FINAL UPDATE — He’s dead! No more appeals. No more world court. No more UN. Just one dead child rapist/murderer.
Medellin was pronounced dead at 9:57 p.m., nine minutes after the lethal dose was administered.
More proud than ever to be a Texan.
Peter Cantu? You’re next.
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One of the most watched and controversial executions is going to happen today here in Texas — Jose Medellin, who participated in one of the most gruesome and disturbing murders in Houston history.
Medellin and his gang were responsible for the deaths of Jennifer Ertman (14) and Elizabeth Pena (16). Each girl was repeatedly raped by Medellin and his fellow gang members, and then finally beat and strangled to death. One of the gang members later bragged that he stepped on the neck of Jennifer Ertman in an effort to strangle her because the “bitch wouldn’t die” after being strangled with just a belt.
Medellin has been fighting to stay alive — not because he’s innocent. No, he fully admits that he helped to rape, beat, torture, and murder those two children.
His appeals are all based on the fact that he’s an illegal alien in our country, and that when he was arrested and confessed to the murders, he was too stupid to ask to speak to the Mexican consulate (he was not denied the right to speak to the Mexican consulate — he just never requested to do so).
He did finally bring it up. 4 years after he was sentenced.
The World Court has tried to stop the executions. The UN has issued a statement “prohibiting” Texas from carrying out our laws. Even President Bush has tried to intercede.
But thankfully, we are a country of laws. And, more importantly, a sovereign nation of laws. And the Supreme Court of the United States has sided (rightfully so) with Texas:
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, disagreed. Roberts said the international court decision cannot be forced upon the states.
The president may not “establish binding rules of decision that pre-empt contrary state law,” Roberts said.
I’ve been following and writing about this since early in 2005. I’ve heard from family members of the victims, and friends and acquaintances of the condemned. It’s been a long nightmare for everybody involved.
One of the gang members, Sean Derrick O’Brien, has already been executed for his role in the rape and murder of Jennifer and Elizabeth.
Today, Jose Medellin will join him in hell.
Peter Cantu, the leader of the gang, is still waiting for an execution date.
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UPDATE: Just checked my site meter and, not surprisingly, getting lots of hits from Mexico, Germany, and the Netherlands.
UPDATE II (8:52 pm CST): Dammit. Looks like the SCOTUS has decided to review Medellin’s case. Which means he gets to live at least a few more months.
UPDATE III (9:58 CST): SCOTUS turns down the stay. Still 2 hours left to carry out the execution (the Warden needs a full 45 minutes to carry out the full procedure):
HUNTSVILLE _ The U.S. Supreme Court has denied an appeal by Houston killer Jose Medellin, who is now scheduled to die before midnight for the 1993 gang rape-murder of two teenage girls.
His execution, earlier scheduled for 6 p.m., was put on hold as the Supreme Court court considered his appeal for a stay.
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Hundreds of comments in today’s Houston Chronicle about the execution — almost every single comment is like this one:
I still remember reading about this crime after the police arrested these animals. One of the juveniles who spilled his guts to the cops said the girls were crying and begging for their lives as they were being raped. One was killed first while the second girl watched. Capital punishment is despicable and uncivilized. But in this case, the punishment fits the crime. I hope they are all executed. Especially Cantu, their so-called “leader.”
Previously:
This is a good example why juveniles should not be exempt from the death penalty. They should all be executed.
In their response to the current USSC appeal, Texas said that in other cases, “The State of Texas will not only refrain from objecting, but will join the defense in asking the reviewing court to address” such an inmate’s claim that violation of Vienna Convention consular rights caused legal prejudice during his prosecution. However, they will not back off on their claim that Medellin has had sufficient review on the issue, he was not prejudiced, and the execution should not be stayed.
Left by Anonymous on August 5th, 2008 at 8:48 am