HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — More than three decades after two teenage girls were brutally attacked and killed on their way home, the only man from the case who is guaranteed a chance to walk free, is once again up for parole.
Venancio Medellin was just 14 years old in June 1993 when he joined a gang of teens who raped and murdered 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman and 16-year-old Elizabeth Peña in northwest Houston’s T.C. Jester Park. The girls had taken a shortcut, hoping to beat curfew. Instead, they walked into horror.
Now 46, Medellin has spent 32 years in prison. This is his second time before the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. His last review in 2020 was denied. His co-defendants, including his older brother José Medellin, were either executed or sentenced to life.
For Elizabeth’s family, time has done nothing to dull the pain.
“It still hurts me every day that my daughter is not here with us,” said Adolph Peña, Elizabeth’s father. “The way they killed and raped my daughter is beyond words.”
The attack was so vicious that it forever changed Houston, sparking outrage, leading to victims’ rights reforms, and becoming one of the most haunting chapters in the city’s history.
Prosecutors said Medellin cooperated and was credible. He pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault of Jennifer and testified against all the other defendants, except his brother. But for the victims’ families, it doesn’t equal redemption.
“No, I don’t think he should be let out by any means,” Peña said. “What makes him better today than when he was 14 years old? He knew exactly what he was doing when he did this. He’s not stupid.”
In 2023, Medellin spoke publicly for the first time, telling ABC13 he felt frozen that night and has lived with regret.
“I’m sorry for what happened,” he said. “But I can’t take it back. I wish that I could.”
However, to those left behind, remorse brings no change.
Andy Kahan, Director of Victim Services and Advocacy for Crime Stoppers of Houston, has stood beside the Ertman and Peña families for decades. On Oct. 28, he will carry their voices once more to the parole board, just as he promised Jennifer’s father, Randy Ertman, before Randy’s death in 2014.
“He asked me, ‘I need you to represent me in front of the parole board’ and I made him a promise, and I will continue to honor that promise,” Kahan said. “When you’re part of a group that is sexually assaulting and torturing, you need to remain in prison.”
Kahan is urging the public to speak up to the parole board, reminding Houstonians of the cruelty that once gripped their city and the families still fighting for justice.
Two other surviving defendants in the case will be eligible for parole in 2029.
“She can’t defend herself anymore,” Peña said. “I’m the only one here who can do that. And as long as I live, the good Lord willing, I’m always going to do this, to keep them in prison where they belong.”
To find out how to send a letter or email to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, click here.
For more on this story, follow Jessica Willey on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Copyright © 2025 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Niko Travis is a dedicated health writer with a passion for providing clear, reliable, and research-backed information about medications and mental health. As the author behind TrazodoneSUC, Niko simplifies complex medical topics to help readers understand the benefits, uses, and potential risks of Trazodone. With a commitment to accuracy and well-being, Niko ensures that every article empowers readers to make informed decisions about their health.
