Jacqueline Medina drove 13 hours from Nevada to Texas to face her daughter’s alleged murderer in court for the first time Feb. 6.
Rafael Govea Romero, a 25-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, has been accused of breaking into Jacqueline Medina’s former Edna apartment on the morning of Dec. 5, 2023. Tragically, he allegedly fatally stabbed her 16-year-old daughter, Lizbeth Medina, while she was preparing for school, leaving her body in a bathtub.
Following a court hearing, Jacqueline Medina shared with Fox News Digital that she had never seen Romero before. Despite the immense pain he has caused her and her family, she wanted Romero to acknowledge her presence in the courtroom. She expressed a strong resolve, stating, “We stand strong, and he’s not going to win.”
Medina recalled making eye contact with the suspect for the first time. She said he was taller than she expected.
Although neither Jacqueline nor Lizbeth had any previous connection to Romero, Jacqueline revealed that their home had been burglarized on Nov. 13, 2023, just a month prior to Lizbeth’s tragic death. Authorities from the Edna Police suspect that Romero could have been involved in the burglary and may have been stalking Lizbeth before the fateful attack that claimed her life.
Lizbeth Medina was found dead in a bathtub of her apartment in Edna, Texas, Dec. 5, 2023. (Jacqueline Medina)
Romero has pleaded not guilty in the capital murder case.
Romero’s defense team also filed a motion to suppress certain evidence late last year, arguing Edna Police Department officers searched and detained Romero without reasonable suspicion, and they searched his apartment without consent from the suspect, the Advocate reported.
The suspect’s defense attorney, Ross Reifel, did not immediately respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital. Romero is being held on $2 million bond in Jackson County.
