Thaindian News

By Madhuri Dey
Huntsville, Aug 19, (THAINDIAN NEWS) On Tuesday, Texas state executed a criminal sentenced to death for the rape and murder of two teenage girl thirteen years ago. Peter Anthony Cantu, the head of a teen-gang that had committed the heinous crime in 1993, was given a lethal injection and declared dead at 2317 GMT. As per the prison official, the execution was carried out at the prison is Huntsville, Texas. Peter Anthony Cantu died aged 35.

On Tuesday evening, the families of the two victims, 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman and 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena came to witness the execution of murderer Peter Anthony Cantu. Reports claim that no one from the family of Peter Anthony Cantu was present at the prison. The murderer was strapped to a gurney in the death chamber of the Huntsville Unit Prison and was administered the injection at 6:09 p.m. CDT. According to sources Peter Anthony Cantu took a deep breath before passing into unconsciousness and was pronounced dead after eight minutes. The murderer had not given any last statement. The relatives of the victim’s family watched the execution through a window a few feet from the bed where Peter Anthony Cantu lied dead.

After Peter Anthony Cantu was pronounced dead, the family of the victims came out the prison wall to be greeted by supporters. Adolf Pena, father of late victim Elizabeth Pena said that Peter Anthony Cantu’s last statement would have hardly made any difference for the family that had lost its daughter in the brutal attack. He held that for the horrendous crime Peter Anthony Cantu had committed, he deserved death and he had ultimately got it after 17 years. Adolf Pena who wore a T-shirt bearing pictures of both the girls added “It’s been a long time coming”.