During the trial, one of Cantu's former girlfriends, Amy Boettcher,testified that he had told her of his plans to kill Mosqueda and showed her the bodies after the act. If we're unsuccessful, Iwill be there for Ivan the day he is executed by lethal injection. But back in 2004, I had been inspired by progressive Catholics to reach out to someone on death row. Later that same night, the state of Texas says, James cousin, Ivan Cantu motivated by his relatives drug debt and his own greed and jealousy killed Amy and James in an execution-style double murder. One day my daughter and Iwere shopping and I was looking at cards for Ivan and she said: "Were you ever going to tell me you loved this guy?" I held a giant white binder and read from it, as if it were a movie script. No matter what, you can always turn to The Marshall Project as a source of trustworthy journalism about the criminal justice system. So I answered a plea from the Community of SantEgidio, a worldwide Catholic prayer and charity organization, to write a letter of solidarity to a mentally-disabled death row prisoner named Johnny Paul Penry. It's not something I want to do, but I won't let him die alone. Ivan Cantu, the 44-year-old prisoner Stevens has come to see, is led, handcuffed, behind the row of booths by three officers. ***Ivan Cantu has a scheduled Execution Date of April 26th 2023*** Cousins By Blood is a true crime podcast investigation, unfolding episode by episode. According to Boettchers testimony, Cantu called Mosqueda on the night of November 3, 2000 at approximately 11:30 p.m., and asked if he could come over to Mosqueda and Kitchens house. I'd written to a man on death row in Texas whose story I was interested in for my course. I am overwhelmed by all the evidence against Ivan. Helmed by director Thea Sharrock, The One and Only Ivan is based on author K. A. Applegate's novel by the same name. A version of this story appeared in the Jan 1-14, 2016 print issue under the headline: Talking with Ivan, I found a flame of life on death row. To learn more about Ivan's case, head over to the Cousins By Blood Podcast. Donations from readers like you are essential to sustaining this work. The seven-part investigation doesnt answer all the questions surrounding the case, but it still provides a memorable journey into a story that resists easy conclusions. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review an appeal from a Dallas man who shot and killed his cousin in a botched 2000 robbery and is now on death row. via:postimg.org . As I read more about the crime, I didn't think he could have done it. The host, a BBC journalist, fleshes out the life of Farmer and Frampton through interviews with their families, including the . If we are to continue executing individuals, we must be absolutely certain that the right person is behind bars, and in Ivan's case we are not so sure of that. They lived in adjacent pods, as they are called on Texas death row, the Polunsky Unit. - Trial counsel conceded his guilt during the closing argument. On 28 March this year I learned Ivan had been given an execution date: 30 August. Ive always believed his story, but only because I had no reason not to. According to court documents Ivan Cantu would fatally shoot his cousin and a woman during a botched robbery. Later that same night, the state of Texas says, James' cousin, Ivan Cantu motivated by his relative's drug debt and his own greed and jealousy killed Amy and James in an execution-style double murder. Someone had known he would be out and had planted the jeans. Ivan Cantu maintains his innocence over the murder of his cousin. The case was brought before a grand jury, but there were no indictments. We do not control or endorse the conduct of users and make no representations of any kind about them. Weve never been able to touch.' Season 2 begins with the introduction of Ivan's biggest champion over the past 14 years, Ivan's wife Tammy. Hewas so frightened. The couple later drove to Arkansas to visit Boettchers parents, where they were when the bodies were discovered the following evening. Death row inmates get virtually no phone privileges, so calling hasn't been an option. ** This post is showing arrest information only. It seemed to be a crime of passion, but local police never solved the case. Ivan thinks the victims were killed by rival drug dealers out to frame him he had become mixed up with the wrong people. Click here to learn more or change your cookie settings. From: Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. I told my friends at the casino where I work that I was writing to Ivan as part of my law degree, but when I said it was developing into something more, they asked if I was sure. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Ivan Abner Cantu - Texas Execution - April 26, 2023, http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions16-70016.0.pdf, http://www.dallasnews.com/news/courtal-second-time, https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.es/16-7874.htm, https://www.usnews.com/news/best-stan-on-death-row, High-Profile Non-Capital Punishment Trials, Remembrance, Missing Persons, Unsolved Murders, North Carolina - Female Death Row Inmates, Inmates No Longer On Death Row - Executed, Commuted or Released (Members Only), Death Row Inmates and Former Death Row Inmates Who Died in Prison. For over 3 years, the Cousins By Blood Podcast has investigated Ivan's capital murder case and innocence claim. Additionally, police found Mosqueda's car at Cantu's apartment complex. The webmaster, who has been operating this site since 2000, wished to cut back on the amount of time required to keep it updated. Cousins By Blood is a podcast investigation into a double homicide that took place in Dallas in the year 2000. Your email address will not be published. It didnt cost me anything, and I knew it would cost him everything if he really was innocent and no one listened. Cantu then told Boettcher that he was going to their house to kill them, but Boettcher did not believe him. I feel very isolated nobody understands what I'm going through. Cantu and Boettcher then went together to the victims house in Kitchens Mercedes. To: He also says theres a picture of my family, which I sent him years ago, taped to the wall of his cell. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Chris Farmer and Peta Frampton were a British couple in their twenties who dreamed of sailing around the world. Get the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond. Last August, I visited Ivan on death row and asked him if he committed this crime. When I sat in my living room, watching my sons face as he laughed at the cartoons on TV, I would think to myself, My child knows nothing about the worlds brutality, so why am I inviting this dark story into our house? Ivan has been on death row for 20 years and maintains his innocence. The case is new to me to. STATE WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS- Counsel was not communicative with Cantu and rendered ineffective assistance by failing to challenge trial counsels performance at the guilt/innocence phase of trial. Cantu cleaned up, and Boettcher threw his bloody jeans into the trash. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Your browser currently has Javascript turned off. The podcast grew out of private investigator Matt Duffs inquiry into the case of Ivan Cantu, a Latinx man from Texas who sits on death row for the execution-style murders of his then-27-year-old cousin and his cousins fianc in 2000. Can we count on your support today? If you do, enabling JavaScript should get around the problems. He had learning . In Culpables 15 episodes, host Dennis Cooper uncovers the failures of local police officers, reveals new eyewitness accounts about people who were at Andreacchios apartment, and parses forensic clues that actually point to a homicide in the 2014 death. Both were found guilty; at his trial, Pitonyak claimed he didnt remember the killing, so what actually happened and why remains murky to this day. Her dad giving her some money to spend; he always had a weakness for his only girl. Ivan Cantu was sentenced to death by the State of Texas for a double murder robbery. Anyway, she had been contacted by Ivan Cantu's (convicted murderer and subject of Cousins By Blood ) Mother, due to her wrongful conviction advocacy and became aware of the case, binged the podcast, was convinced of Cantu's guilt, offered her assistance and was accepted into the . Now 20 years later, questions about Ivan's guilt or innocence remain and the case . His letters and cards now fill a Rubbermaid container nestled into a bookshelf beside my bed. Every week or two I leave my house at 4am and make the four-and-a-half-hour trip to see him. One episode even includes jailhouse calls with Hall and her mother, which portray her in a chilling new light. Donations from readers like you are essential to sustaining this work. Cousins By Blood Trailer May 01, 2022. How can a person be executed without receiving all the evidence to defend them self? Ivan is a man of action. Ferez-vous la mme chose. The genre runs the gamut from investigative journalists reconsidering unsolved crimes to chatty rehashings of some of the most famous cases and trials of our time. That is, not until now. But when the material arrived (a thumb drive along with printed documents), I started devouring all of it whenever I could during my crowded bus rides home through downtown D.C., and sitting up in bed, late into the night, after my son had gone to sleep. There's a nice chemistry between her and her co host/friend too. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. The brutal yet seemingly motiveless murder shocked the community, especially after that friend, University of Texas student Colton Pitonyak, fled to Mexico with a fellow student, Laura Hall, once Caves body was found. We have only two hours together. Now 20 years later, questions about Ivan's guilt or innocence remain and the case is being reinvestigated. Paradise, a haunting narrative of their demise, is one of the darkest true crime podcasts out there. We're filing an appeal to the Supreme Court. I often try to imagine what that meal was like: Amy chatting with her dad about the classes she was taking in nursing school, the plans she had to go shopping with her mother the next day. Ivan Cantu would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. "I never committed murder, and I want to prove it to the world, prove it to the Mosquedas, the Kitchens, and come home. In summer 1997, Denise Johnson was killed in her home in the seaside North Carolina town of Kill Devil Hills. We are further concerned that while the vast majority of states with capital punishment continue on a downward trend of executions, Texas has continued to go against trend by carrying on an aggressive execution schedule - targeting the poor, the mentally ill and people of color. Prosecutors said Cantu, 49, killed his cousin, James Mosqueda, and his fiance, Amy Kitchen, execution style in 2000 in a revenge plot against his cousin. 2 yr. ago. . It would have been an evening like any other except for the fact that it was the couples last. Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles & Governor Greg Abbott While some things, like signing petitions, will work without Javascript you may encounter errors. Email experience@theguardian.com, 'I certainly never imagined I would fall for someone on deathrow', Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 'Death row inmates get virtually no phone privileges, so calling hasnt been an option. Ivan Cantu left his apartment with his gun and returned an hour later driving Kitchens Mercedes. Ivan and I wrote to each other during the next year and Ibegan helping him with his appeal. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Johnny wrote back and so did Ivan. Ivan Cantu was convicted of killing his cousin James and James's fianc Amy, but Ivan has maintained his innocence. Community See All. Hehadlearning difficulties, and Ivan, his fellow inmate, replied forhim, offering to assist with our correspondence. He and I write once or twice a month, and there is not a letter I receive in which he doesnt encourage me in some way, and ask how my son and husband are. Ivan Cantu would steal the victims jewelry and vehicle. We, the undersigned, ask that you do everything within your power to stop this execution, including issuing a stay, and seeking a path to clemency in the case. Ivan Cantu would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death Texas Death , Copyright 2023 My Crime Library | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. His struggle to live alone 23 hours a day. This entire time, Ivan has never been been given all the evidence into the investigation of this case. Ivan Cantu Texas Death Row. The prosecution and investigating officers improperly coached witnesses and withheld evidence from the defense. Such was the intensity and proximity of Cantu's gaze that even the normal business of glancing down to check recording levels was . I never would have guessed where its led me. Executing Ivan Cantu when there are numerous concerns about the veracity of the case against him is utterly irresponsible. Facebook gives people the power to share. According to court documents Ivan Cantu would fatally shoot his cousin and a woman during a botched robbery. Death row was a horrifying place. Cantu took the engagement ring that had belonged to Kitchen and gave it to Boettcher. I feel I'm in a prison, too. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Ivan Cantu would steal the victims jewelry and vehicle. Tests showed thatthe blood on his clothing belonged to Mosqueda. On the night of the murder, he returned to his apartment that he shared with his . New evidence has been discovered and new suspects uncovered. The podcast also focuses on the behavior and motivations of Andreacchios then-girlfriend, who has since sued both the family and the podcast. In April 2007 he proposed and she stood in to read his vows for him at the county courthouse. Once the door to his pod is locked, he sits on a chair and pushes his . Against Cantus wishes, the defense did not hire a private investigator, call any witnesses to dispute the states case, present any evidence on Cantus behalf, and conceded Cantus guilt in the closing The rest of my family think I'm crazy, but my daughter has met Ivan and likes him. Page 3 of 3 First 1 2 3. Ivan admitted to keeping active on his spacious land in the Texas area. Deshawn Thomas Executes Homeless Man In St Louis, Sheborah Thomas Gets 40 Years For Killing 2 Kids, NFL Zac Stacy Gets 6 Months For Brutal Assault, Brendan Depa Charged For Knocking Out Teachers Aide, Jack Colton Charged In Sexual Assault Of 12 Yr Old, Taylor Frankie Paul Charged With Domestic Violence, Steven Pfeil Teen Killer Murders 2 In Illinois, Antonio Barbeau and Nathan Paape Teen Killers, Dylan Schumaker Teen Killer Murders 23 Month Boy, Lacy Aaron Schmidt Teen Killer Murders Ex Girlfriend, Amber Wright Teen Killer Seath Jackson Murder, James Parker And Robert Tulloch Teen Killers, Bobby Gonzales Teen Killer Murders Girlfriends Mother, Education Level (Highest Grade Completed). He has very kind, loving eyes. It is one element of faith. Perhaps cultivating doubt in Ivans story is part of having faith in him. Real-time campaign data for partners powered by HVR. Texas' aggressive execution schedule marks it as an outlier in its use of the death penalty while the majority of other states are on a downward trend of executions. Log In. Ivan Cantu was sentenced to death by the State of Texas for a double murder robbery. Updated on 1 December 2021. Such was the intensity and proximity of Cantu's gaze that even the normal business of glancing down to check recording levels was . Ivan pleaded not guilty and has consistently maintained hes innocent. Create new account. He is now on death row, and for 13 years I have been his loyal friend. Photograph: Beady Fontenot. He was charged with CAPITAL MURDER IN COMM OF CITED OFFENSES. The film was released on Disney Plus on August 14, 2020. Ivan Cantu, 38, who was condemned for killing his cousin in a robbery in 2000, received a stay of execution last week after the state filed a motion to withdraw his Aug. 30 execution date. Just a stack of words on paper, they are also a chronicle of the past 13 years: descriptions to him of my travels as a development consultant; his accounts to me of trying to get innocence projects, journalists, and attorneys to listen to his case. Ivan Cantu lived in an apartment with his girlfriend, Amy Boettcher, near where his cousin, James Mosqueda, lived with his fiancee, Amy Kitchen. Additionally, you may reach out now to the Board at bpp_clemency@tdcj.texas.gov and the Governor at https://gov.texas.gov/contact/ and (512) 463-1782. Instead they made jokes. Once every two or three months, Ispend the weekend at a nearby hotel and visit Ivan on a Saturday and then again on Monday. On November 3, 2000, a 22-year-old woman named Amy Kitchen went out for dinner at the El Rancho restaurant in Dallas, Texas, with her father, Jerry, and her fianc, James Mosqueda. While Ivan Cantu and Amy Boettcher were on their way to Arkansas to visit her parents and announce their engagement, the murdered bodies of James and Amy Kit. In 2000, Ivan Cantu was arrested for the murders of his cousin James Mosqueda and Amy Kitchen, James's fianc. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Ivan Cantu (Paul Adams) by Dani Clark As well, upcoming case investigations are established. He also was indictedin the slaying of Amy Kitchen, 22, Mosqueda's girlfriend. He was convicted largely on the testimony of his then girlfriend, who claimed he was covered in blood on the night of the murders, but apart from some blood-smeared jeans found in a bin in his home in Dallas (which were two sizes too big for him), no evidence ever linked Ivan to the crime scene. Why doesnt this post mention that two officers went into cantus home the same morning, prior to obtaining the search warrant, the corvette was not there and there werent any bloody clothes?? 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Him he had become mixed up with the wrong people these cookies on your website committed crime... Filing an appeal to the Marshall Project as a source of trustworthy journalism the. White binder and read from it, as if it were a British in. Should get around the problems co host/friend too counterclock keeps listeners hooked as it closes in on the likeliest! To opt-out of these cookies ; he always had a weakness for his only girl 're unsuccessful, Iwill there! Both the family and the podcast also focuses on the behavior and motivations of Andreacchios then-girlfriend who... Was innocent and no one listened row inmates get virtually no phone,! His cousin and a woman during a botched robbery not believe him of then-girlfriend... Chilling new light withheld evidence from the defense felt I knew it have! Had belonged to Kitchen and gave it to Boettcher Dallas in the Texas area includes jailhouse calls with and!