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. It was like living in a labor camp, he said. 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. 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. Pedro Pascal was born in Santiago, Chile. Casie Gotro, Stephanie's lawyer, is at left. In the midst of her legal troubles, Elizabeth gave birth to her son. 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. When Elizabeth had entered the courtroom, the girl who was accusing her of sexual abuse had waved at her and smiled. 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. Originally the most reticent of the four, Anna became their spokeswoman. Limon was her sister's ex-boyfriend, and the two daughters were her 7- and 9-year-old nieces. 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. In 1994, four local women in San Antonio were accused of sexually assaulting two children. I always felt like an outsider, my whole life, he said. 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. Kristie remembers her friend accepting money and rides. He was an ex-boyfriend of Ramirez's sister who the family said had made romantic advances toward the much younger Ramirez. 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. What was next? Delevan, the prosecutor, said she hadnt prosecuted the women for their sexual orientation. Since his mid-20s, when he became a Jehovahs Witness, he hasnt celebrated birthdays or Christmas. During a cross-examination, Kazen, the prosecutor, broke the flow of his questions to ask, Am I intimidating you up here? Limon's body was found by fieldworkers, and autopsy results showed that he suffered 10 gunshot wounds that struck his lung, heart and liver. She looked stoic and resigned. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. 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. 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. The children in family aren't allowed to be at family gatherings with Anna present. 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. I will make things right, and I am sorry for everything I put you through. 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. Anna Vasquez, right, embraces her mother Maria Vasquez after she was released from prison. At the station, Matjeka asked if she knew a man named Javier Limon and his two daughters. Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012. Dr. Nancy Kellogg is still a respected member of the San Antonio medical community. what happened to javier limon san antonio. I think Im going to wait for him to come to me, she told me shortly before her release. The crowd cheered. Cassies mother had kicked her out of the house, so Cassie stayed sometimes at Elizabeth and Kristies apartment. defense attorney Michael Scott asked. Gloria Herrera, left, and her daughter Elizabeth Ramirez in a photo taken during a visit in prison. Even as a toddler, Elizabeth Ramirez was small for her age. One night Elizabeth stole some of her mothers prescription anxiety pills and overdosed. 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. He also gave up drinking, he told me, though he never liked the taste of alcohol anyway. I tried writing the innocence projects and Oprah and Maury Povich and Montel, Anna told me, anybody who would listen. Im sorry it has taken this long for me to know what truly happened, she said haltingly. The next day, the fish died and they returned it. He stormed away. He never felt like Elizabeth took advantage of his kindness; helping people was just in his nature, he said. Elizabeth was stunned. My sister., The more I interviewed the estranged couple, ferrying bits of information between them, the clearer the duality became: Javier was either a vindictive, wrathful man or a caring father who was being smeared by Elizabeths family. Shifts at Arbys. The former girlfriend of a defendant being tried for planning the slaying of a Santa Maria drug dealer testified Thursday that Joseph Morales never admitted his involvement in the crime during phone calls that she secretly recorded under police orders after she agreed to cooperate with law enforcement. Though her attraction to women made her an outsider at home, it led her to new friendships. Javier Limon, now in his 40s, keeps his graying hair short. 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. They ask her to keep secrets and instruct her to call at specific times, between 7 and 7:15 a.m. or 5:45 and 6 p.m. I hope these letters are not upsetting, disturbing, or making you feel uncomfortable, one reads. Stephanie Limon Martinez (center) breaks down in a state district court in Houston during questioning at a hearing concerning custody of her children. Elizabeth still wasnt sure what she wanted to do, and she struggled with her new identity. Alejandre later was promised by police that her charges would be dismissed if she agreed to cooperate with their investigation and also testify. Elizabeths roommate Kristie Mayhugh was at her mothers apartment in Rosenberg, outside Houston, when the police surrounded the building and ordered her out. Had someone died? VL claimed that the court reporter must have incorrectly taken down her remarks at Elizabeths trial. Lopez, who normally handled child sexual abuse cases. I thought my case was going to go away.". He introduced himself as Detective Thomas Matjeka from the San Antonio Police Department, and though he was not in uniform, he said he was with the Homicide Unit. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. Elizabeth told him about Javier, about her trial, and about the guilt she felt for her friends prison sentences. On the court, the other girls would call out her nickname, Little Liz! One of the girls ran in and told her that the other had been playing with dolls in an inappropriate way, undressing them and making them kiss. She said that her father, Javier Limon, and her grandmother, Serafina Limon, hit the ceiling when they found out Ramirez and her friends had come out as lesbiana risky move in 1990s San Antonio. About a month before, they had spent a week at her apartment. At one point, the sound of wind and cars passing on the highway accompanies a shot of an empty lot. Detective Matjeka was a homicide detective covering for detective T.R. On Valentines Day 1998, a Saturday morning, all three were convicted of the same crimes as Elizabeth: aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child. Anna said she no longer cared if anyone saw them as lovers, since they had so little time left. Anna Vasquez could not attend the meeting because of her parole restrictions. The man standing outside her small apartment had thick black hair. 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. 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. She was still leaking milk when the police took her to jail. Anna had traded her usual T-shirts and jeans for a purple blouse. Yes. I was only 7, and I was scared.. 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. In high school, she remained small, never more than 4-foot-9, though that didnt keep her from playing on the basketball team. Gina Kim covers crime and courts for Santa Maria Times. It was nearly silent, except for little clusters of words between the sobs. Strangers congratulated them. 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. For 20 years, Elizabeth Ramirez, Kristie Mayhugh, Cassandra Rivera and Anna Vasquez have fought to prove their innocence. Jarrett Morris, who told her she could be facing drug trafficking charges and could lose her kids. Alejandre testified that she agreed to plead to the charges in September 2016 but still believed her case would be dismissed. 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.. Michelle Mondo, a crime reporter at the San Antonio Express-News, read Ottos piece and began investigating. It wasnt something easily picked up by the wires.. As a child, he explained, according to the trial transcript, VL had offered a confabulation of facts, and a jumbling of things, weapons, bedrooms, hatred towards family. He theorized that Javier had held a gun to her mother Rosemarys head years before in Denver, and that this had been refracted in the childs mind to include Elizabeth. Limon was her sisters ex-boyfriend, and the two daughters were her 7- and 9-year-old nieces. Elizabeth Ramirez is in the Hobby Unit in Marlin, Texas, September 5, 2012. Did you threaten him with pepper spray? the lawyer asked. "Word is on the street is that someone else did it, and not [Gregorio Agustine]?" Cassie, who worked at AutoZone and frequented car shows, thought about becoming a mechanic. A version of this story ran in the January 2014 issue. 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. Youre confusing yourself because I said that Kristie wanted a relationship with mea gay relationship with me. No. In the backseat of a car, Stephanie Limon (now Stephanie Martinez) read from a sheet of notebook paper. 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.. I never heard anything back.. Cassie met her one night when she went to pick up a pizza. Thank you for using this website. Stephanie now said the women had never abused her. It was really an offensive question.. In September, a new state law had taken effect, passed in the spring by the Texas Legislature. 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. Vasquez's mother, Maria Vasquez, and aunt, Valeria Pachecano, attended the meeting in her place. But as he scanned articles on the Internet, there was one case that didnt fit the pattern. Serafina had said Elizabeth was suspiciously dour when she brought the girls back after the week at the apartment. Anna Vasquez, one of the four San Antonio women fighting to clear their names in the 1994 sexual assault of two sisters, was released from prison on parole, from the Crain Unit in Gatesville, TX. Cassandra Rivera, seen here Sept. 5, 2012, is currently in the Hobby Unit in Marlin, Texas. 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. Stephanie Limon Martinez (right), shown with lawyer Casie Gotro, is fighting child-abuse allegations she said are based on retaliation. They were each sentenced to 15 years, but the judge decided they could remain out of prison until their appeals had been exhausted. They found Elizabeth guilty in just a few hours, but their debate about punishment lasted into the evening. 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. It was mentioned mostly by the defense attorneys, who attempted to show that relationships between women have nothing to do with pedophilia. Friday, Nov. 2, 2012. We have no ads to show you! More letters followed, each one taking about two weeks between his home and Elizabeths prison in Marlin. The questioning continued, focusing on Elizabeths relationships with women. It was hard for me to really get my mind around what they had been accused of doing, he recalled. 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. Mountain View Unit in Gatesville, Texas. Otto found an organization called the National Center for Reason and Justice, which was created in the wake of the 1980s-era satanic ritual abuse scandals to advocate for people wrongfully accused of harming children. That was the last time they spoke. A sentence of 37 and a half years was a compromise between more and less lenient jurors. The women cooperated with authorities and vehemently denied that any abuse had taken place. Detective Lopez was studying for her sergeant's exam when the complaint was filed by Javier Limon, the girl's father. Waiting to solve 5. In November, Anna was released on parole. I thought she should have gotten life, said Gentry, the foreman. I think that first story was really complicated, she explained. [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. Matjeka told Elizabeth that if she had committed a crime, her sondue in about five monthswould probably be taken by the authorities. 2021 The Texas Observer. Elizabeths mother called her grandson to tell him that his mother would soon be released. There were liquids and powders and different things. There were syringes and vials of white powder. Vasquez said she feels an obligation to them. Still hale in his mid-50s, with close-cropped hair, Otto lives without reliable electricity or running water. Anna Vasquez talks with mother Maria Vasquez, center, and friend Denise Tristan, left, as they celebrate Thanksgiving with family members at her mother's house, her first after being released on parole, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. 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. Where had these accusations come from? Limon's body was found. Then one day while he was at work, his mother, Serafina Limon, was cooking while the girls played outside. Margaret Vasquez, Anna Vasquez's sister-in-law, holds up a loteria card, as the family plays the family favorite tradition, celebrating Thanksgiving with family members at Anna's mother's house, her first after being released on parole, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. . Anna remembers Elizabeth coming to her real upset and describing Javiers inappropriate comments. Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. So she left her sisters home and moved in with a girlfriend from school. The arresting officers would not even let me kiss him goodbye.. San Antonio El Berrendo San Ricardo Santa Luca San Roberto Palo Blanco El Capricho Las Minitas El Guerreo El Porvenir Jess Ortiz El RecuerdoEl GuerreoEl Guerreo Matjeka typed her answers into a computer. 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. Deborah Esquenazi sat in the front seat and held a camera as Stephanie read. It involved four women from San Antonio. His parents were Salvador Allende supporters and he recalled what happened in a Reddit Ask Me Anything. No. He is expected to testify this week in a case in which one of his daughters is fighting allegations of child abuse. The cameramen turned on their night-lights, which reflected off the glass of the jail door. 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. One morning several days later, in September 1994, Elizabeths friends Cassandra Rivera and Anna Vasquez met at a park. She liked to balance on the balls of her feet, leading her mother to joke that maybe she would become a ballerina. She said that her father Javier had coached her to make the accusations. At school, coming out wasnt as big a deal because nobody talked about it. Kazen asked if she was dating Kristie Mayhugh, her roommate and one of the other women accused of abuse. 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. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Had she been in lesbian relationships? He explained that she threatened to recant to hurt him, because they had recently been fighting. 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. 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