Adriana Marines
Encyclopedia
Adriana Marines was a Mexican
-American
girl who was murdered in her Texas home. Her death sparked wide media attention both locally and nationwide.
Narciso Cuellar usually lay down or slept at that porch bed, but that night, he was not in the house. Adriana Marines and her cousin Vanessa were using the bed to watch a video of Sleeping Beauty
instead. Baltazar arrived and, according to his own admission, he began shooting in the dark, as the house's lights had apparently been turned off. Some reports point out that Baltazar aggressively kicked down the Marines' home's front door before starting to shoot. He struck Adriana Marines twice, and her cousin Vanessa once, in her chest. Vanessa Marines was able to survive, but never fully recovered from her chest wound as the bullet had to be left there by doctor
s, and it seemed to be moving towards her vertebrae, with the medics that have attended her since hoping that it can be removed later on. Adriana Marines, meanwhile, died instantly. Her parents Arturo and Matilda were also shot but they survived.
in March 1998. Johnny Gonzalez, meanwhile, was sentenced to 80 years in jail for his apparent role in the crime and can apply for parole
in 2037.
The convictions resulted in a wide controversy, as groups of activists against death row
convictions and also advocates of the same sentence confronted each other, with the case once again making headline news in the state of Texas. In September 1999, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
upheld Baltazar's status as a death row member, and several other appeals were also denied.
Baltazar expressed regrets for Adriana Marines' death, saying that "(He was) sorry for Adriana", and adding that "There's no words for (him) to say how sorry (he was) for the little girl". He did not, however, express any regrets in trying to kill Adriana Marines' uncle Cuellar, stating that "(he's) never been very good with controlling (his) anger, but if Ted were to beat (his) mom again, (he) would go whip on him again." Baltazar did not show remorse for shooting Adriana's father Arturo either, pronouncing that "He jumped up and he was in (John Richard's) face. That's why he got shot."
On January 15, 2003, and under the blitz of much media coverage, John Richard Baltazar was given a lethal injection for the death of Adriana Marines. He did not say any final statements, choosing to salute the Marines family by waving his head at them instead of asking to be forgiven.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
girl who was murdered in her Texas home. Her death sparked wide media attention both locally and nationwide.
September 27, 1997
On the afternoon of September 27, 1997, Marines' uncle, Narciso Cuellar, allegedly went to his girlfriend's house and turned violent, striking the woman various times. Upon learning about the beating that Cuellar supposedly administered to his mother, John Richard Baltazar, also known plainly as John Baltazar, armed himself with a gun and sought out his friend, Johnny Gonzalez. The pair of friends, according to police records, went to the Marineses' home and shot Narcisco Cuellar to avenge the abuse he had allegedly administered to Baltazar's mother.Narciso Cuellar usually lay down or slept at that porch bed, but that night, he was not in the house. Adriana Marines and her cousin Vanessa were using the bed to watch a video of Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...
instead. Baltazar arrived and, according to his own admission, he began shooting in the dark, as the house's lights had apparently been turned off. Some reports point out that Baltazar aggressively kicked down the Marines' home's front door before starting to shoot. He struck Adriana Marines twice, and her cousin Vanessa once, in her chest. Vanessa Marines was able to survive, but never fully recovered from her chest wound as the bullet had to be left there by doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s, and it seemed to be moving towards her vertebrae, with the medics that have attended her since hoping that it can be removed later on. Adriana Marines, meanwhile, died instantly. Her parents Arturo and Matilda were also shot but they survived.
Aftermath
John Richard Baltazar and Johnny Gonzalez were arrested and Baltazar was sentenced to death by lethal injectionLethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
in March 1998. Johnny Gonzalez, meanwhile, was sentenced to 80 years in jail for his apparent role in the crime and can apply for parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
in 2037.
The convictions resulted in a wide controversy, as groups of activists against death row
Death row
Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
convictions and also advocates of the same sentence confronted each other, with the case once again making headline news in the state of Texas. In September 1999, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the court of last resort for all criminal matters in the State of Texas, United States. The Court, which is based in the Supreme Court Building in Downtown Austin, is composed of a Presiding Judge and eight judges....
upheld Baltazar's status as a death row member, and several other appeals were also denied.
Baltazar expressed regrets for Adriana Marines' death, saying that "(He was) sorry for Adriana", and adding that "There's no words for (him) to say how sorry (he was) for the little girl". He did not, however, express any regrets in trying to kill Adriana Marines' uncle Cuellar, stating that "(he's) never been very good with controlling (his) anger, but if Ted were to beat (his) mom again, (he) would go whip on him again." Baltazar did not show remorse for shooting Adriana's father Arturo either, pronouncing that "He jumped up and he was in (John Richard's) face. That's why he got shot."
On January 15, 2003, and under the blitz of much media coverage, John Richard Baltazar was given a lethal injection for the death of Adriana Marines. He did not say any final statements, choosing to salute the Marines family by waving his head at them instead of asking to be forgiven.