Relatives Urge Public Support as Brothers Seek Re-Sentencing Based on Abuse Evidence
Nearly two dozen family members of Erik and Lyle Menendez gathered at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles today in a show of solidarity for the brothers as they pursue a re-sentencing appeal. The family also unveiled a new initiative, “Justice for Erik and Lyle,” urging the public to support their cause by signing a petition calling for action from the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.
The press conference marked the largest official gathering of relatives from both sides of the Menendez family since District Attorney George Gascón began reviewing the case earlier this year. Erik and Lyle’s attorney, Mark Geragos, reiterated the defense’s long-standing claim that the brothers’ original sentences did not adequately consider the decade of sexual abuse they endured at the hands of their father, Jose Menendez.
“For many years, I struggled to come to terms with what happened to my sister’s family. It was a nightmare none of us could have imagined. But as the details of Lyle and Erik’s abuse came to light, it became clear that their actions, while tragic, were the desperate response of two boys trying to survive the unspeakable cruelty of their father,” said Joan Andersen
VanderMolen, sister of Kitty Menendez. “They have already paid a heavy price. After 35 years, it’s time to give them the opportunity to live the rest of their lives free from the shadow of their past.”
Several family members shared emotional accounts of how Erik and Lyle had attempted to expose their father’s sexual abuse, only to be dismissed by their mother, Kitty Menendez.
“From the very beginning, I believed that Lyle and Erik were victims of their father’s abuse. Having been in an abusive marriage myself, I know how difficult it is to live in constant fear and feel like there’s no way out,” said Karen VanderMolen, niece of Kitty Menendez. “No child should ever have to endure what they did. Their father’s abuse shattered their lives, and the court’s failure to recognize their trauma only compounded that tragedy. I can’t help but think how different things might have been if the world had known the truth back then.”
They highlighted new evidence currently under review, including a letter Erik wrote to his cousin describing the ongoing abuse. The Menendez brothers were convicted in 1996 for the murder of their parents, but the jury was not allowed to hear testimony regarding the sexual abuse at trial.
“When Erik and Lyle told their truth on the stand, the nation laughed. They called them liars. They refused to believe that boys could be sexually abused or raped,” said Mark Geragos, Erik, and Lyle Menendez’s defense attorney, calling attention to how societal understanding has evolved. “Today, we know better. We know that one in six men have been sexually assaulted, and we understand how PTSD from prolonged abuse impacts behavior. After 35 years, Erik and Lyle are still serving life without the possibility of parole. That is a miscarriage of justice that must be urgently corrected.”
You can watch the press conference here:
Family members are now calling on the DA’s office to consider this new evidence and previous testimony in the effort to secure a new sentence. They also appealed to the public to support their initiative by visiting the coalition’s website, www.JusticeforErikandLyle.org, and signing the petition directed at the Los Angeles DA.
