out there to recover the body.
Right now. There’s no
indication that those 2 scenes
are connected.
So 30 years ago, the city of
Houston was shocked by the
murders of 2 teenage girls in
the northwest side of Houston.
>> And this week’s episode of
the Evidence Room, KPRC, 2
investigator Robert Arnold
explains how the murders of
Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer are
meant not only expose Houston’s
gang problem, but also helped
advance victims rights. Robert
wants us out this morning with
a sneak peek into tonight’s
episode of the Evidence from
Robert. Good Morning.
>> This was just I mean,
horrifying on so many levels.
I was in college at the time.
I remember my parents live
close to the neighborhood where
these murders happened in to
say that it just stuck, stunned
the entire city would be an
understatement. Mean these are
2 young girls. You’re just
walking home trying to trying
to get home by curfew. Take a
short cut. Any stumble across
this group of gang members were
all just hyped up from
initiating a new member and
they were attacked. In
tonight’s episode, we sit down
with one of the main detectives
who worked that case.
>> Based on the photos that
are still in evidence in some
of the things that are still in
the archive. It appears this
was not quick. I mean, they
they hid.
Based on what you’re seeing
still in the archive. It
appears that these young ladies
were tortured.
>> They were definitely
tortured. I mean, they were
have to They were raped and
brutally raped every way
imaginable.
you know, ultimately strangle
to to endured
as much pain in my horrific
torture is a person could
probably put up with. They were
killed.
>> So they could 90 I would
attacked and sexually assaulted
them. Correct? Correct. If they
have been left alive, they
could have identified everybody
that was involved theoretically
because the
>> these all hang out in that
neighborhood so well from the
area.
>> Yeah, more or less? Yes.
One of the one of the
defendants lived within a
stone’s through of where the
bodies were found. And the
apartment complex there nearby.
>> It’s over. Even people who
are living in Houston at the
time that these murders
happened. Many don’t realize
that this is the first case in
Harris County where a victim
impact statement was given in
court. That something that’s
common now where you see family
members stand up and explain
how a defendant has truly
caused irreparable harm to
their lives. But this was the
first case in Harris County
where we saw that victim impact
statement. This is a case that
also was one of the ones that
was instrumental in getting the
state to change policy and
allow family members of victims
to witness executions. And we
go into all that Yoon art in
tonight’s episode because it we
didn’t want to focus just on
just the horrific nature of
these crimes. We wanted to show
how this case really helped
advance victims rights in the
state of Texas. I mean, you you
always hope something good
comes out of these just awful,
horrible stories. In this case.
It looks like something did.
It really did. It really did.
And you’ll see a very young and
econ. We’re all familiar with
any con with Houston Crime
Stoppers with the city before
and he this was when he
>> had only been with the city
for a couple of years and he
really help the families make
it through that time.
>> How did they get? I mean,
they were in the same area that
these what these girls were
walking home from, so that they
already think that these guys
were involved. They already
think because they were in that
area. They live close by was
the brother. It was the brother
of the main one, the one who
said we’ve got to kill him.
It was his brother. He knew
what happened and he called
police.
>> Told them where to find the
bodies. And then later became a
main witness in the case in any
new. We’re talking about this
other possibility. I think it’s
the Roman brothers because
there were 2 other people who
were there when the attack
started when they realized it
was about to happen. Right now.
We want to part of this and
they left. But then later
became needed
while and that, you know, not a
not a day goes by especially
folks that walk along that up
there that you don’t think
about the into the memorials
there, miles or the benches.
Are there good those 2 young
ladies? Yes, well, boy. All
right. So anyway, there’s a
lot more to see in the latest
episode of the evidence room