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Lizbeth Medina: Murdered Texas cheerleader named in State of the Union address
The mother of a 16-year-old Texas girl was present during Pres. Trump's State of the Union address and he mentioned the girl's murder. FOX 26's Mekenna Earnhart explains the death of Edna teen Lizbeth Medina and why it was highlighted during talks of immigration.
EDNA, Texas - President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address Tuesday night to renew his call for aggressive immigration enforcement, pointing to the 2023 murder of an Edna, Texas, teenager as the primary justification for a record-breaking wave of deportations.
Cheerleader found stabbed to death
The backstory:
The president highlighted the case of 16-year-old Lizbeth Medina, a cheerleader who was found stabbed to death in her family's apartment in December 2023. Her mother, Jacqueline Medina, was a guest in the gallery during the joint session of Congress.
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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Texas Rangers are now investigating the murder of 16-year-old Edna High School cheerleader
The Texas Rangers are now involved in the investigation into the murder of 16-year-old Edna High school cheerleader, Lizbeth Medina.
"A 16-year-old high school cheerleader named Lizbeth Medina was supposed to perform in her town's Christmas parade, but she never arrived," Trump said. "Her mother, Jacqueline, went home to look for her, and she found her lying dead in a bathtub, bleeding profusely after being stabbed 25 times."
The suspect in the case, 25-year-old Rafael Govea Romero, was a Mexican national who authorities say had been living in the U.S. on an expired visa. Romero was on probation for a prior burglary in Fayette County at the time of the killing.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Suspect accused of murdering Lizbeth Medina was undocumented, had prior history
Two life sentences
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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man gets two life sentences for 16-year-old's murder
A man has pleaded guilty and will be serving two life sentences at once for the death of a Jackson County teen. FOX 26's Angie Rodriguez attended the sentencing and spoke to the victim's mother.
Charges:
In September 2025, Romero pleaded guilty to murder and aggravated robbery, receiving two life sentences. He is currently serving that time in a Texas prison and will be eligible for parole in 30 years.
MORE: Man pleads guilty, gets two life sentences
During his address, Trump referred to Romero as a "previously arrested illegal alien" and used the tragedy to frame his administration’s current policy of accelerated removals.
"Her heartbroken mother is in the gallery to remind everyone in this chamber exactly why we are deporting illegal alien criminals from our country at record numbers, and we're getting them the hell out of here fast," Trump said.
Jacqueline Medina has previously been a vocal critic of the legal proceedings in her daughter's case. Following Romero’s sentencing last year, she expressed "shock" and frustration over a plea deal that spared him the death penalty, citing concerns over the resources allocated to the prosecution.
A top priority
Why you should care:
Federal officials indicate that the legislative shifts mentioned in Tuesday's speech remain a top priority as the administration seeks to codify new mandates for the immediate removal of undocumented immigrants with prior criminal records.
The Source: Previous FOX 26 coverage