There was seldom evidence other than the statements of children or adults who recovered memories from their youth. Prison was a place of endless routine, and so she started one of her own. By late 2013, he had cycled through several careers and was working for a security company and studying criminal justice at a community college in Stafford, near Houston. Limon was her sister's ex-boyfriend, and the two daughters were her 7- and 9-year-old nieces. Two days after their release, the women appeared at a hastily arranged press conference. Elizabeth told me that after she became pregnant, Javier offered to marry her and was upset when she refused. Her brother, Chis Vasquez, right, is her unofficial guard, making sure she is OK as friends greet her. Limon was overbearing and lectured her constantly. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. Were they lesbians? I never heard anything back.. No, Elizabeth said. Anna Vasquez had played sports with Elizabeth in high school. Im your grandmother, Cassie said to her daughters 2-year-old girl. Im sad inside. Javier Limon was given as the reason his two daughters made accusations of sexual abuse against four women in 1994 that led to them being sent to prison. Do you think free access to journalism like this is important? All of the Texas Observers articles are available for free syndication for news sources under the following conditions: You can chip in for as little as 99 cents a month. Kristie Mayhugh, seen here Sept. 4, 2012, is incarcerated at the He called me Mom, and I had a big old lump in my throat. I think Im going to wait for him to come to me, she told me shortly before her release. It doesnt mean were all intimate together, had any kind of sexual togetherness., The trial lasted only a couple of days. He never felt like Elizabeth took advantage of his kindness; helping people was just in his nature, he said. This is a carousel. As prison guards at the Crain Unit in Gatesville close the gate behind her, Anna Vasquez opens the door to a relative's car after being released on parole Nov. 2, 2012. Site made in collaboration with CMYK. At H-E-B they met Cassie Rivera, who, before coming to terms with her attraction to other women, had a son and a daughter and then split with their father. Outlets must also tag the Observer in all social media posts. Swimming with the kids. Years went by without a response. I called all the womens previous attorneys, and they didnt even remember the case, she told me. The crowd cheered. Detective Matjeka had little or no experience interviewing children who making complaints of sexual . Elizabeth told him about Javier, about her trial, and about the guilt she felt for her friends prison sentences. In the midst of her legal troubles, Elizabeth gave birth to her son. 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. 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. The statute made it easier to challenge convictions based on outdated forensic evidence. Reply ( 0) Leave a comment. 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. Elizabeth shrugged off her mothers warnings. 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 . 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. The language was chatty and upbeat. The girls father, Javier Limon, who had dated her sister Rosemary before a messy breakup, had been making advances toward her, she said. The letters refer to Elizabeth as My Little Angel and include bits of poetry. 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. With her are her lawyer, Casie Gotro, and her husband, Joseph Martinez. San Antonio police arrested Zion J. Limon, 20, in connection with the shootings. He knew what was going to hurt me the most, she told me. He explained to Elizabeth that her nieces were accusing her and several of her friendswho had also been at the apartment that weekof sexually abusing them. 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.. They were each sentenced to 15 years, but the judge decided they could remain out of prison until their appeals had been exhausted. Limon's body was found. His kids took a liking to Elizabeth, so hed let them stay at her apartment, even after he split with Rosemary. Kristie Mayhugh is at Mountain View Unit in Gatesville, Texas. Did anyone pull out a butcher knife? the couple's lawyer, Casie Gotro, asked her. Elizabeth's brother-in-law, Javier Limon, father to the two accusers, had been pursuing Elizabeth romantically, and was angry that she rejected his advances. HOUSTON A young woman who recently recanted a nearly 20-year-old accusation of sexual assault, which had sent her aunt and three other women to prison, was in a courtroom here Monday fighting child-abuse allegations leveled at her. Elizabeth had one theory. Cassie saw Elizabeth for the first time at a Catholic mass. 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. She tried to get out, but the door was locked. Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012. They would barbecue at the park on weekends and take trips to a nearby lake. She thought I was up to something, Otto told me. 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. The court battle this week pitted Stephanie Limon Martinez and her husband, Joseph Martinez, against her father, Javier Limon, who in court Friday accused them of domestic violence and. In November, Anna was released on parole. Ramirez has testified that the. The scene of the crime had vanished. It was August 2012, and Stephanie, then 25, was a mother herself. We were inseparable, Cassie 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. They were all arrested and convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Friday, Nov. 2, 2012. From the archives: The Tony Limon incident. She never stopped sending him letters. 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. He explained that she threatened to recant to hurt him, because they had recently been fighting. Javier told me that his daughter wants this all to go away, that she still wakes up in the night crying about what happened to her, and that hell do anything he can to protect her. Life after death row and the search for justice. Michelle Mondo published a story strongly implying that Javier filed the allegation as punishment for Stephanies recantation. After she turned 16, Elizabeth began to stay out later, experiment with drugs, date boys and fight with her mother, Gloria. 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. 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. 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. 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. Go ahead and pull the trigger, Javier, Im not afraid of you, she remembers saying. 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. Kazen asked if she was dating Kristie Mayhugh, her roommate and one of the other women accused of abuse. 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. Elizabeth claims back then Limon would. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. 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. 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. Cassie met her one night when she went to pick up a pizza. I love them. Gloria has no unkind words to say about her daughter, but she never describes her as shrewd. Alejandre testified that she agreed to plead to the charges in September 2016 but still believed her case would be dismissed. Then one day while he was at work, his mother, Serafina Limon, was cooking while the girls played outside. Subscribe now to get the latest news delivered right to your inbox. Anna, right, is greeted by Gloria Herrera, mother of Elizabeth Ramirez who is still in prison. Elizabeth had told Detective Matjeka about Javiers advances, but he hadnt thought much of it. It was hard for me to really get my mind around what they had been accused of doing, he recalled. Morales maintained that he was minding his own business and focused on appealing his prior criminal case to get out of prison, and denied any involvement in the murder. When Darrell Otto first sent the letter, he wasnt sure who would reply. Our new endorsement for Texas Attorney General. 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 prosecutor, Mary Kay Delevan, reminded the jury that much time had passedthe alleged abuse was three and a half years earlierso the victims may not be able to keep everything perfectly straight.. Mr. Limon took his daughters to the Alamo Children's Advocacy Centre where they underwent a physical examination for evidence of . But as he scanned articles on the Internet, there was one case that didnt fit the pattern. Mike Ware, left, is another lawyer working on the case. Anna Vasquez fills in answering phones at her brother David Vasquez's auto shop on N. WW White on Feb. 19, 2013, while he is out of town. She wasnt receptive, Javier told me. He liked to party and her workaholic lifestyle drove them apart, but not before she became pregnant with his son. He did not testify Monday but is expected to this week. Matjeka told Elizabeth that if she had committed a crime, her sondue in about five monthswould probably be taken by the authorities. 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