The family of the Menendez brothers have given an emotional plea asking for the men to be freed.
The brothers have spent 35 years in prison for the murder of Jose and Kitty Menendez.
Around two dozen members of the family, alongside defense lawyer Mark Geragos, held the press conference outside a Los Angeles courthouse. They asked that the Los Angeles District attorney George Gascon release Erik, 53, and Lyle, 56.
‘If they were the Menendez sisters they wouldn’t be in custody,’ said Geragos.
The family introduced the coalition, ‘Justice for Eric and Lyle’, and spoke passionately about why they were advocating for their release.
‘Lyle and Erik deserve a chance to heal, and our family deserves a chance to heal with them,’ said one of the brothers’ cousins, Anamaria Baralt.
Kitty’s sister Joan Andersen VanderMolen said: ‘Their actions, while tragic, were the desperate response of two boys trying to survive the unspeakable cruelty of their father.
‘The truth is, Lyle and Erik were failed by the very people who should have protected them—their parents, the system, and society at large.’
The brothers cited years of abuse as the reason for murdering their parents in 1989. However, prosecutors argued that their motive was to get their hands on the family fortune.
The first trial was hung, but in 1996, they were both convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Their case was the subject of worldwide interest, and has most recently been the subject of recent Netflix series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story. The nine episodes, created by Ryan Murphy, received intense backlash, but have renewed public interest.
During the press conference, a statement was read from Jose’s sister. ‘My prayer is that I live long enough to see my nephews again and to hug them once more,’ her letter said.
Kitty’s nephew Brian Andersen Jr. said: ‘I’ve known Erik and Lyle my whole life. I can tell you without a doubt that they are not the villains they’ve been portrayed as.
‘They were boys, young, scared and abused by their father in ways no child should ever experience.’
Gascon has not yet said if the case will return to court. ‘A decision regarding the Menendez case has not been made. Once DA Gascon has made a decision, the family members of the victims and the public will be notified,’ his office told Daily Mail.
If a re-trial finds them guilty of voluntary manslaughter, rather than murder, Erik and Lyle would immediately be released as they’ve already served more than the crime’s maximum sentence.
New evidence includes a letter allegedly written by Erik to his cousin that his lawyers say corroborates the allegations that he was sexually abused by his father.
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