Who is Kitty Menendez’s brother Milton Andersen and what has he said about his nephews Erik and Lyle?
MILTON Andersen is the brother of the late Kitty Menendez who was murdered by her sons Erik and Lyle.
A district attorney named George Gascón recommended that the brothers should be released in light of new evidence which suggests that they were sexually abused by their father.
Family
But Milton is opposed to the release of his nephews.
He is the older brother of Kitty.
The pair had another brother, Brian, and sister Joan Andersen VanderMolen.
The four siblings were raised together in Oak Lawn, Illinois, although their parents split up while Kitty was young.
Milton is aged 90 as of October 2021.
An untrusting uncle
He has been open about his thoughts on his late sister’s parenting.
Milton said in an interview in A&E’s The Menendez Brothers: Sins Of The Children, that he thought Kitty was “too permissive” with the boys when they were little and that he had “concerns” about how they were being raised.
Kitty and her husband were murdered on August 20, 1989, by their two sons, but Erik and Lyle alleged in court that they were motivated by the sexual abuse they were being subjected to by their father.
Milton said in his A&E interview that he does not believe that the sexual abuse that Erik and Lyle alleged “transpired at all” and added that he thinks the claims are a “lot of bull”.
He added that he visited them in prison after their arrest because he thought they were innocent, but grew suspicious when he remembered how much they were “smiling”.
A Menendez re-sentencing
District Attorney, George Gascon, announced that he would be asking a judge to reconsider Erik and Lyle’s sentence in light of new evidence being discovered.
A letter, written by Erik to his cousin Andy Cano, detailing the alleged abuse was discovered by the brothers’ paternal aunt.
Also, Menudo boyband member Roy Rossello claimed in 2023 that he was also sexually abused by Jose.
George said that he hopes the brothers’ sentence would be reduced to life in prison with the possibility of parole or a 50 year sentence with the possibility of parole.
Milton’s objections
Milton is strongly opposed to his nephews’ release and his attorney Kathleen Cady spoke on his behalf, after Gascón’s announcement.
She said: “It is unconscionable that Gascon, whose ethical obligation is to pursue justice with integrity, has ignored my multiple notifications about individuals coming forward with information that seriously questions the credibility of the so-called ‘new evidence’ in this case.
“Yet, Gascón has shown no interest in reviewing or investigating this evidence, turning a blind eye to potential flaws in his pursuit to rewrite history.”
She continued in her statement: “Despite numerous requests, Gascón has refused to inform Mr. Andersen of any decisions before holding press conferences
“Mr. Andersen has been left in the dark, forced to learn crucial updates about his sister’s case through the media, rather than being treated with the dignity and respect he deserves.”
Despite Milton’s reservations, the rest of the Menendez brothers’ family, including Milton’s own sister, Joan, support their release.
The brothers’ paternal aunt, Marta Cano, has previously argued that they brothers should be freed.
She said: “They’re not criminals.
“They were in so much shock and fear of their own lives that that’s what happened.”
Marta added: “How would I feel if someone had abused me all my life, and all of a sudden he’s angry in front of me and he’s coming to me?
“It’s a defense mechanism we all have.