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“NO JUSTICE FOR LINDSAY BRASHIER” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H2621 on April 15, 2010.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
NO JUSTICE FOR LINDSAY BRASHIER
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, Evelyn Mezzich is 32 years of age. She has a husband, a 2-year-old son, and she has a college degree she earned in the United States.
Evelyn Mezzich is also a charged killer and an absconder from the law. In a gross miscarriage of justice, she has been allowed to live out her luxurious life in her native country of Peru. She has never had to face the justice system for her crimes in the United States. She didn't have to face the consequences of her reckless conduct while living in America.
You see, in 1996, Evelyn Mezzich was driving drunk in Texas. She fell asleep at the wheel and had a head-on collision with a telephone poll. Mezzich had minor injuries, but in the collision she killed her 18-
year-old roommate, Lindsay Brashier, and permanently paralyzed a third passenger.
Mezzich was indicted for intoxication manslaughter in Texas. What that means is she was charged with a felony of drinking, driving, and killing somebody.
After posting bail, she and her parents snuck out of town, and they headed back to their home country of Peru. Mezzich continues to live an unapologetic lifestyle in Peru without remorse or without reform. A few years ago, she put up a MySpace page on the Internet. She posted pictures of herself drinking and partying with friends. She had a wild bachelorette party, also drinking and partying with her girlfriends, complete with a male stripper. She listed her favorite song as Nelly Furtado's ``Promiscuous Girl.''
Here's a photograph that she placed on the Internet with some of her friends; and, of course, she is the one with the drink, partying, having a good time, all the while escaping justice in Texas for the crime that she had committed. She actually listed on her MySpace page that drinking and partying with friends was one of her favorite activities. She listed her motto: ``Life's too short; so live it up.'' Obviously, she has not changed her attitude or lifestyle.
Madam Speaker, Evelyn Mezzich knows better than anyone how short life is. She is responsible for tragically cutting short the life of another person, Lindsay Brashier, an 18-year-old honor student who was just beginning in the prime of her life.
This is a photograph of Lindsay taken shortly before the homicide in Texas. She wanted to be a surgeon; and, thanks to Evelyn, Lindsay never had that chance.
After Evelyn Mezzich jumped bail in Texas, a warrant was issued for her arrest. In 2001, the FBI found Mezzich, who was, ironically, having a good time on her honeymoon. But a bizarre loophole in the U.S. and Peruvian extradition laws meant that Mezzich would remain free. Since 2001, that loophole has been fixed, but Mezzich's not about to come back to America to stand trial. She's having too much fun in Peru.
Madam Speaker, it's time for Evelyn Mezzich to be brought back to Texas and to stand trial for the homicide of this person, Lindsay Brashier, a homicide that occurred 14 years ago. But Peru refuses to allow the criminal to be extradited. You see, it seems that Evelyn Mezzich's father is a big shot in Peru and apparently is using his influence to keep his drunk little girl from facing the music in the United States. It's a flagrant disregard for the provisions of the extradition treaty between Peru and our country. Daddy's reputation as a prominent doctor appears to be shielding his daughter from criminal extradition for homicide.
This intolerable behavior by the Peruvian Government is nonsense. By allowing Evelyn Mezzich to live in comfort and security, they are committing a grave injustice against the family of Lindsay Brashier and against Lindsay's memory.
During this month and during next week, we honor crime victims like Lindsay. Lindsay's mother, Marilyn Datz, has dedicated these past 14 years to get justice for her daughter; yet no justice has occurred.
So I urge the Department of Justice and the State Department to press Peru to overturn Peru's refusal to extradite and bring Evelyn Mezzich back to Texas to face the music. Let a jury decide what to do with this fugitive from justice. Because, Madam Speaker, justice is what we do in the United States, and it's about time there was some justice for Lindsay Brashier.
And that's just the way it is.
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