Family of Menendez brothers reject prosecutor criticism and lead rally for their release
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The family of Erik and Lyle Menendez on Thursday rejected claims by the Los Angeles district attorney that the brothers hadn’t appropriately taken responsibility for the 1989 killing of their parents and said that any lies they told during their murder trial were due to trauma and fear.
“Kids lie when they’re scared, when they feel intimidated, and when they become traumatized. They lie when they don’t know who to trust. But they grow up, they learn, and they take responsibility,” said Tamara Goodell, a cousin of the brothers who spoke Thursday at a rally calling for the brothers’ release from prison.
The family’s rally was supposed to coincide with a resentencing hearing for the brothers that could result in them being immediately eligible for parole after 35 years behind bars. It was postponed to April after Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced his office was withdrawing the resentencing motion previously submitted by his predecessor, George Gascón. While it is possible for the judge to proceed without the district attorney’s support, legal experts say the brothers’ chances of success have diminished tremendously.
The brothers, 18 and 21 at the time, were convicted of murdering their mother, Kitty Menendez, and their entertainment executive father, Jose, and sentenced to life in prison without parole. They began their latest bid for freedom in recent years after their attorneys said new evidence emerged about their father’s sexual abuse. The brothers had the support of most of their extended family.
Hochman said he doesn’t support resentencing at this time because the brothers have failed to take “complete responsibility” for the lies they told as the case unfolded, including their original claim that they did not kill their parents and, later, that they acted in self-defense. Hochman has also cast doubt on new evidence of sexual abuse.
“They have lied to everyone for the last 30 years,” Hochman said in a news conference last week.
Anamaria Baralt, a cousin of the brothers, said they have already taken responsibility and acknowledged their mistakes. The family has no intention on changing their position, and Baralt said she hopes the brothers don’t as well.
“We won’t let him rewrite history,” she said of Hochman. “That would be pandering to his truth.”
Their remaining pathways to freedom include being granted clemency by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, or a habeas corpus petition for a new trial their attorneys submitted for court consideration in May 2023. Hochman also opposes the habeas petition.
The high-profile murder in the Menendez family’s Beverly Hills home shocked the nation and drew extensive media coverage. It was a precursor to the O.J. Simpson case and spurred countless shows, books, and documentaries in the decades following.
Around 50 supporters of the Menendez brothers marched with signs around the downtown criminal justice center, chanting, “What do we believe in? Second chances!” The news conference and rally also drew the support of criminal justice organizations such as the Anti-Recidivism Coalition and Latino Justice.
“We should not throw people away,” said Michael Mendoza, criminal justice director for Latino Justice, who met Lyle Menendez when he was serving time in state prison. “We should not give up on our young people.”
Four women traveled from Texas, Oregon, Florida, and Missouri to attend the rally. They learned about the case through TikTok influencer Carrie Webster, who has built a relatively small but dedicated following on the platform through her videos speaking on current events and criminal justice topics.
One of them, Meghan Trimarchi, wore a Menendez brothers shirt she bought online. Trimarchi planned her trip to Los Angeles from Oregon to attend the resentencing hearing that was postponed.
“I believe in justice for all victims of sexual assault,” said Trimarchi, 35. “They all need to have a voice.”
Another Webster follower who attended the rally was 68-year-old Patrick Burke of Sherman Oaks, California. He remembers when the murders happened because he had just moved to Los Angeles. Burke became passionate about the case after watching footage of the entire first trial during the pandemic and came to the rally to “show support for the brothers and also all abuse victims.”
“To me, it’s like the Me Too movement,” he said. Survivors of sexual assault weren’t believed, and “that’s why the Menendez brothers didn’t come out initially.”