Relatives of the brothers Lyle and Erik Menéndez, imprisoned in the United States after a high-profile trial for the murder of his parents in 1989have asked for his release. This movement comes at a time when interest in their case has resurfaced after the arrival of the Netflix series ‘Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menéndez’.
In the early 1990s the crime and the subsequent televised trials of his children made headlines. Music mogul José Menéndez and his wife Kitty They were murdered in their home from Beverly Hills.
Being 18 and 21 years old at the time of the events, both brothers testified through tears who had killed their parents after suffering years of sexual abuse at the hands of his father. Both were convicted of murder and are serving life sentences. without possibility of parole since 1996.
“As details of the abuse suffered by Lyle and Eric came to light, it became clear that their actions, while tragic, were the desperate response of two children trying to survive their father’s unspeakable cruelty,” Joan said. VanderMolen, his aunt, 92 years old. “They have already paid a very high price, discarded by a system that did not know how to recognize their pain,” he added in a press conference attended by thirty family members.
The initial trial, which began in 1993, was one of the first televised murder cases that made headlines in newspapers around the world. After a mistrial due to the jury’s disagreement, the brothers were found guilty in a second proceeding. Prosecutors accused them of murdering their parents to inherit their $14 million fortune.
Last year, the brothers’ attorneys filed a motion presenting new evidence they say demonstrates abuse by José Menéndez, including a letter written by Erik to a cousin. The defense has asked for a resentencing, which could mean the release of their clients given the long time they have spent behind bars.
Even the prosecutors They stated in a statement This Wednesday that the Los Angeles criminal justice system “has developed a more modern understanding of sexual violence since the Menendez brothers first faced accusation.”
“Today, our office recognizes that sexual violence is a widespread problem that affects countless people, of all gender identities,” they wrote, confirming that the case is being reviewed on multiple fronts.
Earlier this month, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon told reporters he had “a moral and ethical obligation to review” the process. There is a hearing scheduled for November 29.
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