Family of Erik and Lyle Menendez Call for Their Release, Claim They Were Victims Who Were Vilified.

Los Angeles (AP) – October 2024

Family members of Erik and Lyle Menendez gathered on Wednesday to publicly advocate for the release of the brothers, who are serving life sentences for the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in Beverly Hills. The relatives claim the brothers were "brutalized" and sexually abused by their father, and argue they have been wrongfully vilified by the public.

During a news conference in downtown Los Angeles, multiple generations of the Menendez family expressed their belief that the American public and the jurors who convicted the brothers were not ready at the time to hear allegations that boys could be raped. Kitty Menendez’s sister, Joan Andersen VanderMolen, now 92, said that while the brothers’ actions were tragic, they were a desperate attempt by "two boys trying to survive the unspeakable cruelty of their father."

The family’s public call for release comes after the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office announced it would review new evidence in the case. Erik and Lyle Menendez admitted to fatally shooting their parents in 1989 but have maintained that they acted out of fear that their parents were planning to kill them to cover up their father's long-term sexual abuse of Erik.

Many family members believe that, with today's understanding of sexual abuse and trauma, the Menendez brothers would not have been convicted of first-degree murder. Anamaria Baralt, a niece of Jose Menendez, said, "If this case were heard today, with what we now know about abuse and PTSD, their sentencing would be different."

At the time of the trial, prosecutors argued there was no evidence of molestation, contending that the brothers were motivated by greed after learning they would be removed from their parents' will. Some details of the sexual abuse allegations were excluded from the trial, which led to their life sentences without the possibility of parole.

New evidence under review includes a letter written by Erik Menendez, which his lawyers say supports the claims of abuse. Additionally, Roy Rossello, a former member of the pop group Menudo, has come forward in recent years, claiming he was drugged and raped by Jose Menendez in the 1980s when Menendez was head of RCA Records. These allegations were featured in the 2023 Peacock docuseries Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed, and they form part of the petition filed to reexamine the case.

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office, under George Gascón, acknowledged that society’s understanding of sexual violence has evolved since the Menendez brothers' prosecution. The office is currently reviewing the new evidence, with a hearing scheduled for November 26.

Not all family members agree with the push for the brothers' release. Milton Andersen, Kitty Menendez’s brother, stated through his attorney that he continues to believe the appropriate sentence is life without parole, maintaining that the brothers' actions were motivated by greed, not abuse.

Despite differing opinions within the family, attorney Mark Geragos, who represents the brothers, expressed optimism that they could be released in time for Thanksgiving, aligning with Joan Andersen VanderMolen’s wish to have them home for her upcoming 93rd birthday.