Journalist Ana Garcia today revealed the 'disparate outcome' of the Menendez brothers' trial

Ana Garcia is laying down the law when it comes to a fair shot at justice.

What happened on the night of August 20, 1989, when Lyle and Eric Menendez killed their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, has long fascinated the public. Now, the Emmy Award-winning journalist and host of the new television series “True Crime News” is revealing why he thinks the case would have been handled differently if it had been tried today.

“I always say that time is the most interesting lens through which we can reconsider something.” Garcia explained in an exclusive post at Warner Bros.' Fall TV Season Celebration on Thursday. “Think about it: the first case where they introduced the defense that they were abused by their father, that jury was a hung jury. The DA tried again, this time, any testimony about sexual abuse and the defense was severely limited, even if true permission was granted. is given.”

Eric and Lyle have long claimed that their father sexually abused them, which they say led to the shooting of their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion. The brothers were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 when they were just 21 and 18 years old.

“It was a completely different trial. They had two radically different versions of what was going on in that house,” Garcia continued. “And so they're convicted, I get it. They didn't just act on the murders because they admitted they killed their parents. I think that's where the evolution happened. They killed their parents. There is no question about it. Was it horrible? absolutely I once had a police captain tell me, if every young person who was abused by their parents killed their parents, we would have a lot of dead parents. I understand the fear.”

Garcia noted that in 1989, “there wasn't a lot of sympathy for them. They were just seen as posh, rich Beverly Hills kids.”

“But they clearly suffered. So I think that if this trial had happened now, with the way we are more sensitive to child abuse, to understand that context and to be in that context, I think the trial would probably have a different outcome,” he reflected. “Maybe it was homicide. They were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. They have been in prison for almost 30 years.”

Why did the Menendez case return to the news cycle after so many years?

“I admire this movement — prosecutors, former prosecutors, people who are deadbeats who don't want to hear it. They are discounting what they call the TikTok movement. do you know Menendez brothers case legitimizes TikTok movement. You have several generations who have never heard of this case who have a different view of it and they have a different view of the justice they believe in. And they are looking at justice through the lens of the present. And so I think we should reconsider it.”

Taking a moment to touch on the new evidence, Garcia added, “There's a letter from Eric to his cousin nine months before the murder, mentioning how scared he was, he didn't want Dad to come. No more in her room, that's all. This is clear evidence. Then you have one of the former members of the boy band Menudo saying he was sexually abused by their father, Jose Menendez, a very similar and freely told story. So I think it's worth reconsidering.”

Like Kim Kardashian. The 43-year-old penned an emotional letter calling for Lyle and Eric's release, which the podcast host highly praised.

“I think that Kim Kardashian's article is very well done with her perspective and her opinion on the matter,” the news personality said. “He's asking people to think of some compassion and justice for these two men. See, should they be released? I don't know the answer to that. I really don't. If it's really going to be a homicide, then maybe yes, 30 years is enough.”

Garcia concludes, “There's a spectrum, all right. Where do the Menendez brothers fit in? I think we should have a discussion about it. I really do. And I'm very grateful for the social media cause, whether it's TikTok or Instagram or wherever anyone decides they want it. We're having a conversation on social media about what everyone thinks is right.”

The Menendez brothers aren't the only polarizing cases Garcia has investigated; They are far from it. The reporter prepared to cover several cases, some of which gained liberal media attention and others which did not.

“Every day, and that's five days a week, so every day we update you on what's happening in court as well as take a deep dive into two big cases. But both of these cases are really high profile or cases you've never heard of. And I think we're really giving a voice to the survivors, the victims, their families,” he expressed. “I always try and say survivors are more than victims because it's a way to reclaim your power, especially in situations where someone is taking something from you. So vital, whether it's your health, your safety, your life, the life of a loved one. And I think it's really important that we listen to them and that we listen to the stories of the survivors.”

True crime doesn't stop when the cameras are off for Garcia, admitting that “there's an incident that I covered as a young reporter when I worked at a Philadelphia TV station, and it happened in South Jersey” that sticks out all these years later.

“This case is unresolved. I was there the day the little boy went missing. They thought he had run away. His name was Mark Himebaugh, and he was 11 years old at the time. It happened right before Thanksgiving. And then they realized he hadn't run away. She was probably abducted and presumed dead. But of course her parents hope she walks through that door any day.

Garcia shared, “It bugs me to no end that we never solved this case. So, in my spare time, I work on it with two retired police officers, one who did the case at the time, and then one who is a partner of mine and just trying to do advocacy work. So I try to give back that way.”

But the correspondent Dr by doing He has a confession about his career, revealing, “People will tell me or they'll stop and they'll say, have you seen this documentary, that documentary? If not for work, honestly, I can't watch True Crime. I really can't. I'm so upset. I need a break.”

And everyone can relate to Garcia's breaks.

“My favorite thing, I know it's funny, on TikTok and Instagram, I love to watch little animals, and I love to hear little animals eat. And so any video that has a little animal, little squirrel eating a hamburger, little hedgehog running on the floor, that's my thing. I love it. It will melt me. I will send it to my son. I will send it to my friends. That's how everyone knows I'm on a break from crime. 'Oh God. There he is. Chicken!'

“True Crime News” airs weekdays and new episodes of “True Crime News The Podcast” drop every Tuesday and Friday.