Houston crime: Parents speak publicly for first time in over 20 years following horrific murders of 2 teens

HOUSTON - "It's not easy. There's not a day goes by that I don't think about her," said Elizabeth Peña's father Adolph Peña. "I'll miss her always forever and ever."

It's been more than 20 years since Adolph Peña and his wife, Melissa, have publicly talked about their 16-year-old daughter, Elizabeth. 

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June 24, 1993. "They were just teenage girls on their way home," Adolph said.

Evil was waiting at the railroad trestle over White Oak Bayou.

"If you've ever watched the National Geographic show, it's what lions do to gazelles. It was that horrific," said Andy Kahn with Crime Stoppers. "It was like the entire city was just livid shocked angry."

Five members of a gang called, the Black and White, were sentenced to death. The most death row sentences for the same crime in U.S. history.

"All six of them were supposed to get executed, but that didn't happen," Adolph said. "The Supreme Court changed that for us, which I'm still pissed about."

"Almost everyone of them had been involved in another murder, and that came out in court," Melissa said.

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Three were executed. Thanks to Jennifer's dad, Randy Ertman, a law was enacted allowing crime victims to witness executions,

"It was probably the happiest days of my life to see those individuals that killed my daughter be executed for what they did," said Adolph. "They deserved it."

"I know it sounds terrible, but I really didn't feel anything," said Melissa. "I was just glad it was done."

"Now about 75% of victims families have opted to be present at the execution," Kahan said.

Crime victim impact statements in court came about because of the Ertman-Peña case.

"Before the victims families weren't treated with any kind of respect," Melissa said. "I mean we had no voice at all."

"It was something I'm glad I was able to do," Adolph said. "Tell them scumbags what it did to us."