HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A Houston crime victims advocate will appear before the Texas parole board to argue against the release of a man involved in one of the city’s most notorious crimes, the 1993 rape and murders of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Peña.
Venancio Medellin was 14 years old when the two teenage girls were attacked and killed after taking a shortcut through T.C. Jester Park. Now 46, Medellin has served 32 years of a 40-year prison sentence and is eligible for parole for the second time.
Medellin pleaded guilty to sexual assault in connection with the case and received the lightest sentence among the six gang members convicted, after testifying against the others. Three of the attackers have since been executed, and two remain in prison serving life sentences, which were commuted from death.
Andy Kahan, who is Director of Victim Services and Advocacy for Crime Stoppers of Houston, is traveling to Palestine, Texas, on Tuesday to meet with a member of the parole board who will serve as the lead voter in Medellin’s case. That member’s recommendation will be shared with a second voter. If their decision is split, a third member will break the tie.
“It’s just a name on a piece of paper, so I’m going to bring them back to life,” Kahan said, holding a folder filled with newspaper clippings and photos of the victims. “I’m going to make sure they know who Jenny and Elizabeth were.”
The girls’ families have long fought against parole. Kahan said Jennifer Ertman’s mother, Sandy, will join Tuesday’s meeting by conference call and added that he continues to keep a promise made to Jennifer’s father, Randy Ertman, before his death in 2014, to represent the family at every parole hearing.
“When you are part of a group that is sexually assaulting and torturing, you need to remain in prison,” Kahan said.
In a 2023 interview with ABC13, Medellin expressed remorse for his role. “I would want to express that I’m sorry for what happened,” he said. “I wish that I could take it back, but I cannot.”
The parole board’s decision is expected in the coming weeks. If parole is denied, Kahan will ask for another 5-year set-off, he said, so that parole will not be reviewed again until 2030. Medellin’s projected release date is in 2033.
Meantime, the remaining two others, Efraim Perez and Raul Villareal, who are serving life sentences, are eligible for parole in 2029.
To find out how to send a letter or email to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, click here.
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