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José Ernesto Medellín Rojas (March 4, 1975 – August 5, 2008), born in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, was a Mexican national who was executed by lethal injection for the murder of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Peña in Houston, Texas. Medellín was convicted of raping and killing 16-year-old Elizabeth Peña and 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman in June 1993.〔(CNN discussion of José Medellín )〕 His case gained notoriety when Mexico sued the United States in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on behalf of 51 Mexican nationals asserting that, in these cases, the US had violated the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which requires that local authorities inform foreign nationals being held on criminal charges of their right to consult with their country’s diplomats. That court ruled that the United States was obliged to have the defendants’ cases reopened and reconsidered. The Supreme Court of the United States agreed to hear the case on May 1, 2007.〔(NY Times case summary )〕 The Bush administration briefed the Supreme Court on the obligation to comply with international treaties. On March 25, 2008 in Medellín v. Texas, the US Supreme Court rejected the Bush administration's arguments and cleared the way for Texas to execute the sentence. The ICJ subsequently ruled that the United States had violated its treaty obligations.〔CNN, (UN court rules US execution violated treaty ), January 19, 2009〕 ==Rape and murder== On June 24, 1993, Medellín carried out a gang initiation in a park in Houston, Texas, along with five others: Peter Cantu, Ramon Sandoval, Efrain Perez, Raul Villareal and Derrick O'Brien. Two others, Frank Sandoval and Venancio Medellín, were present but did not participate in the initiation. The initiation involved the new member, Raul Villareal, submitting to beatings from the others. After this, the gang members remained in the park, drinking beer. Two girls who had attended a birthday party, 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman and 16-year-old Elizabeth Peña, took a shortcut through the park to get home before an 11:30 p.m. curfew. They encountered the gang, and Medellín began talking to Peña and then grabbed her. She attempted to flee, but he forced her to the ground. When Peña cried for help, Ertman ran back to aid her. In response, Cantu and O'Brien pushed her to the ground as well. Ramon and Frank Sandoval chose to leave at that point. The remainder of the gang, as well as Venancio Medellín, took turns anally, orally and vaginally raping the two girls. Afterwards, they were beaten, then the gang decided to murder the girls so they would not be identified as the rapists. Medellín killed one of the girls by using her shoelaces to strangle her, then crushing her neck with his foot. Other gang members strangled the other girl with a nylon belt, until the belt snapped.〔 〕 Medellín, Villareal, Perez, and Cantu then gathered at Cantu's home, where he lived with his brother, Joe Cantu, and sister-in-law, Christina Cantu. Christina Cantu questioned why Villareal was bleeding and Perez had a bloody shirt. This prompted Medellín to say the gang "had fun", and that details would appear on the news. He then elaborated that he had raped both girls. Peter Cantu then returned, and divided valuables that had been stolen from the girls. Medellín got a ring with an "E", so he could give it to his girlfriend, Esther. Medellín reported that he had killed a girl, and noted that he would have found it easier with a gun. Derrick Sean O'Brien was videotaped smiling at the scene of the crime. After the gang left, Christina Cantu convinced Joe Cantu to report the crime to police. Four days after the crime, the bodies were found in the park. They were badly decaying, and dental records were used for identification. The medical examiner corroborated the cause of death as strangulation. All those believed responsible were ultimately arrested. Medellín gave both a written and taped confession.〔〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「José Medellín」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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