They were last heard from in Belize, where they got on the boat of Silas Duane Boston, ready for yet another leg of their excursion. Weve never been able to touch.' Nice. New suspects will be uncovered, new . Hehadlearning difficulties, and Ivan, his fellow inmate, replied forhim, offering to assist with our correspondence. It didnt cost me anything, and I knew it would cost him everything if he really was innocent and no one listened. This article was published in collaboration with Vice. Ivan has always maintained his innocence. No matter what, you can always turn to The Marshall Project as a source of trustworthy journalism about the criminal justice system. 367 people like this. Ivan has been let down at every level of the justice system. Ivan Cantu, the 44-year-old prisoner Stevens has come to see, is led, handcuffed, behind the row of booths by three officers. In the 15 episodes released so far, some of the most compelling material is the family melodrama unleashed by the case, and listeners get a front-row seat to jailhouse calls between Cantu and his mom and aunt. - Trial counsel did not interview witnesses on the states witness list prior to trial. The only picture I'd seen of Ivan was his mugshot online. They were arrested, and Pitonyak was eventually tried for Caves murder, while Hall was prosecuted as an accomplice. Ivan admitted to keeping active on his spacious land in the Texas area. His letters and cards now fill a Rubbermaid container nestled into a bookshelf beside my bed. On the night of the murder, he returned to his apartment that he shared with his . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It's tough. She uncovers new suspects, like Johnsons former neighbor and occasional romantic partner who had a jealous girlfriend characterized as being unstable by everyone who knew her. He was charged with CAPITAL MURDER IN COMM OF CITED OFFENSES. Additionally, police found Mosqueda's car at Cantu's apartment complex. Here are five podcasts that have been generating lots of chatter among true crime aficionados. 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. Community See All. We are writing to ask that you to stop the April 26, 2023 execution of Ivan Cantu for the 2001 killings of James Mosqueda and Amy Kitchen. So much does not add up. The podcast is narrated by Duff, who uncovers potentially planted evidence, new information impeaching the testimony of Cantus girlfriend, and plenty of other suspects from the cousins shadowy underworld ties. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. I feel very isolated nobody understands what I'm going through. Cantu was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death on Oct. 16, 2001, for the slaying ofhis cousin, James Mosqueda, 27, in Far North Dallas. Through chilling interviews with Boston's now-grown son, the truth about the couple's last hours is laid bare. 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. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Why am I complicating our lives in this way? I'd written to a man on death row in Texas whose story I was interested in for my course. 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. 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. We do not control or endorse the conduct of users and make no representations of any kind about them. In 2000, Ivan Cantu was arrested for the murders of his cousin James Mosqueda and Amy Kitchen, James's fianc. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Don't ask questions, just consume product and then get excited for next products. 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. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 384 people follow this. In 2000, Ivan Cantu was arrested for the murders of his cousin James Mosqueda and Amy Kitchen, James's fianc. About See All. His struggle to live alone 23 hours a day. I never would have guessed where its led me. He can still use his position of power and influence to enact justice in the State of Texas. Full documentation, knowledge base, and tutorial videos are available here. Cantu had Mosquedas and Kitchens identifications and keys. He determined the Watch List feature to be one of the biggest consumers of his time and deemed it non-essential to the site's core function. Join Date Jan 2014 Posts 33. In April 2007 he proposed and she stood in to read his vows for him at the county courthouse. The birth of my son. The host, a BBC journalist, fleshes out the life of Farmer and Frampton through interviews with their families, including the formers sister, who wrote a book about the case. Now 20 years later, questions about Ivan's guilt or innocence remain and the case has been reinvestigated. I was determined to help Ivan after I realised he was innocent, but I would have helped him regardless no one should face the death penalty. Hehadlearning difficulties, and Ivan, his fellow inmate, replied forhim, offering to assist with our correspondence. 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?? THE DEFENSE- While the state utilized five experts, the defense requested zero experts.- Trial counsel called no witnesses during the guilt/innocence phase and presented no exculpatory evidence. This information does not infer or imply guilt of any actions or activity other than their arrest. I was overwhelmed by the responsibility of saving Ivans life while knowing at the same time how little I could actually do. Jeans and socks with the victim's blood on them, found in Ivans trashcan; James Corvette found parked in front of Ivans apartment the day after the murder. How can a person be executed without receiving all the evidence to defend them self? This entire time, Ivan has never been been given all the evidence into the investigation of this case. In Cantus case, there is evidence that the states star witness committed multiple counts of perjury. Rather than investigate potential witnesses and evidence which would have supported Ivan's innocence or challenge the State's case, trial counsel conceded Ivan's guilt before the jury, thereby rendering constitutionally ineffective counsel. Investigators also found the murder weapon with Cantu's fingerprints on the magazine at the home ofanother of Cantu's ex-girlfriends. "Oh my God, I did not," he replied. Ivan Cantu was wrongfully convicted in 2001 for Capital Murder. Action Network is an open platform that empowers individuals and groups to organize for progressive causes. He talked openly about the crime, who could have done it and why, and what he believes still needs to be investigated. 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. We call that "spending the weekend together". 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. The film was released on Disney Plus on August 14, 2020. https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-5th-circuit/1553912.html. According to court documents [] That day Ivan and his girlfriend had taken a trip to Arkansas. A waitress arriving. It would have been an evening like any other except for the fact that it was the couples last. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Copyright 2023 My Crime Library | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. But the story we are told that "it's out of the governor's hands," is only true if we allow it to be. And because we are friends, we also talked about the mundane: music, books, NPR shows, anything to get his mind off the bleakness of solitary confinement. They interview Caves family to humanize her and give more context to her life and relationship with Pitonyak. I had to keep reminding myself that this happened on a November evening in Dallas, all of this happened. Tests showed thatthe blood on his clothing belonged to Mosqueda. New evidence has been discovered and new suspects uncovered. Cousins by Blood is like a low-budget Serial with more twists. 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. I was 45 years old and doing a criminal justice degree inLouisiana when I met Ivan Cantu. I count on his letters and, he says, he counts on mine. Ivan Cantu. That is, not until now. Cantu believes he received a raw deal from his own defense counsel, as well. He needs to go too. In The Orange Tree, named after the condominium where the crime took place, two journalism students at UT, who found all the major players in the case, attempt to understand what led to Caves murder. Get the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond. Death row was a horrifying place. This website uses cookies for personalisation. Ivan is 44; Im 42. Still, it can be hard to separate the wheat from the chaff amid the proliferation of productions not all true crime podcasts get the attention thats lavished on S-Town or Serial. Ivan Cantu left his apartment with his gun and returned an hour later driving Kitchens Mercedes. Your email address will not be published. Booking Date(s) Default 1 Day Range. Such was the intensity and proximity of Cantu's gaze that even the normal business of glancing down to check recording levels was . Now 20 years later, questions about Ivan's guilt or innocence remain and the case . Ivan Cantu was wrongfully convicted in 2001 for Capital Murder. 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Chris Farmer and Peta Frampton were a British couple in their twenties who dreamed of sailing around the world. 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. The case is new to me to. At first I thought he was guilty. Send us an email with your name and your message at support@actionnetwork.org and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. Cantu and Boettcher left Kitchens Mercedes parked in the garage and drove off in Mosquedas Corvette. Once every two or three months, Ispend the weekend at a nearby hotel and visit Ivan on a Saturday and then again on Monday. Ivan pleaded not guilty and has consistently maintained hes innocent. Copyright 2023. Default is the last 30 days . But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. The petition calls for Dallas PD and Collin County Sheriff's Office to release the entirety of the evidence in the James Mosqueda and Amy Kitchen homicide reports (Dallas PD service #863688-J) to Ivan's attorney Gena Bunn. or. Ivan has been on death row for 20 years and maintains his innocence. Contact Justice For Ivan Cantu on Messenger. We encourage responsible activism, and do not support using the platform to take unlawful or other improper action. If we're unsuccessful, Iwill be there for Ivan the day he is executed by lethal injection. But I don't want to do that. 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's state habeas counsel failed to interview Ivan or conduct an independent investigation of the case. Police spoke with Cantus mother, then searched Ivan Cantu and Boettchers apartment. Texas Death Row Inmates List. Instead they made jokes. Ivan's trial counsel called no witnesses for the defense and presented no evidence of his innocence. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. I never asked too much about the murders, never wanting to delve into that darkness. Executing Ivan Cantu when there are numerous concerns about the veracity of the case against him is utterly irresponsible. 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. I knew that immersing myself in the details of the crime would mean trying to understand both sides, asking tough questions, and entertaining possibilities about Ivan that Id never allowed myself to. I'd been divorced for more than 10 years and my son and daughter were in their 20s and had left home, but I wasn't looking for love. 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