In 1993, six gang members raped, killed, and brutally beat 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman and 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena beyond recognition. Peter Cantu bragged to friends and family about being the ring leader in the gang-rape and paid for it with his life.


In 1993, six gang members raped, killed, and brutally beat 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman and 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena beyond recognition. Peter Cantu bragged to friends and family about being the ring leader in the gang-rape and paid for it with his life.

Cantu had enchiladas, fajitas and a cinnamon bun for his final mean. At 6:09 pm the State of Texas began killing Cantu with lethal injection drugs. Eight minutes later he was dead. He gave no final statement and showed no remorse for his disgusting acts.

The arrogance of the crime combined with the horror of it galvanized the entire city of Houston against the six gang members. Cantu is the final execution out of the three men condemned to die for the murders. The Pena family and a friend of the Ertman's said it brings satisfaction, but no closure to their wounds.

Cantu let out a final breath at 6:17, and peacefully died. It's a death the victim's families said is too good for the man who brought a violent and terrifying end to the lives of Elizabeth and Jennifer 17 years ago.

"Put it this way, I wish my daughter could have died the way he died today. Wasn't no pain. These girls went through an awful lot of pain when they died," said Adolfo Pena, father of Elizabeth. "He deserved to die and 17 years later he died. Not soon enough," said Pena.

But even now, both families say there's no closure.

"It does make a little difference; three of the animals who did this are gone. But you know it doesn't really make you feel any better," said Pena.

"There's no way to put closure on this," said Jim Stacey, a close friend to the Ertman family. "Maybe some satisfaction but no closure."

The families also watched the executions of Jose Medellin and Derrick O'Brian in 2008 and 2006. In fact, death row rules were changed to allow families to watch executions because of this case.

Three dozen supporters cheered as the families emerged after the execution.

Meanwhile, Cantu's family did not attend his killing. His only supporters were a handful of death penalty abolitionists who showed up to protest all capital punishment.

"We could have put all of them in prison for life. Why kill when we know that sometimes we don't get it right?" said Gloria Rubac, a death penalty abolitionist.

However, the protesters in attendance did little more than annoy the families.

'It's ridiculous. At least they probably have a daughter they can go home to," said Stacey.

Now that it's all said and done Pena said the two murdered girls can finally have peace.

"At least some of the scumbags are dead. All I would tell the girls right now is we still love you and still miss you," he said.

Pena said he hadn't expected an apology and wasn't surprised when he didn't get one. Although he said it was more responsible of the other two condemned men who did apologize before their executions.

Focus for the victim's families now turns to the remaining three killers. Two are serving life sentences after having their death sentences commuted because they were juveniles at the time of the murders. The third man was given 40 years in prison and is eligible for parole. The families hope to keep him in jail for his entire sentence, which is still more than 20 years away.


http://www.39online.com/news/local/story-peter-cantu-execution-story,0,4230528.story