KPRC 2 has learned that Rafael Romero, a man charged after the death of a beloved cheerleader at Edna High School on Dec. 5, 2023, is expected to take a plea deal on Thursday morning, according his attorney.
Romero was charged with capital murder in the death of 16-year-old Lizbeth Medina. Investigators said the teen’s mother, Jacqueline Medina, found her body stabbed to death in their bathtub after she didn’t show up to a Christmas parade that she was supposed to be cheering in.
Medina said she and her daughter had never seen Romero before her murder, but investigators believe he had been stalking Lizbeth.
Romero’s arrest followed a days-long manhunt that ended in Schulenberg. Investigators put an ICE detainer on Romero because he had an expired visa.
Details of plea deal
Romero’s attorney, Ross Reifel, spoke to KPRC 2’s Corley Peel on the phone and confirmed the plea agreement.
Romero is expected to plead guilty to murder with a sentence of life with a possibility of parole, and aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon with a life sentence with the possibility of parole. Those charges will run concurrently.
A burglary of habitation charge was also added with an offer of 20 years and it would run consecutively.
There is a chance Romero could be up for parole, possibly after 30 years have been served but it’s not guaranteed that will happen.
Reifel said the state, defense and victim’s family all agreed to the plea deal.
We have reached out to the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office multiple times but have not gotten a response.
Mother reacts
Lizbeth’s mother, Jacqueline Medina, told KPRC 2 News Reporter Corley Peel she is heartbroken and in shock over the plea deal.
Once the news broke, Media said she noticed what appeared to be the Jackson County Assistant District Attorney, Stephen Tyler, commenting on the CrossRoads Today Facebook page firing back at critics who suggested Romero should have gotten the death penalty.
In one post, Tyler appears to identify himself as the lead prosecutor. In another post, he appears to write, “I work within the available resources to obtain what is the best outcome for the state. Would you agree to pay more taxes for capital defense and prosecution, or forego school or road improvements? We are talking several millions of local dollars from arrest to grave. What’s the marginal benefit compared to increase cost? I don’t decide that, but someone must and we can hope they are a good steward of public resources.”
“It leads me to believe that they didn’t pursue justice for my daughter because they didn’t have the money for it. And that hurts,” said Medina.
KPRC 2 News reached out to the District Attorney’s office several times about Tyler’s posts and the plea deal, but we never heard back. Medina said she will never forget the moment she found her daughter stabbed in the bathtub after she never showed up for the Christmas parade.
“Every day that I have to shower, I remember, that’s the last thing she heard, with water running down the drain and every time I look at a tub, I have an image pop back into my head,” said Medina.
Medina said she is ready to face Romero during his hearing on Thursday.
“He took my daughter from me, but he hasn’t won,” she said.
The Remembrance Project has sent a letter to the DA asking to withdraw the plea agreement and send the case to trial