In 1993, Jennifer Ertman (14) and Elizabeth Pena (16), were rushing home trying to meet curfew. What should have been an ordinary evening for the teens quickly took a devastating turn when they encountered a group of drunk teenage boys who called themselves the “Black and White” gang.
The story of Jennifer and Elizabeth became a symbol of the need for greater awareness and action against gang activity. During the subsequent trial, victim impact statements were introduced for the first time in the state of Texas, allowing the families of Jennifer and Elizabeth to directly address the court and express the emotional toll the crime had taken on their lives. These statements gave a powerful, personal voice to the victims’ families, highlighting the profound loss and the lasting impact of violence on loved ones. The case not only led to convictions but also marked a turning point in how the justice system handled the voices of victims’ families, offering a way for them to seek closure and ensure their pain was acknowledged.
This case will leave you wondering: How can such evil even exist in the world? And how did they all seem to find each other? How do these paths cross, at that exact moment, when everything could’ve been different?
Souces:
Pure Murder by Corey Mitchell
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/tx-court-of-criminal-appeals/1323293.html
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/35611708/sean_derrick-o'brien
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/135348367/randy_lee-ertman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEeAAK1gBN4
https://www.khou.com/embeds/video/9825/iframe
https://www.oxygen.com/prosecuting-evil-with-kelly-siegler/season-1/episode-7/the-darkest-of-nights
https://abc13.com/jennifer-ertman-elizabeth-pena-ertman-pena-murders-texas-true-crime/13419380/
Rotten Mango Episode 87
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Credits: RESIDUE is Hosted/Produced/Researched/Edited by Chrissy Champagne
THEME SONG: "Dance Of Death" by Purple Planet Music collection written and performed by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey.
Additional music provided by Epidemic Sound.
Residue logo designed by Tricia Cappelli
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