Texas mother outraged after plea deal for man accused in teen's murder

A Texas mother is expressing outrage after learning that the man accused of brutally murdering her 16-year-old daughter has accepted a plea deal that will allow him to be eligible for parole after serving time. Rafael Govea Romero, a Mexican national living in the United States with an expired visa, pleaded guilty and accepted a deal from prosecutors in Jackson County. The agreement calls for two life sentences — one for murder and one for aggravated robbery — plus a 20-year sentence for burglary to be served after the life terms. Under Texas law, Romero would be eligible for parole after 30 years, though parole is not guaranteed.

Lizbeth Medina, a high school cheerleader and aspiring nurse, was found dead in the bathtub of her Edna home by her mother, Jacqueline Medina, on December 5, 2023. The case drew national attention as family members and local officials described a chilling sequence of events in the days leading up to her death. Romero was later arrested and charged with capital murder in connection with the crime. Following his arrest, he was placed on an ICE detainer as officials learned of his illegal status.

Romero’s plea deal came after months of investigation and negotiation. He reportedly confessed to the murder, and investigators uncovered evidence that he had engaged in stalking-like behavior in the days preceding the crime. Court documents indicate surveillance footage showed a silver car driving through the Cottonwood Apartments complex — where Lizbeth and her mother lived — around 10 p.m. the night before the 16-year-old was found. Police also connected Romero to a burglary at the same apartment complex about a month before the murder. He was located in Schulenburg, about 60 miles from the crime scene, after local authorities received a tip.

Romero, who was 23 at the time of the murder, had a prior criminal history in Texas. Public safety records show he was charged with felony burglary of a habitation in Schulenburg in October 2022. He pleaded no contest in April 2023 and was sentenced to five years of probation and fined $2,000, according to reporting summarized in the case materials.

The day of the murder appeared to be quiet until a sudden discovery reshaped the investigation. Lizbeth failed to show up for a Christmas parade with her cheer squad, and teammates later said they had not heard from her since about 7:30 a.m. that day. When Jacqueline Medina returned home to check on her daughter after a day of unanswered calls, she found Lizbeth stabbed in the bathtub, an image that has haunted the family and the Edna community since.

The Jackson County Criminal District Attorney’s Office defended the deal, saying it was the only offer discussed or conveyed and that it had been reviewed with all parties for more than six months. In a statement issued Thursday, the office emphasized that prosecutors take crimes against persons, particularly murder, seriously and that media reports suggesting otherwise were premature. The statement also noted that parole, while possible after 30 years, is not guaranteed and does not reflect a preordained outcome.

Jacqueline Medina has said the plea deal feels personal and not proportional to Lizbeth’s murder. She told The Independent that hearing about the agreement made her feel as though the case could be dismissed or minimized, and she and her attorney attempted to meet with Assistant District Attorney Stephen Tyler and District Attorney Pam Guenther, but were reportedly unable to secure a meeting. The Independent quoted Medina as saying that Lizbeth “was not just a name that everybody’s hearing” and that the possibility of parole for her daughter’s killer is unacceptable. The district attorney’s office, in turn, defended the process as a careful, long-running negotiation among all parties and underscored that the plea represents the full scope of the agreement reached.

The case has revived discussions about how plea deals are used in violent crime cases, especially when the defendant faces capital murder charges and has immigration-status considerations. For Lizbeth Medina’s family, the plea brings a complex mix of relief, concern, and a continuing sense of loss. As prosecutors and defense attorneys continue to navigate post-conviction procedures and potential appeals, victims’ families in similar cases are left to weigh the immediate outcomes against the long arc of justice and closure.

The broader political and legal implications of using plea deals in capital murder cases remain a topic of debate in Texas and across the United States. Advocates warn that such deals can pressure families into accepting outcomes that they perceive as insufficient, while prosecutors argue that plea agreements can spare families the years of front-end trial delays and can deliver timely accountability. In this case, Lizbeth Medina’s family is left to confront a resolution that officials say reflects the realities of the courtroom process, even as they mourn a 16-year-old life lost to violence.