2024-10-17 12:10:00
The family and friends of Lyle and Erik Menéndez have made a public appeal for the release of the notorious killers after serving more than three decades in prison for killing their millionaire parents in their Beverly Hills home.
The Menéndez brothers became one of the most sensational criminal trials in US history when they were arrested for the deaths of Kitty and José Menéndez in 1989.
The brothers’ family, friends and attorney gathered outside a Los Angeles courthouse Wednesday to demand their release, arguing that they suffered horrific sexual abuse at the hands of their father and pose no threat to society.
The development comes as the Los Angeles district attorney is reviewing new evidence in the case over alleged abuse to decide whether it could warrant a new trial or allow a lighter sentence.
Family arguments
“If they were the Menéndez sisters, they would not be detained,” Anna Maria Baralt, granddaughter of José Menéndez, said during the crowded press conference. “We have evolved.”
Baralt was referring to the way society and the justice system treated and viewed male victims of sexual assault three decades ago, something prosecutors also acknowledged.
“If the case were evaluated today, with the knowledge we now have about abuse and PTSD, I have no doubt that the sentence would have been different,” Baralt added.
The brothers went to court in 1993 and admitted shooting their parents with a pair of rifles, but claimed they had done so in self-defense after years of emotional, physical and sexual abuse by their father.
Prosecutors argued that the brothers had methodically planned the murders, while the couple watched television, so they could inherit his multimillion-dollar estate.
The case went to a new trial after the jury failed to reach an agreement.
During the second trial, in 1995, much of the evidence relating to the alleged sexual abuse was not presented. A jury found both brothers guilty of first-degree murder, for which they were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Public interest in the killings has been revived since a Netflix series depicting the events premiered in September. And there’s new potential evidence: an alleged letter Erik sent to another family member detailing sexual abuse at the hands of his father.
“We stand here united in hope that 34 years of nightmare will end and we will be reunited as a family,” Baralt said.
The granddaughter also read a short statement from Terri Baralt, 84 years old and sister of José Menéndez, who was unable to attend the event due to health problems, but expressed solidarity and affection for her grandchildren and asked that her sentence be reconsidered .
Getty Images Kitty Menéndez’s sister, Joan Anderson VanderMolen, during her speech.
Kitty Menendez’s sister, Joan Anderson VanderMolen, was helped to the podium by other family members Wednesday afternoon to face the throng of media and a handful of supporters.
At 92 and with a broken voice, she said: “I’m nervous, full of emotions, I never thought this day would come.”
“We have received tremendous support in recent weeks which has led us to launch this formal initiative.”
She acknowledged that for years she couldn’t understand what had happened to her sister’s family and that her nephews’ actions were “tragic.”
“They were just children” who were “brutalized in the most horrific ways.”
When they were put on trial, he argued, “the whole world was not prepared to believe that boys could be raped or that young people could be victims of sexual assault.”
But today “we know better” and “a jury today would never issue such a harsh sentence.”
“They became better men despite everything they had to go through,” he added.
Brian Anderson Jr, the brothers’ cousin, said he has known them all his life and can assure without a doubt that “they are not the bad guys they made us out to be.”
The relatives said they were aware that the country was in the midst of an election campaign, but they made it clear that the case of the Menéndez brothers is not about politics but about truth and justice.
What is planned?
Getty Images
Earlier this month, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón held a press conference announcing that his office was reviewing the case and the possibility of one of two scenarios: resentencing the brothers or granting them a new process. The findings and his office’s decision will be made public at a hearing in late November.
Gascón’s office released a statement Wednesday evening saying that while prosecutors cannot speak publicly about the case, “please know that our office is committed to a thorough and fair process and is exploring all available avenues to ensure let justice be done.”
The family is asking Gascón to recommend a new sentence, an option that could lead to their freedom if a judge approves the order.
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