Thank you for reading! Other 7 month ago 0 answers 12 views. Subscribe now to get the latest news delivered right to your inbox. Of course she did. I know youre very nervous, her lawyer said, according to the transcript. 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. 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. Mama, theyre my nieces, she said. About a month before, they had spent a week at her apartment. Had he offered to marry her? Elizabeth, who had recently turned 20, climbed into his unmarked police car. Im your grandmother, Cassie said to her daughters 2-year-old girl. on I remember everything [Javier] coached me to say, as well as my grandmother. Editor's note: Violence at a local sporting event last made national news when South San basketball player Tony Limon received a five-year prison . When Ramirez rebuffed him, her family claimed, Limon retaliated by. Ware and the other lawyers for the women have said that no matter how much the ongoing investigations may cast doubt on the legal and medical context for the convictions, much about the case will remain a mystery. He went on to have another bitter custody battle with his next partner, Carina Hooper, who described him to me as hurtful, mean, a sociopath, and said he accused her son of sexually abusing their daughter, and reported Hooper for neglect to Child Protective Services. She looked stoic and resigned. The jury went home for the weekend, returning Monday for the closing arguments. The bottom line is this, prosecutor Philip Kazen countered: VL was very clear about specifics in terms of time, place, and content of the sexual assault. Kazen, who is now a judge, didnt respond to multiple interview requests. At this trial, the younger of Elizabeths nieces, Stephanie Limon, who was not a witness at Elizabeths trial, would testify (her name is used here because she has recently spoken to the media about the case). Ex-girlfriend of inmate charged with ordering slaying of Javier Limon testifies, Breaking News | Local Sports | Daily Headlines | Local Obituaries | Weather | Local Offers. Promotional materials distributed by your outlet, including all social media work, must include cites for the Observer and our reporter. Lopez, who normally handled child sexual abuse cases. She was still a convicted sex offender and there was a long list of parole rules: no cell phones, no computers, no contact with anyone under 18. Javier claimed they were forged by Rosemary as a pretext for taking the kids from him. She spoke confidently, her voice cracking a little when she talked about Kristie, Cassie and Anna, and her son. The most painful memory of that day was being separated from my newborn son, she later wrote. She had examined VL and her sister and seen a scar on the hymen that was about two to three millimeters, a scar normally caused by penetration. VLs mood, Kellogg said, was guileless or uncontrived, that is she did not appear to be holding back information or embellishing or adding information., Elizabeth took the stand in her own defense. Elizabeth Ramirez, right, and Cassandra Rivera are both in the Hobby Unit in Marlin, Texas. Im sad inside. In September, a new state law had taken effect, passed in the spring by the Texas Legislature. There was a problem saving your notification. All four of the women were out as lesbians, a fact that colored the investigation into the accusations and case against them. Nathan convinced a filmmaker she had mentored named Deborah S. Esquenazi to take a look at the case. Shifts at Arbys. They took the girls to Walmart, where they bought a fish. The cluster reassembled. She testified that she called Stafford police because she didn't want an argument between her father and her husband getting out of hand. Javier says that Oscar stabbed him in the back by dating Rosemary, and that due to a stint in prison, Oscar was an excellent forger. Promotional Rates were found for your code. I was only 7, and I was scared.. But because only copies of the documents are available, the experts reports were inconclusive. 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The letters refer to Elizabeth as My Little Angel and include bits of poetry. They were all arrested and convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Photos, illustrations and other art may be available for syndication but must be confirmed. Anna Vasquez served more than a decade of time in jail while the three other women are still serving time. When Elizabeth first came out behind the glass to meet him, she couldnt stop shaking. Serafina had said Elizabeth was suspiciously dour when she brought the girls back after the week at the apartment. Yes. Limon was her sister's ex-boyfriend, and the two daughters were her 7- and 9-year-old nieces. 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. The women had been drinking tequila and were topless, VL said. Then Mike Ware, another lawyer with the Innocence Project, got involved. Anna Vasquez talks with her brother Jerry Vasquez on their mother's front porch after they celebrated her first Thanksgivings after being released on parole, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. Do you think free access to journalism like this is important? Because I could say something, and you could twist it around., At the second trial, there was far less talk of lesbianism. 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. The Firm presently has twelve members. Philip Kazen, Elizabeths prosecutor, is now a judge. He was an ex-boyfriend of Ramirez's sister who the family said had made romantic advances toward the much younger Ramirez. Elizabeth Ramirez holds her baby boy shortly after his birth in a family photo. Maria Vasquez (right), mother of Anna Vasquez, shakes hands with Gloria Herrera (left), mother of Elizabeth Ramirez, as Anna Vasquez's aunt, Valeria Pachecano stands in between during a meeting of the San Antonio Crime Coalition on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. But the pool of advocates for the women was growing. In September 2015, Morris texted Alejandre, telling her to show up to court for her drug possession for sale charges, along with special gang enhancements, she testified. Elizabeth and Kristie moved in together as friends. At the time of her death, Limon's father stated he had just walked . 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. Limon was her sisters ex-boyfriend, and the two daughters were her 7- and 9-year-old nieces. When one reporter asked whom they blame, Kristie offered, I dont think we blame anybody. Ware jumped in and said the blame goes to a number of factors and people, and thats not something were going to get into.. There were liquids and powders and different things. There were syringes and vials of white powder. Cassie met her one night when she went to pick up a pizza. what happened to javier limon san antonio. Mr. Limon took his daughters to the Alamo Children's Advocacy Centre where they underwent a physical examination for evidence of . (That account was backed up by Oscar, Rosemarys partner in Denver, as well as by Rosemary herself in recent interviews. She never stopped sending him letters. If he did, Im going to ask for a mistrial. The judge overruled that request. A version of this story ran in the January 2014 issue. Cameras flashed and clicked as the women were engulfed. If a woman abuses a young child, it often means the perpetrator has a mental illness. 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. Javier said that after the girls spent the week at Elizabeths in July 1994, he didnt notice anything different at first. It was like living in a labor camp, he said. Javiers older daughterwho, because she is still officially considered a victim of child sexual abuse, Ill identify with the initials VLtestified that after several carefree days at Elizabeths apartment, her aunt called her into the bedroom one afternoon and began shouting at her. It was nearly silent, except for little clusters of words between the sobs. But as he scanned articles on the Internet, there was one case that didnt fit the pattern. He is expected to testify this week in a case in which one of his daughters is fighting allegations of child abuse. It was August 2012, and Stephanie, then 25, was a mother herself. In 2012, one of the nieces admitted to having been pressured by her father, Javier Limon, to make the false accusations. The new technology was fascinating, but so were social mores. Had she ever left her nieces under the care of her friends? Most of the time, as he learned from reading scientific journals, these women are teachers who fall in love with a student. Limon brought the case against his own daughter. She would do the same thing if somebody was hurting her child., Elizabeth herself, several months earlier, had said nearly the same words. Cassies mother had kicked her out of the house, so Cassie stayed sometimes at Elizabeth and Kristies apartment. Alejandre testified that she was told by Morales that Limon was killed because he avoided paying money he collected from drug transactions and went into hiding. 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? Her older niece hadnt acted the way she expected. We rely on the generosity of our readers who believe that this work is important. She says she didnt pay because he wouldnt let her see the kids. A friend had brought 10 outfits on hangers, including black slacks and blouses in various shades of blue and gold, so the women could pick what theyd like to wear.. Ware expects a battle over whether the women are declared actually innocent, a designation that would entitle them to compensation from the state for their imprisonment. 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. She was still leaking milk when the police took her to jail. The judge hearing the case will determine whether the couple get their children back. The case caught the attention of just almost every eyeball out there. Stephanie Limon Martinez, center, was just 7 when she and her older sister said the women sexually assaulted them. Theres a home video from the period shortly before Kristie, Cassie and Anna went to prison in 2000. Anna Vasquez, right, answers questions, as her sister-in-law Rose Vasquez, left, gives thanks for Anna's release from prison. In October, Child Protective Services was given emergency custody of the couple's three children, all younger than 3. Gloria took her to the hospital and then kicked her out of the house. Shortly after his daughters stayed at Elizabeths apartment, Javier called her and said he had something important to tell her. He called me Mom, and I had a big old lump in my throat. Ramirez told the court that the accusations against her and her friends came after she spurned his advances for marriage. She tried to get out, but the door was locked. Limon Martinez took the stand for more than a hour Monday. Site made in collaboration with CMYK. Gloria Herrera keeps a picture of her daughter Elizabeth Ramirez in a Bible in her bedroom, Friday, Dec. 3, 2010. The prosecutor, Philip Kazen, told the jury that Elizabeth had held a 9-year-old girl up as a sacrificial lamb to her friends.. Matjeka's tone grew less friendly. The four were convicted, in part, based on testimony from a pediatrician who said visible scarring to one of the girls hymens was proof of sexual abuse. Javier told me he testified in court on the matter, but that the police filed the CPS report, not him. 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. Its just so unusual and bizarre.. Reply ( 0) Leave a comment. Alejandre countered that it was difficult to pick up calls while she was on the streets, couldn't pay her phone bill, and she reiterated that she only sold drugs to support her children. The statute made it easier to challenge convictions based on outdated forensic evidence. 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. When Ramirez rebuffed him, her family claimed, Limon retaliated by coaching his daughters to accuse her of molestation, and the girls ended up accusing Ramirez's three friends as well. You got lucky! Ive kind of prepared myself for the feelings he might have, that I abandoned him., Several weeks later, the night she was released, she met him for dinner at Pizza Hut. Anna Vasquez, pictured here on Sept. 4, 2012, was incarcerated at the Murray Unit, in Gatesville, Texas. Ramirez has testified that the. Mondo spent more than a year on the story, reporting much of it in her spare time. Vasquez's story could have happened to anyone, just as it did to her 19-year-old self, fresh out of high school. [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. We were inseparable, Cassie said. Anna Vasquez (left), Cassandra Rivera and Kristie Mayhugh (right) were tried together and were sentenced to 15 years, which began in 2000 after they lost their only appeal. Otto teaches courses on natural resources at Yukon College. Even as a toddler, Elizabeth Ramirez was small for her age. They stared in awe as two women kissed openly at a convenience store. After splitting with her first girlfriend, Elizabeth started dating a man named Hector. She started to cry. This makes us one of the biggest by prevailing local standards. I thought my case was going to go away.". More of his work can be found at mauricechammah.com. Had she been in lesbian relationships? The cameras blinked on. I will make things right, and I am sorry for everything I put you through. Gresser claimed thatAlejandre often missed calls from Morris, and still continued selling or using drugs. Anna remembers Elizabeth coming to her real upset and describing Javiers inappropriate comments. On trips around the city for volleyball games, Anna would bring along a radio and theyd belt out Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks. We didnt understand it, and we didnt like it. Elizabeth remembers being racked with guilt as Cassie, Anna and Kristie faced trial together a year later, in February 1998. One of them, Elizabeth Ramirez, had a profile on the website WriteAPrisoner.com. The lawyers, standing in a row behind them, answered the big-picture questions about the new state law and the legal actions to come. Originally the most reticent of the four, Anna became their spokeswoman. He never felt like Elizabeth took advantage of his kindness; helping people was just in his nature, he said. And the letters? They worked together at a nursing home, where the residents would constantly tell Gloria what a caring and charming girl she had raised. His primary company is a group of huskies. Anna, right, is greeted by Gloria Herrera, mother of Elizabeth Ramirez who is still in prison. Detective Matjeka had little or no experience interviewing children who making complaints of sexual . Anna said she no longer cared if anyone saw them as lovers, since they had so little time left. We have no ads to show you! Every other day, she told me, shed clean the office of her sisters prosecutor, Philip Kazen. Swimming with the kids. Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012. Elizabeth still wasnt sure what she wanted to do, and she struggled with her new identity. Alejandre is heard saying. Anna Vasquez, just home after serving 12 and a half years in prison, admires family photos on the walls in her mother's home. Vasquez was recently released on parole, but the other women remain behind bars. 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