“Replay” of…Crime Talk with Stef: The San Antonio Four

On today's episode of 90's Crime Talk with Stef, we delve into the heartbreaking case of the San Antonio Four, a group of four women whose lives were irreversibly changed by a miscarriage of justice. This story begins in the early 1990s when Elizabeth Ramirez, Anna Vasquez, Cassandra Rivera, and Kristie Mayhugh, four close friends living in San Antonio, Texas, were accused of an absolutely heinous crime that would shake their lives to the core. 

As we explore the case, we talk about the investigation (or lack thereof) and trials that led to the women's wrongful convictions. We also discuss the role of societal prejudices, homophobia, and the "Satanic panic" hysteria that influenced the case's outcome. During our discussion, our understanding of the case grows (as does our anger) as we learn of the devastating impact of the system's failure on the lives of these women and their loved ones.

Trigger Warnings: homophobia and mentions/descriptions of sexual assault.




References:

Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four, documentary, (2016).

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/judge-clears-records-wrongfully-convicted-san-antonio-four-n943751

https://www.cnn.com/2016/11/24/us/san-antonio-four-exonerated/index.html

http://www.southwestofsalem.com/the-women-2

https://meaww.com/living-with-freedom-elizabeth-ramirez-san-antonio-four-wrongful-incarceration