Los Angeles County District George Gascón released a statement afterward on Wednesday several family members of Lyle and Erik Menendez spoke out during a press conference in LA and demanded their release from prison.
Prosecutors are looking at two new pieces of potential evidence as they review the first-degree murder convictions of the brothers who fatally shot their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home on Aug. 20, 1989. their relatives spoke outside a courthouse in downtown LA, calling for their release as they supported allegations of sexual abuse by their father. Both men are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole.
“They lived in constant fear,” their cousin, Karen VanderMolen, told reporters. “No child should ever have to endure that kind of pain. This abuse trapped them. It was painful and it scared them. Their father’s abuse destroyed their lives and the family and the courts failed them – failing to recognize that their trauma exacerbated this tragedy. .”
“I believe they paid for their crimes,” she said. “And we, as a family, have all suffered enough.”
In May 2023, attorneys for the Menendez brothers filed a habeas corpus petition requesting a review of the case, which could lead to a possible expungement of their murder convictions and an early release from prison. On November 26, the district attorney’s office is expected to respond to the lawsuit – which cites new evidence, including a supposedly written letter by Erik Menendez in 1988 and an accusation of rape against Jose Menendez by a former member of the boy band Menudo, Roy Rosselló.
While the habeas petition offers one path to possible parole for the brothers, Gascón said he could also recommend punishing Lyle and Erik Menendez — a process that would depend on their progress behind bars and not on evidence in the case .
Associated press
“In addition to the habeas petition being processed by the agency’s Writs and Appeals Division, which will be considered by the court, the Menendez brothers’ cases are being reviewed by the agency’s Resentencing Unit for possible prosecution,” the statement reads statement from the Public Prosecution Service. . “While the habeas application raises questions about the evidence from the previous trials, the Resentencing Unit focuses on the individual’s rehabilitation and conduct during the time served.”
Mark Geragos, an attorney representing the Menendezes, said both men have worked on their mental health with therapy and rehabilitation programs and that Lyle Menendez received a bachelor’s degree last year from UC Irvine and the California Department of Corrections. Erik has dabbled in meditation while advocating for other abuse survivors, he said, describing their performance as “exemplary” as they had “no hope of ever getting out.”
While many family members have called for their release, some believe the convicted brothers should remain behind bars. Milton Andersen, Kitty Menendez’s brother, criticized Gascón’s recent handling of the case in a statement released Wednesday by his attorney, Kathy Cady.
“The Menendez brothers’ cold-blooded actions shattered their family and left a trail of grief that has lasted for decades,” the statement read. “Even Gascón acknowledges that there is no doubt who committed this heinous act.”
Joan VanderMolen, Kitty’s 92-year-old sister, traveled to Los Angeles on Wednesday to speak out, saying her nephews were “horrifically” abused by their father as children.
“The truth is that Lyle and Erik were abandoned by the very people who should have protected them — by their parents, by the system, by society as a whole,” she said. ‘They have grown. They have changed. And they have become better men, despite everything they have been through.”
“It’s time to give them the opportunity to live the rest of their lives free from the shadow of their past,” she said.
No new updates were provided by Gascón’s office on Wednesday, but the district attorney’s statement said prosecutors are working on a “thorough and fair” review of the case.
“Prosecutors are still seeking complete documentation of the defense’s claims,” the statement said. “The office is working as quickly as justice allows.”
