Gang Leader Responsible For Murder Of Two Girls, Executed By The State
August 19th, 2010 - 2:45 pm ICT by Pen Men At WorkAugust 19, 2010 (Pen Men at Work): A gang leader who had been convicted of murdering two girls in Houston was executed by the state on Tuesday. He was 35 years old. The execution took place at Huntsvile, Texas and was done by means of injecting a lethal substance in his veins.
The Houston Chronicle reported that the accused, Peter Anthony Cantu remained silent, speaking no final words and simply stared at the ceiling above. He had been detained within the death chamber of the State prison of Huntsville at that time.
Cantu’s victims had been Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pena, 16 who had been trying to go home as quickly as possible in order to beat the curfew. They had been going along the rail road track when Cantu met them. He along with the other members of his gang pulled them into the woods nearby and sexually assaulted them. He then proceeded to beat, strangulate and stomp on them which resulted in death.
Two of his associates Derrick O’Brien and Jose Medellin were put to death earlier in 2006 and 2008 respectively. Two more, being under the age of 18, escaped the death penalty which had been outlawed by the US Supreme Court. The sixth offender had been 14 at the time and is serving a 40 year prison term, the highest for a juvenile offender in Texas.
Cantu had refused to speak to the reporters on the eve of his execution and remained remarkably quiet and unassuming during his detention. He was, in fact, among those who qualified for ‘good behavior’ among the inmates.
He never once looked at the witnesses nor acknowledged the parents of the girls he had murdered.
He was injected with the lethal drug at 6:09 and was declared dead at 6:17 P.M. CDT.
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Tags: death chamber, derrick o brien, elizabeth pena, gang leader, good behavior, houston chronicle, huntsvile, jennifer ertman 14 and elizabeth pena 16, jose medellin, juvenile offender, lethal substance, men at work, pen men, peter anthony cantu, prison term, rail road track, road track, stomp on, two girls, us supreme court