She was 22. Cassie recalls that Elizabeth promised Javier she would marry him. Outlets must also tag the Observer in all social media posts. He may even take the stand and say again what he has always repeated, that he did what any parent would do. The lawyers, standing in a row behind them, answered the big-picture questions about the new state law and the legal actions to come. She wanted a relationship with me. As their families paid lawyers to file appeals, Cassie and Anna, still very much in love, set out together to investigate the case on their own. Six months before graduation, overwhelmed with her work schedule, she dropped out of high school. Javier said that after the girls spent the week at Elizabeths in July 1994, he didnt notice anything different at first. She discovered that Javiers two daughters had made abuse allegations before, in Denver, but then claimed at Elizabeths trial to not remember having done so. It wasnt something easily picked up by the wires.. Maybe the lawyer could explain to the authorities that no crime had occurred; it was just a malicious accusation orchestrated by a bitter man. She wasnt receptive, Javier told me. A car provided by the Innocence Project of Texas whisked them away. He checked out a video from the college library on female sexual predators. Im sorry it has taken this long for me to know what truly happened, she said haltingly. Cassie didnt understand, so Anna broke the news: They too were being accused of sexually assaulting Elizabeths nieces. 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. Still hale in his mid-50s, with close-cropped hair, Otto lives without reliable electricity or running water. 2021 The Texas Observer. Please notify us by email that the article will be republished at, I Confronted the Man Whose Crime Put Me in Prison, Observer Radio Episode 50: Greg Abbott Had a Rough Week, Border Security Is a Financial Black Hole that Will Consume Us All. Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012. Most of the time, as he learned from reading scientific journals, these women are teachers who fall in love with a student. The Texas Observer is known for its fiercely independent, uncompromising work which we are pleased to provide to the public at no charge in this space. Vasquez was recently released on parole, but the other women remain behind bars. . Her father Javier called, and as VL assured him that everything at Aunt Lizs house was going just fine, her aunt held the gun to her head. The Firm presently has twelve members. Of course she did. One night Elizabeth stole some of her mothers prescription anxiety pills and overdosed. Pedro Pascal was born in Santiago, Chile. He called me Mom, and I had a big old lump in my throat. The families did their best to move on. Anna Vasquez, recently released on parole, listens to lawyer Jeff Blackburn, center, speak 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. Matjeka typed her answers into a computer. The crowd cheered. Prosecutor Cindy Gresser later pointed to Alejandre's plea form that she had signed, noting the form indicated she must obey all laws, keep in contact with Morris and follow his terms. An emotional Anna Vasquez pauses before answering questions about three of her friends who are still in prison. She had not spoken to him for 13 years, though family members had updated her on his growth, his football games and his girlfriends, and informed her that he was staying out of trouble. He is now 18, with a job and a girlfriend. Had she ever left her nieces under the care of her friends? She was still leaking milk when the police took her to jail. The stories came after pressure from Javier Limon, Ramirez's former brother in law and the father of the two girls. She spoke confidently, her voice cracking a little when she talked about Kristie, Cassie and Anna, and her son. 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. Her lawyer, Casie Gotro, is at left. Four gay Hispanic women molesting children was something that seemed to go down everyone's throats quite easily only, it wasn't true. I want my babies back, she said, crying. When Javier got home, the girls told him the whole shocking story of being held down and raped, he said. Nathan brought the case to the Innocence Project of Texas, where well-known attorney Jeff Blackburn agreed to represent the women. Kristie Mayhugh, seen here Sept. 4, 2012, is incarcerated at the She immediately denied the accusation. Stephanie Limon Martinez, right breaks down before 315th District Court Judge Angela E. Ellis during questioning at a hearing concerning custody of her children, in Houston, Monday, Dec. 3, 2012. Police were on the phone, saying her two nieces then ages 7 and 9 had accused Ramirez and three of her friends of sexually. Javier did not testify, but told me unequivocally, There was no gun.), Sometimes truth is different, Ruiz told the jury. Gentry was a minister, and though he had told the lawyers he believed homosexuality to be a sin, he also said this belief wouldnt cloud his judgment. Elizabeth had one theory. Gloria Herrera shows her favorite pictures of her daughter, Elizabeth Ramirez, Friday, Dec. 3, 2010. Gay rights activists treated them like rock stars. This type of evidence would later be deemed inaccurate. 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. There was a problem saving your notification. Wed, Nov 23, 2016 at 12:35 pm, Owner of San Antonio bar Moses Rose's launches GoFundMe to cover court costs as talks stall, San Antonio gourmet hot dog spot The Dogfather quietly opens second location. 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. Originally the most reticent of the four, Anna became their spokeswoman. It is probable that [Javier] wrote it, said one, adding that there is not enough evidence to make a definite identification or elimination. Another explained, It is one thing to attempt to imitate someones signature once or twice, but an entirely different and exponentially more difficult thing to attempt to successfully imitate a large quantity of extended writing.. She denied the accusations of abuse about her and her husband and that she neglected her children. Both later described it as love at first sight. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. Michael Barajas Did you threaten him with pepper spray? the lawyer asked. Detective Matjeka had little or no experience interviewing children who making complaints of sexual . 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. It was really an offensive question.. Our new endorsement for Texas Attorney General. Limon took his daughters to the Alamo Childrens Advocacy Centre where they underwent a . . That was the last time they spoke. Casie Gotro, Stephanie's lawyer, is at left. The women held her down and started kissing her and putting cold liquid stuff inside her, and then they inserted a tampon into her vagina, she testified. Thats so rude, she said. Prison was a place of endless routine, and so she started one of her own. He went back inside as everyone exhaled. Little Liz! Her father had left, but the rest of Elizabeths large familythree brothers, two sisterswas tight and affectionate. San Javier Los Pandos Las Palmas Joel Garza Santa CruzLa Represa El Organo Lupe Lpez Don Miguel San Manuel Santa Cruz Los banos Luis Garza Los Drenes . No. Liz kind of distanced herself from all of us, Kristie recalled. A tearful Anna Vasquez, left, embraces her mother Maria Vasquez. 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. Javier Limon makes his way to the 315th District Court in Houston to for a hearing concerning his daughter, Stephanie Limon Martinez's custody of her children. After Cassandra went to prison, her mother got a white puppy and named it Teddy Bear. He knew her name was Elizabeth Ramirez, and that she was an inmate in a Texas prison, 3,700 miles from his cabin in Canadas frigid Yukon Territory. She testified under oath at the trial that Javier had arrived in Denver and threatened her with a gun. Though she hadnt prepared to become a young single mother, she knew she could rely on her three close friends for help. Stephanie Limon did not clarify the situation. 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. Promotional materials distributed by your outlet, including all social media work, must include cites for the Observer and our reporter. Holidays and birthdays were the hardest. Otto teaches courses on natural resources at Yukon College. An allegation was filed with Child Protective Services that she and her husband were fighting violently in front of their young children and that was grounds for removal to foster care. He asked to film her walking around the yard, and she complied, but she wouldnt stick one foot past the curb for the camera to symbolize her freedom, since it would technically violate her parole conditions. Though Annas family was more accepting than the others, she still remembers gawking looks whenever she and Cassie would stroll together at carnivals. Site made in collaboration with CMYK. Javier Limn (born 1973) is a record producer, singer and songwriter born and raised in Madrid, Spain.Limn has worked with several artists, mainly from Spain, since he incorporates elements of flamenco rhythm to his work. Philip Kazen, Elizabeths prosecutor, is now a judge. "Word is on the street is that someone else did it, and not [Gregorio Agustine]?" About a month before, they had spent a week at her apartment. If a woman abuses a young child, it often means the perpetrator has a mental illness. Guards at the rural prison stared in surprise at his Canadian ID card. After splitting with her first girlfriend, Elizabeth started dating a man named Hector. We have no ads to show you! It was August 2012, and Stephanie, then 25, was a mother herself. A year after Javier and Rosemary split for good, he took a bus to Denver, where Rosemary was living, and returned to Texas with his kids. Javiers sister Cristina agreed: Shes going to flip on the recantation, to get back at her mom.. Aunt Liz produced a gun. 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. Every other day, she told me, shed clean the office of her sisters prosecutor, Philip Kazen. 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. The women had been drinking tequila and were topless, VL said. 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. Stephanie Limon Martinez (center) breaks down in a state district court in Houston during questioning at a hearing concerning custody of her children. In the backseat of a car, Stephanie Limon (now Stephanie Martinez) read from a sheet of notebook paper. Elizabeth had nervously trudged out of the cellblock, wearing purple eye shadow that contrasted with the white prison scrubs. A tearful Anna Vasquez speaks on a phone during a prison interview Sept. 4, 2012. The prosecutions expert witness was a doctor named Nancy Kellogg, who estimated that she had examined roughly 3,500 sexual assault victims, most of them children. I would not have one with her., Did you have a gay relationship with Anna?, Did you have a gay relationship with Cassie?, That doesnt mean you have to be together., Well, maybe Im confused. 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. VLs new testimony muddled the facts she had presented a year before. There were liquids and powders and different things. There were syringes and vials of white powder. He knew what was going to hurt me the most, she told me. I think Im going to wait for him to come to me, she told me shortly before her release. The letter was several pages long and written in clear cursive script. Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Spotlights, Shipping companies reach $97M California oil spill agreement, Lompoc boys fall to Cypress Oxford Academy in first round of soccer regional, Dear Abby: Wife has no appreciation for man's preferred dress, Intel agencies: No sign adversaries behind 'Havana syndrome', Questions remain over who allowed Javier Limon to be killed as former Northwest gang member wraps up testimony. Anna Vasquez gives her father Jesse Vasquez a hug as he leaves after celebrating Thanksgiving with family members at her Anna's mother's house, her first after being released on parole, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. When I reached her by phone hoping to clarify what had happened, she told me, I dont talk to reporters. Elizabeth was stunned. We were inseparable, Cassie said. Javier Limn Customer Service Manager & Chief Digital Officer (CDO) en Volkswagen Financial Services - Mxico Had he offered to marry her? A sentence of 37 and a half years was a compromise between more and less lenient jurors. But still they were baffled. Yes. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Anna said she no longer cared if anyone saw them as lovers, since they had so little time left. Gloria Herrera, left, and her daughter Elizabeth Ramirez in a photo taken during a visit in prison. 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. They were all arrested and convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Paper bags of the womens belongings were passed through the door. The girl's father, Javier Limon, claims that shortly after bringing them back to San Antonio from Denver in 1992, they were caught acting out sexually with dolls, which led to their disclosing these events to him. Detectives gave her a recording device and ordered her to call Morales in prison, record the conversation, then hand it over. No, Elizabeth said. Elizabeth had just learned of her pregnancy and was recovering from a car accident. Anna was working at a Little Caesars. Then one day while he was at work, his mother, Serafina Limon, was cooking while the girls played outside. Delevan, the prosecutor, said she hadnt prosecuted the women for their sexual orientation. Now it was Anna who had wielded the gun, not Elizabeth. The girls father, Javier Limon, who had dated her sister Rosemary before a messy breakup, had been making advances toward her, she said. But Elizabeth soon found problems there as well. Cassandra Rivera, seen here Sept. 5, 2012, is currently in the Hobby Unit in Marlin, Texas. 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.. It was Nov. 18, and they had been waiting since that morning, having skipped lunch because the release seemed imminent. Rosemary, who had trouble fighting for custody since she lived outside of Texas, floated around, at one point moving to Mexico with a husband who had immigration issues. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. 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. Everything she does is camouflaged, he said, adding that she probably made a deal with Rosemary, her mother, for money or other help. If it had been a man, I dont think there would have been much of a question.. She had just gotten home from a shift at Arbys, where she had recently been promoted to manager. Mama, theyre my nieces, she said. Anna Vasquez, right, answers questions, as her sister-in-law Rose Vasquez, left, gives thanks for Anna's release from prison. Its just so unusual and bizarre.. By the time of the trials, she told me, good pediatricians knew this stuff had been discredited.. They did. I showed the letters and samples of Javiers handwriting to several forensic document examiners. From the archives: The Tony Limon incident. I thought my case was going to go away.". She liked to balance on the balls of her feet, leading her mother to joke that maybe she would become a ballerina. Her sister Elizabeth would call him and ask for rides because she didnt have a car, and shed borrow small amounts of cash. 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. Javier Limon, which happens to be the two girls' father and Elizabeth's brother-in-law at the time, is apparently the man responsible for all of this. It turned my stomach, she said. But little happened for a year. Their reinvestigation wasnt fruitful. 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