Former Schulenburg Man Accepts a Plea Deal in Cheerleader Murder Case

Former Schulenburg-area resident Rafael Govea Romero accepted a plea deal last Thursday in the capital murder case against him.

Romero, 25, admitted to killing 16-year-old Edna cheerleader Lizbeth Medina on Dec. 5, 2023. Under the terms of the deal, Romero could be eligible for parole after serving 30 years in prison.

In Jackson County District Court last Thursday, Sept. 25, Romero pleaded guilty to capital murder and aggravated robbery, which both carry a life sentence. In Texas, convicts with a life sentence are eligible for parole after 30 years. Both sentences will run concurrently. Romero also pleaded guilty to burglary. He received a 20 year sentence for that charge, and he will begin serving it after he completes the two other sentences.

Medina’s mother found Lizbeth stabbed to death in a bathtub at their Edna apartment on Dec. 5, 2023, after the teen failed to show up at a Christmas parade with her cheerleading squad. Officers from Edna Police Department and the Texas Rangers arrested Romero at a trailer park near Schulenburg four days later.

Romero had been on probation in Fayette County at the time of the murder. Schulenburg Police arrested him on Oct. 6, 2022, for burglary of a habitation. An indictment from that case accused him of stealing an air compressor and several other items from a residence in Schulenburg on or around Sept. 6, 2022. He pleaded no contest to the burglary charge on April 5, 2023. The court sentenced him to five years of deferred adjudication and placed him on probation. Following his arrest for murder, the Victoria Advocate and ABC 13 News in Houston reported that the arrest affidavit accused Romero of “stalking- like behavior” towards the deceased. Investigators say Romero stole Medina’s cell phone. They located Romero after tracking the cell phone to Schulenburg.

Lizbeth’s mother, Jacqueline Medina, expressed her displeasure with the sentence while speaking to reporters at the Jackson County Courthouse last Thursday.

“I’m still basically in shock with everything that’s been going on,” she said. “We expected something more harsh. I have to live every single day – a life sentence myself – without my daughter. Every single day, re-living what happened and what I saw when I found her. The best option would have been life in prison without parole or the death sentence. But they have decided and there isn’t really much else we can do.”

Jacqueline Medina shared a social media post from Jackson County Assistant District Attorney Stephen Tyler, which appeared to justify the sentence based on financial concerns.

“I work within the available resources to obtain what is the best outcome for the State,” Tyler wrote in a comment on Facebook. “Would you agree to pay more taxes for capital defense and prosecution, or forgo school or road improvements? We are talking several millions of local dollars from arrest to grave. What’s the marginal benefit compared to increased cost? I don’t decide on budgets and resource allocation, but someone must. We can hope the person making the decision is a good steward of public resources.”

“Obviously this shouldn’t be about the money,” said Medina’s attorney David Maly. “This is somebody’s life. This is one of the most heinous of crimes. This is not the place to save money for roads.”

“This really hurt me,” Medina said. “My daughter’s life is worth way more than that.”

Tyler’s boss, Jackson County District Attorney Pam Guenther, told KPRC Channel 2 News out of Houston that finances were not the issue. She also apologized for Tyler’s remarks.