[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 53 (Thursday, April 15, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H2621]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    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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