MCKINNEY, TEXAS – A mother in North Texas is fighting against time to prevent the execution of her son, Ivan Cantu. Cantu, currently 50 years old, is facing imminent execution for the 2000 murders of his cousin James Mosqueda and Mosqueda’s girlfriend, Amy Kitchen, in Collin County. Maintaining his innocence, Cantu, a Dallas native, has adamantly asserted that the evidence against him does not support his conviction.
Cantu’s case has drawn national attention due to the podcast ‘Cousins by Blood,’ created by Matt Duff in 2020. Although Duff’s investigations have not definitively proven Cantu’s innocence, they have highlighted discrepancies in the murder trial that led to his conviction.
In a recent interview with Telemundo, Cantu’s mother Sylvia expressed her plea for a stay of execution, emphasizing the need for a fair trial for her son. Cantu’s execution has been delayed twice before, once in 2012 and again in 2023.
Cantu’s attorney, Gena Bunn, has uncovered new evidence that challenges the testimony of the main prosecution witness, Cantu’s ex-fiancée Amy Boettcher. The discovery raises doubts about Cantu’s alleged involvement in the murders. Boettcher’s brother, Jeff Boettcher, who testified against Cantu during the trial, recanted his statement in 2022, claiming that the incriminating conversation never took place and that he was under the influence of drugs at the time.
Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis remains steadfast in his belief in Cantu’s guilt, citing DNA analysis, fingerprint identification, ballistic matching, and witness testimony as evidence that Cantu committed the murders. Despite the prosecutor’s stance, Sylvia Cantu is holding out hope for her son’s life, as her birthday approaches on February 23.
As the execution date looms, Sylvia continues to advocate for her son’s innocence and a chance for a new trial that could potentially exonerate Ivan Cantu. The unresolved questions surrounding the case underscore the complexity of capital punishment and the impact it has on families and communities.