Menendez brothers' case: Family members petition for their release

The family and friends of Lyle and Eric Menendez have issued a public plea for the release of the notorious killers after more than three decades in prison for fatally shooting their wealthy parents in their Beverly Hills home.

The case of the Menendez brothers became the most sensational criminal trial in decades when the two were arrested in the 1989 deaths of Kitty and Jose Menendez.

Family, friends and an attorney for the brothers gathered in front of a Los Angeles court Wednesday to seek their release, arguing that the boys suffered horrific sexual abuse at the hands of their father and are not a threat to society.

But not every relative wants their release. An attorney for their uncle said the “cold-blooded” brothers deserved to be in jail.

Los Angeles' district attorney is examining new evidence in the case about the alleged abuse and whether it might warrant a retrial or allow a lighter sentence.

“If they were the Menendez sisters, they wouldn't be in custody,” Ana Maria Barrault, Jose Menendez's niece, said at the news conference. “We've evolved.”

Ms. Baralt was referring to how male victims of sexual assault were treated and treated by society and the justice system three decades ago, some prosecutors also acknowledged.

The brothers went to trial in 1993 and admitted to shooting their parents with a pair of shotguns, but argued that they did so in self-defense after years of emotional, physical and sexual abuse by their father.

Prosecutors argued that the brothers systematically planned their parents' murders — as the couple watched on TV — so they could inherit their multimillion-dollar fortune.

The case went to a retrial after the jury deadlocked.

At the second trial in 1995, much of the evidence related to the alleged sexual abuse was not allowed to be presented. A jury convicted both brothers of first-degree murder and sentenced them to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Public interest in the murders has been renewed since a Netflix series depicting the events was released in September. And new potential evidence – an alleged letter sent by Eric to another family member detailing sexual abuse by his father.

Kitty Menendez's sister, Joan Anderson Vandermolen, was helped on stage by other family members to face a throng of media and a handful of supporters Wednesday afternoon. At 92, he said his nephew's work was “sad”.

“They were just children” who were “brutalized in the most horrible way”.

When they stood trial, he argued, “the whole world was not ready to believe that boys could be raped, or that young men could be victims of sexual violence”.

But today, “we know better” and “a jury today would never award such a harsh sentence”.

But a lawyer for Kitty Menendez's brother, Milton Andersen, said: “The cold-blooded actions of the Menendez brothers tore their family apart and left a trail of grief lasting decades.

“Jose was shot six times, and Kitty was shot ten times, including one in the face after Eric reloaded.”

Mr. Andersen believes his nephews should be in prison for their “heinous actions,” lawyer Cathy Cady said.

Earlier this month, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon held a press conference and announced that his office was reexamining the case and that one of two scenarios was possible: resentencing the brothers or retrying them. His office's findings and decision will be released at a hearing at the end of November

Mr. Gascon's office released a statement Wednesday evening, while prosecutors could not speak publicly about the case, saying, “Please know that our office is dedicated to a thorough and fair process and is exploring every avenue available to our office to ensure justice.”

The family is asking Mr. Gascon to recommend that they express their resentment – an option that could allow them to walk freely if a judge approves the order.