabeth- I’m sure at age 14 I’d have done the same thing.
I know they are resting in peace. I believe in heaven and I know they are still together up there, having all kinds of fun.
Cantu showed no remorse at his execution and didn’t give a last statement, he was a coward and a punk to the end.
If you would like more information on this case, read “Pure Murder” by Corey Mitchell. It’s an excellent book, but be warned, the details of the rapes and murders are very graphically described and may upset some. For an example, Jennifer didn’t die right away, she started to regain conciousness. Peter Cantu walked over to her and said “This bitch just won’t die.” and stomped on her neck. Afterwards, they were laughing at how “the fat one” (Jennifer) cried and pleaded for her life, and they mocked her. Joe Medellin was walking around showing off Jennifer’s blood on his underwear and bragging about how “got him a virgin.” They were sick, evil scum and I’m happy that three of them are roasting in hell.
Rest in peace, angels, you’re in a better place, and we’ll never forget you XOXOXO
I wish I could give you a big hug right now. I can just imagine how hard it’s been on all of you. The pain never goes away. No matter how many years these pricks stay in jail or get the death penalty, the pain never goes away.
My best friend was murdered 6 years ago. He met a girl at a club in NY city and then went back to her house afterwards. Her crazed ex boyfriend showed up, stabbed them both and threw him out of a 5 story window. I’ll never forget being in court, seeing the pictures and hearing the story over and over again. The pain we all felt is indescribable. I’ll never forget the faces of his family members and mother. The POS murderer didn’t give a shit either. We never even got an apology from him. That day will be branded in my brain forever. I’ll never forget Chris. He was such a wonderful, caring, funny guy. It’s always the good ones who die so tragically. Now I’m gonna be sad all day just thinking about Jennifer, Elizabeth, and Chris. Rip angels
:~( for Chris. The best thing you can do for him is to keep his story alive, remember him in your own special way and don’t forget he’s still with you – maybe a happy memory of him that makes you laugh will pop up in your head. That’s just him saying hello. He’s in a better place and will be there to welcome you some day. We’re left behind to pick up the pieces and grieve, but some how, we all manage to carry on.
Thanks:) so true
It’s horrifying to lose a loved one through a heinous crime like that. I was a kid when this happened and it horrified me.
Thanks for posting, that must have been very tough to share with us. This story is one that I’m going to carry like a scar for the rest of my life. I’ve got kids, and because of what these two little Angels went through on their way up to Heaven, I’ve changed what I’ve taught my kids.
Jennifer was a hero for what she did, and it speaks volumes about the character her parents have for raising such a good child, but, thanks to the pigs that did this, I’m now forced to teach my children that it’s better to run for help than to do the ethical and brave thing and stay with your friend. Pieces of crap like this are what’s been ruining the world.
Jennifer was a brave girl for trying to save her friend, if such a thing happens to me and my best friend, I’d go back as well.
I felt so much heartache when I read Elizabeth’s deperate calls for life.
What did satisfied me, a little, was when I read the final part about the fathers of the girls, these two man should be hero’s, even protecting their daughters justice after their own death.
Seriously. Been on this site for a few years – who the fuck keeps voting No to these questions?
I was wondering the same
Some religious people believe in the power of forgiveness for all of gods children. Its those people who are probably voting no. I say let them burn in hell. Show no mercy as they showed none to these poor little girls.
Forgiveness has to be earned and both sides have to agree to it.
Don’t take this that I am being condescending. I am just stating a fact. Seen too many people like them.
forgivness is for GOD to handle not me. I think after reading that story im not in a forgiving mood.
I get that, but there are actually very few of these I even bother to vote on these days. Not because I don’t think they deserve hell, but because I do try to forgive those who trespass against me.
These monsters I don’t forgive. These monsters I gladly judge, plank or no plank.
Likely the same few people.
They’re probably friends of these fuckwads.
Crap! I don’t even believe in hell and I still voted to send them there.
UpNorth,
I am so sorry for you and your family. They say time heals all wounds, I know first hand that is not true. You only learn how to become numb to the pain. I knew there was a book, I don’t think I could bring myself to read it, I have heard that it is extremely detailed just like you say.
Wow, I didn’t realize this many people would remember Jennifer and Elizabeth. It makes me really happy that I am not the only one that has carried these girls in my heart for all these years. I cannot and will not ever forget them.
I lived in Lubbock, Tx. when this happened. I never really paid much attention to the news until my first child was born in 1992. I guess when you become a mother you make yourself aware of things that are going on, I did anyway. When I think of old news stories or crimes I remember the dates by how old my daughter was at the time they occurred.
Fred – you said, when did the system change to favor the criminal rather than the victim? That was probably just a hypothetical question, however, I don’t think anything changed but I do think it helps the family when they are able to directly address the perp. I won’t say it gives them closure, nothing does, but I think there is some sort of satisfaction in looking them in the eye and telling them how they feel about them. Just my opinion.
Danny – You’re right! I could recount all the details, unfortunately, of Elizabeth and Jennifer’s rape and murder but the one thing I could not remember was even one of these assholes names.
Linda – That has always sent a chill through me to, I’ve never heard of tape recording messages to the parole board in case the family passes away. That is brilliant and I hope more family’s take advantage of that.
Stone, you’re very knowledgable in so many ways. I find myself agreeing and feeling touched by most of your stories and opinions. By looking at your pic, I though, “Wow, this young chick is smart” lol! Damn, I thought you were born in 92!! You had a baby in 92!?? You go girl! Sometimes I read the stories fast and don’t soak everything in so I must have missed some things you’ve said before cause I really thought you were so young! Lol
Haha, Thanks Annmarie. I wish I’d been born in 92. I’m 35, I had my oldest in 92. My “knowledge” comes from the school of hard knocks and how I was raised.
At one times ALL of them would have been quickly hung or shot.
I asked that question not because I wanted a date, but because I thought that there was always some victim involvement when it came to prosecution of such crimes.
When I was hit by a drunk driver in 1998, I was not allowed to follow her case because the bitch had rights. In 2006 or so when my car was pushed off the road and I caught up with the drunks who did it, I was asked if I wanted to appear at their court hearing and no one seemed to have a problem that I pulled a weapon on the POS that stuck my car.
Hello to any and all regulars and admin who may remember me… I was a longtime visitor/commentor to this site, but due to a sudden death in my immediate family, I’ve been gone a while, battling the subsequent depression… I’m still grieving, but getting closer to normal each day. Having said that, my heart aches for the family of these girls. Such a brutal end at the hands of such monsters. Gangs baffle me for the sole reason that they allow sociopaths to come together in shared appreciation for deviant behavior. The only thing worse than a violent nut is a GROUP of violent nuts, willing to work together to increase their potential for the destruction of the community.
Yes, I might be a bit too much with my own ‘righteous indignation’ – the thought of each one of these shitsuckers being raped and battered in the EXACT same fashion as Elizabeth and Jennifer, just prior to their eternal stint at Lake Hellfire makes me smile a little – but my violent tendencies lean more toward VENGEANCE than anything. And I’d never wish harm on an innocent – so as long as I’m even a stair step above these bastards in any regard, I’ll sleep just fine.
Rest in peace, young women.
Rot in flames, “gangsters”.
Hello again! It’s good to see you. I’m sorry for your loss, ABL. Life sometimes hurts a lot, but as your nym says, it’s mostly beautiful. Pretend I’m hugging you now, because I would if you were anywhere near me.
TYVM hun… It’s good to see you too. You’re wickedly funny, but such a sweetie to boot – don’t think I forgot!
My sister was killed in a car wreck a few months ago. Needless to say, it devastated our entire family. Life IS beautiful – and I hope everyone out there appreciates every moment of it… I know my going forward includes being grateful to have had her, instead of being angry that she was taken. And I RESPECT life all the more now – which means I’ll probably be spewing even more venom at the scumbags on this site who show so little regard for it! LOL
Me appreciates the hugs, btw. I seem to need a LOT these days… :-)
Oh sweetie, I’m so very sorry.
You and your family know to celebrate her life. So many people get bogged down and never find the point when they can look past the pain (look past it??) and find the beauty that the person left behind. It won’t help you heal, but it will help you cope and that’s really the most you can expect when something so tragic happens.
Strength and love to you, my friend. We’re here if you need us!
Oh my gosh, I am so sorry , ABL… :-( Hang in there,there are lots of people out there who care about you and your family. And you are right,it’s a beautiful life, take advantage of it. Never miss a chance to tell someone you love them or give them a hug. I’ll be praying for you and yours this holiday season.
:( so sorry for your loss. How devastating:( I’m so close with my sisters-can’t even imagine. It really makes you see things differently and at least helps me appreciate life no matter how hard it can be for me at times.
Good riddance to bad garbage! Rest in peace, ladies.
@ stone , very good write up, i dont know what it is about your writing but i always seem to get my emotions going.
Thanks Patti, I appreciate the compliment.
Yes It is a very good right up! I also read the same one here
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1908666/posts
I read about Peter Cantu. He was a big bully and had a long rap sheet. He even attacked a person at the Astrodome. His older brother, Joe, turned him in after word that Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena were found dead.
Just the looks on these SOB’s alone makes me want to beat the shit out of them. Thank god Texas knows how to fry em! Just wish it wouldn’t take so long to do it. I hate Efrain Perez and Raul Villarreal had their death sentences removed. I don’t give a damn how old they were when they did it. It was an adult crime and they knew what they were doing.
God bless the Ertmans and the Penas families for what they are doing. So sad in takes something of this nature to change laws. Impact statements and the families rights to view the execution if they wish should have been a no brainer years ago.
It just really makes me sick to my stomach to even imagine what these girls went through.
I’m so with you; adult crime = adult consequences and screw all the other B.S., there’s too many of these walking-talking turds anyway, time to flush the commode for the good of all mankind.
A bullet would have done them all well.
Something very similar to this “jumping in” situation happened to my sister. She was on a camping trip in the Minnesota area with a bunch of her wine club friends, it was just getting dark and a young girl came screaming through the woods begging them to help her, that a man was following her with a gun and and his gang had her friend. At first, the wine club ladies just sat there and didn’t believe what they were seeing. They told the girl to shut the fuck up and quit messing with them. Very shortly after, they heard rustling in the woods and sure as shit a fucking tattooed wife beater wearing shaved head guy with a gun. My sister told the girl to get in her tent and stay there until someone came to get her. After arguing with the gun toting fucker, he finally returned to the woods. All the ladies got in my sisters truck and drove to the nearest stop to call police. The cops came, took a description from the screaming girl and actually caught the thugs down the road with the screaming girls friend in the fucking trunk. They were too late to save her from brutal rape but I truly believe they saved her life.
It sucks to hear the outcome of this story.
Oh my god, that’s incredible.
It really is tough for us, with our normal, non-violent lives, to believe it immediately when someone is having that kind of outrageous trouble. It takes a bit for that switch to click on, because it’s so stunning when it happens. And that they argued with a guy with a gun! That’s just amazing.
Especially when that happens in MN. MN isn’t really known for major crime sprees. Living in ND, I’d have to admit if someone told me this, I’d have been wary at first to believe it.
I would have been, til actual gang members moved in thanks to our economy being good, and shot my friend’s nephew. He survived, the shooter didn’t. Guess he didn’t know everyone in ND has guns! The local website was touting the dead kid as a great young man, and his family was all over the news saying he was a perfect angel and not involved in drugs or gangs or violence.
His obituary photo, however, showed him throwing up gang signs. Nice try.
Beauty! I’m a BIG Second Amendment fan, and this is exactly why. The scum already have them, and they bank on all of us being sheep going to slaughter…
It is amazing. I was really proud to hear my sister helped in that situation. But again, too many times the outcome is like it was for Jennifer and Elizabeth in this instance and for that, my heart aches.
If your sister had done nothing, those thugs would still be out there, committing their crimes. Thank you for sharing this story. We should NEVER sit by and let horrible things happen to eachother. Sure, the girl might have been lying, but it’s always better to error on the side of caution in those cases and shake a finger at the ‘liar’ later if it turns out to be untrue. What bravery, to argue with an armed stranger.
Wow crazy story. Thank god you girls helped her and tracked down the other girl and their attackers. Such a shame these things happen too often and don’t have a good outcome such as this story:(
Hello Annmarie,
I wish I could take credit for it but it was actually my sister and the police did the actual tracking down of the suspects but it was a pretty good outcome, that is for sure!
LJ
WOW! There’s some brave ladies right there! These stories need more press coverage… WHY wasn’t this all over the National news?
Hey Dre,
This was a few years back. I believe it was Apple Valley or Apple River. I did see it get a little press but I think it didn’t make as many headlines because both women survived.
These ladies were absolutely brave. I talked to my sister about it again after reading this story here and she said they just were not scared, probably because it was wine club and they were feeling good with the wine and there were so many of them, there was no way this guy could shoot them all. I guess the goodness just kicks in for some people. I’ll see if I can’t dig the story up. and post it.
LJ
“I’m also sad that he could not be publicly executed.”
Now that’s an interesting idea…broadcast executions on CCTV and make every inmate in every jail and prison watch every one.
Jennifer was incredibly brave for going back for Elizabeth. Even though I am sure her parents would have preferred she keep running, they should be proud of her for the fact that she wouldn’t allow her friend to be alone with these monsters. I heard about this case for the first time a few years ago and it has always stuck with me. I have NO sympathy for these pieces of garbage and I’m glad the earth is rid of most of them at this point. Cases like this are the reason why the death penalty is still active in the US. Could you imagine the parents knowing that their tax dollars are going to feed and cloth the sames pieces of shit who killed their child? RIP Elizabeth and Jennifer
So true
Yes, Jennifer was very brave.
Imagine if she had run, and survived because she left her friend behind. Imagine what that would have done to her, mentally. Would you have been able to live, knowing you sacrificed your best friend to save yourself? Me either. I’d like to think I would have gone back. I hope never to test that part of myself.
I’m sure she didn’t think about that on a conscious level, but it must have been a factor. Her love for her best friend called her back, so Elisabeth didn’t have to die alone. What an amazing sacrifice she made.
I read this story about year ago and it’s one I just can’t read again. truly this case is one of the worst of the worst.
The level of some people’s depravity is so mind blowing to me that at times I feel ashamed to be a member of the human race.
What a bunch of disgusting animals. A pack of monsters.
RIP Elisabeth and Jennifer. Jennifer was so brave to go back, I cannot imagine.
I’ve been reading this site for a couple of years (don’t really comment that much as you all say far more eloquently everything I’m thinking), but this story I think is one of the saddest I have ever read. I think that’s because these two lovely young women were friends, and one of them actually sacrificed her life to try to help the other. Here you had these savages initiating someone in a GANG to get him to stick with them, and doing all sorts of satanic things to innocent girls….and on the opposite side you had REAL friendship, REAL love, that rose above the savages in the gang. I just found that so moving, and despite all the diabolical things I read about on here, that one act of selfless love this girl showed, gives me real hope for the human race.
RIP Jennifer and Elizabeth.
Claire,
Comment more often…..you are just as eloquent as anyone on here, and much more so than I am.
:) Thank you very much, Maelstrom – you are a wonderful poster though. I read all the stories and all the comments, and all that you, and people like Max, Becky, Stone and so on say echoes everything I think.
I just had a baby girl in August, and until I became a parent, I could read this site almost detached in a way – horrified at the depths people could sink to, and grateful my loved ones were safe, but that was all. Since I had my beautiful girl Cadhla, I can’t read these stories without crying and feeling something deep for the victims.
I honestly HATE – really HATE – all those people who hurt the innocent, be it animals, babies, children, the elderly, or young women like these two. It is scary to me sometimes that I actually think, and believe, I could happily pull the lever if it meant killers and abusers could swing from a rope.
Claire,
You just said everything I was thinking. And hopefully we will hear more from you. :)
Congrats on your baby girl !!!!! I have two boys…a two-year old and a nine-month old. And man do they keep you busy, huh ?
Best thing ever though….being a parent.
Thank you!! I’m so blessed – you are too, Maelstrom and everyone who has children!! What I wouldn’t do for my daughter…and I never really wanted children. But now I have her, well – sometimes I look at her and the love I feel for her just fills me, like a cup overflowing with the sea.
I’ll put my two penny worth in more often then, as I’d like to be part of this community. Thank you so much for making me feel welcome!! xx
I’ll be honest Claire….I NEVER wanted kids….EVER. I always regarded them as snotty, perpetually wet, loud, crying machines that I simply could not relate to. Now…man…I still cry like a baby when I look at my boys. It’s amazing how much they change you.
And you’re welcome for everything else. I can sometimes understand why people are hesitant to hop into the comment section….but all you need to do is take the fist leap. So glad you did !!!! :)
xoxoxx
Lol that is EXACTLY how I saw kids. i was happy with the status quo…just my hubby and me. I work in a homeless shelter, and when some of our girls, who left to move into their own homes, came back to visit with their babies, I used to shut the office door and hide behind a computer haha!! But now I just love my little girl, and have a completely different mindset when it comes to children. I feel very protective of them all.
Yip it is pretty daunting commenting here at first, as the subject matter is so serious, tragic, anger-inducing, sick-making and heartbreaking all at once…yet I have always thought the posters here are probably the most FEELING people I have come across on the net, so in that way it isn’t tooooooo daunting!! :)
Thank you again for your lovely welcome, Maelstrom, and making it all a bit easier and nicer.
xxx
Sometimes you can read the souls through the eyes of the perpetrators in their mugshots. Usually I see dead cold souls, or morons. Peter Cantu, however, had black fire burning beneath his irises. I’m glad he’s off this planet. The horrors he committed were unspeakable.
By the way, Happy Holidays everyone, from the bottom of Africa.
This is the first time I’ve heard of this story and all I can say is Damn.
Stone, you did a great job on this one. I’m glad these SOBs were executed in front of the victims family. I just wonder “Gonzalez” ever feels like he did the right thing in reporting his brother being as how he ended up being executed. I know he did the right thing but I just wonder if he has regret. Also another thing that struck me as ironic is the mother and grandparent of offender(forgot which one) went to trial and told the jury he was evil….damn we need more families like that, instead of saying “my poor child had a hard life and you all just don’t know him/her” Kudos to mom!!
I sure hope in some way that these precious angels families have gotten peace of mind(if at all possible) now. RIP Elizabeth and Jennifer.
I’m sure it was hard, and probably frightening, for Joe Cantu to testify against his own brother, but I’m glad he did it. Peter Cantu must have been one cruel SOB if his own brother wanted him locked away. I can’t believe the guy’s 16-yr-old wife had more cojones than anyone else involved and urged him to tell. At least someone in this situation had a soul. Peter Cantu’s execution should have been “death by neck-stomping”…
The only offender I feel any tiny shred of sadness for is the youngest, Vinnie. He’s right.. he spent one hour with these thugs and ruined his life. He almost seemed to have a conscience, but now he has to live behind bars with those memories every day because instead of running away and getting help, he went with the crowd and did a disgusting thing. Those girls didn’t do a thing wrong and were just minding their own business. Why couldn’t these assholes do the same? RIP Jennifer and Elizabeth.
I cant believe the number of “so-called” civilized people that are wishing, hoping, and praying for the death of any human being!
Dont you realize by wishing death on anyone makes YOU just as guilty as them??
Ive spoken personally with some of the boys… now men… some murdered by the state- and I have to tell you they have grown up and changed… they are more intelligent and moral than anything Ive read from other outsiders in these post.
“Dont you realize by wishing death on anyone makes YOU just as guilty as them??”
Really? Are you totally, utterly, completely and absolutely sure about that? Wow, I didn’t know that… Fuck me, now I’ll have to go to prison for a looooooooooooong time, won’t I? Not to mention, I’ll have to stop praying. Hmm… maybe I should start preying instead, seeing as how I’m just as guilty as all the shitbags who have actually killed someone. I mean, fuck, why go to prison for something I didn’t do when I could just rape and kill and mutilate and actually validate my guilt by actually killing someone?
Wait a minute.
You can’t go to jail for something you didn’t do. (Well, yes you can, but that involves either a major fuck-up or a set-up.) And in the civilization where I live, fairies don’t exist and wishing someone dead is not considered a crime as it does not lead to any verifiable result. I wish hundreds of people dead every day, not least when I’m stuck in traffic. That doesn’t make me “just as guilty” as the shitbags who actually go out and act upon their wishes.
And as for talking with death row inmates, I’m sure some of them are truly sorry for what they’ve done, and that they’ve convinced themselves that they’d do things differently if they’d get the chance to go back in time. But that doesn’t really change anything, does it? Life is a one-time phenomenon. If you steal it from someone else, you forfeit your right to your own.
And to say that they’re “more intelligent and moral than anything Ive read from other outsiders in these post” is just downright ignorant, not to mention biased. You need to get your head out of your ass, Lisa, even more so if you honestly haven’t realized you’ve shoved it up there in the first place.
Now I have some more people I need to wish were dead, so I’ll leave you and enter my boudoir of death where I can prey in piece…
Lisa, shut the fuck up! They weren’t human beings as you put it, they were monsters!
That being said, the depths of depravity that these sick fuckers sank to is just mind blowing. Just to be in a gang? So you’re telling me this big, tough, little gang had to murder two innocent high school girls who were just minding their own business? Sick fucks. I must say that Jennifer is extremely brave in order to go back to save her friend. If I were in a situation like that, with my best friend being dragged away by a pack of savage barbarians, I too probably would have gone back to save him/her.
I’m glad these motherfuckers are either burning in the fiery pits of hell as I type this or being raped by Bubba in the Big House. They had nothing to contribute to society. Nothing but debauchery, hate, and malice. If I were in charge of things, I would make all these creatures be raped orally and anally daily. I would pull a Jeff Dahmer and pour acid in their brains to make them more compliant, but at the same time killing them. I would chop off their legs so they couldn’t run away and have men as big as Vin Diesel have their way with them and see how much they like it. Without Vaseline. The electric chair/ lethal injection is too good for these disgusting pigs. And why the hell haven’t the other two get executed? RIP Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena. My heart goes out to both of their families.
i have to say i came across this story about a month ago and i went and bought the book.i’ve had nightmares ever since the description of the murders is so horrific i couldnt comprehend how evil they were to these beautiful inocent girls.i did some research on them and i know sean o brien did apologize before his execution and to me and to randy ertman if youve read the book sounded genuenly truthful.as far as joe medellin i dont believe he was sorry for what he did and he refered to his crime as an adolecent choice.efrain perez has said he did something terribly wrong but hes been in prison for a long time and he strongly believes hes done enough time and doesnt deserve to be there anymore since he was 17 at the time of the murders which i feel therefore he has no remorse because he wishes to just go on with his life as a free man.raul villarreal ive read some parts of his letters and i strongly believe that he is remorseful and he aknowledges what he did and takes full responsibility and makes no excuses for them.also after reading some scripts from his sister ruth i can see more of raul as a person and not just what he did 17 years ago.yes it was a horrible crime and my heart goes out to the ertman and pena family and believe me after reading the book i strongly believed they should all be killed but we cannot be closed minded and we have to know how to forgive because even thought there are evil people there are also people that made mistakes and repent jesus said there is no sin that can seperate us from him when we repent and call unto him.no i dont believe they should let them free they should pay for their crime in prison and that is my opinion
this is really sad jux to even think bout this no 1 should diserve to die either way it goes the gov r murders too. ely n jenn r in a better place r.i.p
Reading this story and Shanda Sharer’s make me sincerely pray for an afterlife, so the perps can be tortured in the same manner they inflicted on their victims. Only difference is theirs will be endless and perhaps even the victim can supervise it. I mean, for sick fucks who do this stuff, prison is just too lenient. And the death sentence, boom they’re done & possibly no more punishment (Hades isn’t 100% verifiable). Perhaps daily waterboarding session? GWB did that well enough in Guanbay. It should be used for the truly guilty, since they’re not worthy to be called human or even animal. they’re just monsters.
I just finished reading the book Pure Murder. This book was heartbreaking. Today I googled the name of the murderers to see what happened after this book was published. At that time O’Brien was the only one who had been executed. Your posting was excellent information. I read several of the comments as well. I just don’t understand how people (the murderers) could be so evil. I’m glad the execution of 3 of them took place. Hopefully the other two who received life in prison will never get out. I understand the youngest one being scared and unable to stop the rapes and murders but then he participated and that makes him just as bad.
I was 5 when this happened… a few months before the girls were killed, I had gone to the park with my father and was biking down in the bayou. I had seen about 4 men on the railroad tracks and in the trees in white shirts. Some had guns and were firing down toward us. My father told me to run as fast as I could to go tell someone. Who would have known just a few months later these could have been the guys who did this horrible act. I wish we would have found them that day. By the time the cops were looking they were gone. But I will always remember them. They were terrible terrible people who needed to leave this earth. For the two who are still alive, they know what they did… and they do not deserve to get out.
How terrifying. And at such a young age.
Every single one of these monsters are where they deserve to be, and I hope the ones that are still alive stay put for a very, very long time.