Teodoro Baez was found guilty of the 1999 gangland style murders of Juan Estrada and Janet Mena and was sentenced to death. Baez killed the two with a Samurai sword and then dismembered their bodies. He also attacked a guard by stabbing him in the throat while awaiting trial. Baez was featured on an episode of the History Channel television show 'Gangland' titled 'The Devil's Playground'.

On August 6, 1999, the body of Juan Estrada was discovered. Estrada's legs were missing. On August 9, 1999, a human leg was recovered from the Chicago River. Another leg was found shortly thereafter, and a left arm was also found nearby. The legs were later matched to Estrada, and the arm was later matched to Janet Mena. On August 10, 1999, Mena's body was discovered in a vacant lot. The head and left arm had been severed and removed, but the head was found at the same location as the body. 

Dr. Joseph Lawrence Cogan, an assistant medical examiner, testified that he performed a postmortem examination of Juan Estrada. According to Cogan, the amputation of Estrada's legs appeared to be postmortem. Estrada's left shoulder had also been partially amputated. Cogan also found 24 incised wounds on Estrada's body. Sixteen of the incised wounds were on Estrada's head, while the others were concentrated in the arms. Cogan also found 14 stab wounds, which differ from incised wounds in that they are “penetrating.” The stab wounds were on various parts of Estrada's torso, chest, and back. Estrada had also been shot twice, once in the right chest and once in the right back.

Cogan also performed a postmortem on Janet Mena. Cogan described Mena's head as “half skeletonized” and not “recognizable visually .” A skull fracture on Mena's left side corresponded to a cut over her left ear, and Cogan opined that this was “some kind of a blow or chop injury with a sharp instrument.” He also found evidence of a blunt force trauma to the left side of the head and possible evidence of strangulation. On Mena's body, Cogan found four stab wounds to the back, along with several smaller cuts that he associated with the amputation of the head and arm.

Brief handwritten letter. Letter details the included piece of 4" X 7"color marker art and poem. Letter and art/poem are both signed T. Baez. Original matching handwritten envelope is included.