Since his mid-20s, when he became a Jehovahs Witness, he hasnt celebrated birthdays or Christmas. Her long straight hair was in a perm with her bangs teased up off her forehead. defense attorney Michael Scott asked. Kelloggs admission suddenly undermined the key evidence in the case. Friday, Nov. 2, 2012. Vasquez said she feels an obligation to them. Javier says she went to Mexico to evade paying child support. About a month before, they had spent a week at her apartment. Matjeka told Elizabeth that if she had committed a crime, her sondue in about five monthswould probably be taken by the authorities. Javier told me that his daughter didnt recant because she suddenly changed her mind about what happened to her. But because only copies of the documents are available, the experts reports were inconclusive. Strangers congratulated them. It was the first day of testimony in a hearing involving Stephanie Limon Martinez, 25, and her husband, Joseph Martinez, 29, who both believe the accusations against them are in retaliation because Limon Martinez is now working to help exonerate her aunt and the other women. Visitors give TX state park final farewell after land sold, Dallas judge revives sexual misconduct suit against Jerry Jones. They are signed Javier Limon.. [Javiers younger daughter] told me herself, They were kissing us., Lonnie Gentry, the jury foreman at Elizabeths 1997 trial, listened to Javiers older daughter describe what had happened to her. Because I could say something, and you could twist it around., At the second trial, there was far less talk of lesbianism. In the backseat of a car, Stephanie Limon (now Stephanie Martinez) read from a sheet of notebook paper. Elizabeth told him about Javier, about her trial, and about the guilt she felt for her friends prison sentences. They grew closer and, with Elizabeth beginning to realize she was attracted to women, eventually started dating. In the early 1990s, he told me, he had been working as a heavy-equipment operator for the city of San Antonio and dating Rosemary. Yes. Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012. The prosecutor, Philip Kazen, told the jury that Elizabeth had held a 9-year-old girl up as a sacrificial lamb to her friends.. Deborah Esquenazi sat in the front seat and held a camera as Stephanie read. Stephanie Limon Martinez (center) breaks down in a state district court in Houston during questioning at a hearing concerning custody of her children. Delevan, the prosecutor, said she hadnt prosecuted the women for their sexual orientation. Gloria Herrera has taped a picture of her daughter Elizabeth Ramirez, as a young girl, to a rosary and placed it around a statue of Jesus displayed in a shrine, Friday, Dec. 3, 2010. Rosemary got a job supervising the cleaning staff at the courthouse downtown. This type of evidence would later be deemed inaccurate. They needed something to justify why Rosemary left me. The scene of the crime had vanished. Morales was serving time for attempted murder at a Lancaster prison around the time of Limon's death, and was using a cellphone to communicate with fellow gang members, along with his girlfriend, Josie Alejandre. The film showcases the innocent women's fight for innocence and persistence throughout their nearly 15 years in prison. Kristie Mayhugh, seen here Sept. 4, 2012, is incarcerated at the Mountain View Unit in Gatesville, Texas. I showed the letters and samples of Javiers handwriting to several forensic document examiners. Vasquez could not attend the meeting because of her parole restrictions. They scribbled the events of the week, as the women remember, on a large white poster board in a grid organized by woman and by day. He went back inside as everyone exhaled. Most of the time, as he learned from reading scientific journals, these women are teachers who fall in love with a student. Testimony revealed that Alejandre herself was facing criminal charges after a search warrant was served in April 2015 at a home she previously resided in, when detectives began investigating Morales and his alleged role in Limon's murder. Do you know anything about where she learned it? Serafina asked. I never was a mother to that child.. Lopez, who normally handled child sexual abuse cases. He is expected to testify this week in a case in which one of his daughters is fighting allegations of child abuse. I was only 7, and I was scared.. She says she didnt pay because he wouldnt let her see the kids. He declined to comment, saying he thought the Express-News didn't properly represent his side in a 2010 story about the women. She saw them often. Here's why dogs involved in fatal San Antonio mauling were returned to owner after prior attacks, Tense moment involving Budweiser Clydesdale at San Antonio Rodeo goes viral online, Family of man killed in San Antonio pit bull attack launches online fundraiser for funeral costs, Video of Texas school shooting survivor's American Idol audition goes viral, DPS sent at least 3,000 drivers licenses to organized crime group targeting Asian Texans, By Karen Brooks Harper, The Texas Tribune, Texas gets failing grade in study about state's efforts to get lead out of schools' drinking water, How Texas activists turned drag events into fodder for outrage, A critically-acclaimed documentary in the case had been critical in drumming up support and awareness for the so-called San Antonio Four, Scroll to read more San Antonio News articles, widely-acclaimed documentary on the San Antonio Four case. What was next? Rosemary recounted years later that Javier threatened her family. As a lesbian couple in conservative San Antonio, they seldom showed affection in public, but Anna was unusually touchy that morning. Cassie remembers her lawyer telling the women that they would surely win and coaching them not to jump up and down when the jury announced an acquittal. His sister, Cristina, became increasingly angry as she told me, I remember [Javiers older daughter] telling me that they touched them, moving their hands back and forth down there. He was an ex-boyfriend of Ramirez's sister who the family said had made romantic advances toward the much younger Ramirez. Freelance writer Maurice Chammah lives in Austin. Anna Vasquez, left, appears safe in her brother Robert Vasquez's arms as she returned home after serving 12 and a half years in prison. Thank you for using this website. Limon was her sister's ex-boyfriend, and the two daughters were her 7- and 9-year-old nieces. Couldn't it be possible that he had coerced his children to make up a story so he could "get even" with the woman who dared to prefer women over him? Both will be thrust into the limelight in the upcoming legal battles over the case. Shortly after Mondos story appeared came the breakthrough. She tried to get out, but the door was locked. One night Elizabeth stole some of her mothers prescription anxiety pills and overdosed. Both later described it as love at first sight. Morales stands accused of allegedly orchestrating the August 2014 murder of Javier Limon, who the prosecution claims was killed over unpaid drug debts to gang members. here? There were liquids and powders and different things. There were syringes and vials of white powder. Asked about how the world had changed during her time in prison, she described going to a restaurant and noticing families eating together in silence while each member stared at a smartphone. There aren't many places she is allowed to go. Kazen asked if she was dating Kristie Mayhugh, her roommate and one of the other women accused of abuse. Then, only a couple minutes later, the spokesman came back out breathless. The children in family aren't allowed to be at family gatherings with Anna present. The next day, the fish died and they returned it. Cassies mother had kicked her out of the house, so Cassie stayed sometimes at Elizabeth and Kristies apartment. Do you think free access to journalism like this is important? No. Anna Vasquez, right, enjoys a laugh with her brother David Vasquez and her mother Maria Vasquez over a plate of turkey dinner as they celebrate her first Thanksgivings after being released on parole, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. Detective Matjeka was a homicide detective covering for detective T.R. I miss everyone cause Im not able to see and be home with them, one read, but most of all I miss my son. "Word is on the street is that someone else did it, and not [Gregorio Agustine]?" They did. . The three women reported to prison, where they were all given higher security levelsincluding, at one point, more than 30 days in solitary confinement for Cassiebecause they refused to take sex offender rehabilitation classes. Javier said that Stephanie had taken advantage of his kindness. Elizabeth Ramirez is in the Hobby Unit in Marlin, Texas, September 5, 2012. Anna Vasquez, just released from prison, stops at the "Anna Wall" in her mother's home, joking that the photo of her in a crib as a baby, was the first picture of her behind bars. Dogs were barking and a few neighbors watched from a distance as she sat on the front steps and talked to a local TV anchor. It involved four women from San Antonio. I remember everything [Javier] coached me to say, as well as my grandmother. Originally the most reticent of the four, Anna became their spokeswoman. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. A boot-wearing, quiet man with a wide smile and blond hair mopped down on his forehead, Ware had worked for years with the Conviction Integrity Unit at the Dallas County District Attorneys office, which investigated old cases for possible wrongful convictions, and helped exonerate dozens of men. Pedro Pascal was born in Santiago, Chile. Waiting to solve 5. She spoke to reporters at her childhood home, a small bungalow where the street dead-ends at a muddy creek. He never felt like Elizabeth took advantage of his kindness; helping people was just in his nature, he said. The story of the San Antonio Four unfolded like this: In the summer of 1994, Ramirez's two nieces, the 9- and 7-year-old daughters of her older sister, stayed for a week with Ramirez and. Even as a toddler, Elizabeth Ramirez was small for her age. She thought I was up to something, Otto told me. Anna Vasquez, recently released on parole, speaks at a Work-In-Progress screening of "San Antonio Four" a documentary by Deborah S. Esquenazi, about Vasquez and three of her friends, who are still in prison, found guilty of sexual assault of two minors. They looked like celebrities inundated by paparazzi. Released on parole after serving 12 and a half years of a 15-year sentence, Anna Vasquez speaks at a screening of "San Antonio Four," a documentary by Deborah S. Esquenazi, on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012, while holding photos of her friends who are still in prison. Elizabeth Ramirez (clockwise from top left), Kristie Mayhugh, Cassandra Rivera and Anna Vasquez -- the San Antonio Four -- are all out on bond or parole, but face new trials. Guards at the rural prison stared in surprise at his Canadian ID card. So she decided to tell her lawyer about Javier. I remember reporters at the time wanting to know if we were trying these women because they were lesbian, which was ludicrous, she told me. The patriarch of the family, Limon was given as the reason the sisters made the accusations in 1994, according to Ramirez's testimony at her trial for sex abuse. A sentence of 37 and a half years was a compromise between more and less lenient jurors. Kristie Mayhugh, seen here Sept. 4, 2012, is incarcerated at the Site made in collaboration with CMYK. Elizabeth knew that being a lesbian would make her an outsider in her conservative Catholic family. Gloria Herrera keeps a picture of her daughter Elizabeth Ramirez in a Bible in her bedroom, Friday, Dec. 3, 2010. The younger of the two accusers, now 25, has recanted, saying no assault occurred. The Firm presently has twelve members. Articles must link back to the original article and contain the following attribution at the top of the story: This article was originally published by the, Articles cannot be rewritten, edited or changed beyond alignments with house style books. When the jury announced her guilt, Elizabeth remembers her mother standing up and screaming, No! Allowed five minutes to say goodbye to her family, Elizabeth was then escorted to a holding cell, where she fainted. Discovery channel documentary 'Southwest of Salem: the Story of the San Antonio Four' unravels the case against lesbians accused of abuse. I look at this as a giant jigsaw puzzle, said Mary Burdette, an investigator hired by the lawyers, and sometimes a piece is missing and its just gone., If this case returns to court, VL may be the focus of a high-stakes cross-examination over whether she told the truth as a child. He would offer Elizabeth rides, he would give her small amounts of cash when she needed it, and he would leave long messages on her answering machine. I think Im going to wait for him to come to me, she told me shortly before her release. Anna had traded her usual T-shirts and jeans for a purple blouse. I never heard anything back.. By late 2012, media attention on the womenwho were becoming known as the San Antonio Fourwas steadily growing. The language was chatty and upbeat. An affidavit submitted by a CPS caseworker outlines multiple accusations against the couple, from having a filthy apartment to being violent with each other, which they both deny. At the time of her death, Limon's father stated he had just walked . what happened to javier limon san antonio. There had been other little kidsCassies kids and some neighborsin the apartment throughout the week, but now she was adamant that she and her sister had been the only children. That incident was said to have happened during a visit Aug. 1 to the home of Javier Limon, Stephanie Limon Martinez's father, in Stafford, according to court testimony. Alejandre testified she went to the sheriff's substation voluntarily and spoke with Sgt. Anna Vasquez hugs one of her older brothers, Robert Vasquez, as they embrace each other for the first time in 12 and a half years on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012. But the pool of advocates for the women was growing. Their reinvestigation wasnt fruitful. About a month before, they had spent a week at her apartment. Cassies son and daughter continued to drive three hours up Interstate 35 to visit her in prison, but Elizabeth had lost contact with her son when he was 5 and his father obtained custody. Stephanie Limon Martinez (right), shown with lawyer Casie Gotro, is fighting child-abuse allegations she said are based on retaliation. I could mail out 50 letters and not one of them would [get a response] back, said Elizabeth, who scoured medical and legal textbooks in the prison library and spent nearly all of her commissary money on stamps. A San Antonio, Texas judge is considering what he will recommend to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals after hearing testimony that four women convicted of sexually abusing two young girls in 1994 should be exonerated. Anna remembers Elizabeth coming to her real upset and describing Javiers inappropriate comments. Michelle Mondo published a story strongly implying that Javier filed the allegation as punishment for Stephanies recantation. The prosecutors, as well as Javier when we spoke 15 years later, accounted for the inconsistencies by saying the girls were young children who could hardly be expected to keep facts straight. Javier said that after the girls spent the week at Elizabeths in July 1994, he didnt notice anything different at first. Anna was working at a Little Caesars. Serafina had said Elizabeth was suspiciously dour when she brought the girls back after the week at the apartment. She knew by then she was either going to accept my lifestyle, or I wasnt going to be a part of her life, Elizabeth said. She served 12 and a half years. She now says that didn't happen. In the midst of her legal troubles, Elizabeth gave birth to her son. Anna Vasquez could not attend the meeting because of her parole restrictions. The stories came after pressure from Javier Limon, Ramirez's former brother in law and the father of the two girls. The judge hearing the case will determine whether the couple get their children back. Elizabeth Ramirez, the aunt, and her friends Anna Vasquez, Cassandra Rivera and Kristie Mayhugh are fighting to clear their names in the bizarre case that spurred talk of Satanism when they were accused in 1994. Fueled by the "Satanic Ritual Abuse Panic" of the day, baffling charges by one of the women's nieces send them all to prison. The lawyers had argued about it, and he expected to get cut from the jury pool, but now here he was sitting in the jury box. Limon Martinez and her husband believe the accusations against them are in retaliation because she is now working to help exonerate her aunt and the other women. Sitting in the courtroom, Elizabeth was frightened but also puzzled. Cameras flashed and clicked as the women were engulfed. She was 22. Hooper described Javiers behavior as a pattern, saying he uses the authorities to get back at people who have crossed him. We met once at the colleges library, and then later at a Whataburger, where he takes his kids so often that he knows the staff well. Anna Vasquez (from left), Elizabeth Ramirez, Kristie Mayhugh and Cassandra Rivera have been fighting to clear their names in a bizarre 1994 sex assault case. . The statute made it easier to challenge convictions based on outdated forensic evidence. Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012. Elizabeth Ramirez is in the Hobby Unit in Marlin, Texas, September 5, 2012. Elizabeth had nervously trudged out of the cellblock, wearing purple eye shadow that contrasted with the white prison scrubs. Her relationship with her mother improvedGloria co-signed for Elizabeths new apartment. He did not testify Monday but is expected to this week. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Cassie and Anna are looking for Elizabeths old apartment. When Darrell Otto first sent the letter, he wasnt sure who would reply. Yeah, theyre all gay and were friends, but that doesnt mean its a gay relationship. One morning several days later, in September 1994, Elizabeths friends Cassandra Rivera and Anna Vasquez met at a park. While the names of those who make an outcry to CPS aren't public, the affidavit and testimony state that the case stems from a call to CPS in early August that claimed that the couple had a history of domestic violence, including Joseph Martinez pulling a butcher knife on his wife and her threatening him with pepper spray. Elizabeth had told Detective Matjeka about Javiers advances, but he hadnt thought much of it. With a lot of time on his own, Otto developed various research obsessions outside his academic work on fish breeding. Holidays and birthdays were the hardest. In terms of mileage from the Yukon, the North Pole would have been a shorter journey. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Where had these accusations come from? Mama, theyre my nieces, she said. Nathan brought the case to the Innocence Project of Texas, where well-known attorney Jeff Blackburn agreed to represent the women. 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