EDNA, Texas — A suspect has been taken into custody this week in connection with the murder of a 16-year-old cheerleader, whose lifeless body was discovered by her mother in their bathtub last December in Edna, Texas.
On Saturday, the Edna Police Department located and apprehended the suspect, identified as Rafael Romero, in Schulenburg, Texas. Romero has been arrested on charges of capital murder, a crime that carries the possibility of the death penalty if he is convicted. He has since been transported to Jackson County Jail.
Lizbeth Medina, a student at Edna High School with dreams of becoming a nurse, was known for her outgoing and compassionate nature, according to her aunt Ana Medina. Ana shared, “Lizbeth was outgoing and confident — someone willing to take off her shirt to give it to someone else. She was always there for everybody — charming, young, and full of energy. That was all just cut short.”
Tragically, Lizbeth’s mother, Jacqueline Medina, arrived home on Tuesday evening to find her daughter unresponsive in the bathtub, as police confirmed in a news release. Law enforcement officers quickly arrived at the scene and sadly discovered that the teenager had already passed away.
Taking to Facebook on Sunday, Edna Police Chief Rick Boone expressed his department’s determination to ensure justice for Lizbeth, writing, “As you know, we are a small department and this can call for a great demand to be put on my officers. They not only stepped up during their own shifts but worked many hours willingly on their days off and past their own shift times.”
Having previously resided in Nebraska with her single mother, Lizbeth had been living in Texas for about a year before her untimely death. In an effort to cover funeral and memorial expenses, Lizbeth’s family has set up a GoFundMe page, where her aunt Ana wrote, “She was loved by many, but most importantly she is loved and will be missed by the family.”
The investigation into Lizbeth Medina’s murder is ongoing, and the authorities are striving to piece together the events that led to this tragic loss of life.