16-year-old Texas cheerleader found dead by mother; allegedly murdered after apartment break-in

ByRosie Nguyen KTRK logo
Friday, December 8, 2023
16-year-old's mom makes gruesome discovery of murdered daughter
Lizbeth Medina, 16, a cheerleader at Edna High School, was found dead by her mother after the teen didn't show up to a cheer parade.

EDNA, Texas -- The mother of a 16-year-old high school cheerleader said she was the one who made the horrendous discovery of her daughter's murdered body in their Texas apartment Tuesday evening.

Jacqueline Medina claimed she knew something was wrong when her daughter, Lizbeth, never showed up to the town's Christmas parade with her squad. That's when Medina said she rushed to their Edna home.

Edna is a small town of nearly 6,000 people in Texas located about 100 miles southwest of Houston.

"Words can't explain what I felt at that moment, finding my daughter in the manner that she was," Medina said in an interview with Crossroads Today.

She added, "All I can say is that I hope with all of my heart that there is justice for my daughter. Someone hurt my child. Someone took my child from me."

WATCH: Edna HS cheerleader honored at football game

A 16-year-old murdered in Edna earlier this week was honored by dozens at a game she should have been cheering in.

The Edna Police Department said it received a call of an unresponsive juvenile about 7 p.m. at an apartment complex. First responders tried to save her, but officials said she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators said they are currently looking into this as a capital murder case, with the help of the Texas Rangers and Texas Department of Public Safety. As of Thursday, they haven't released details about Lizbeth's manner of death and whether there are any suspects in the case.

Friends, family, and community members honored Lizbeth on Thursday night by wearing purple at a football playoff game.

A vigil was scheduled for Lizbeth on Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Cowboy Stadium in Edna.

A GoFundMe was set up to help the family with funeral expenses.