The family of incarcerated brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez expressed frustration after Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman denied the killer siblings a new trial.
The family members said they were hurt and disappointed by the D.A.’s decision.
Lyle and Erik were sentenced to life in prison without parole for gunning down their wealthy parents, music executive José Menendez and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989.
The Menendez brothers claimed they killed their parents after suffering years of sex abuse by their father.
On February 21, Hochman recommended that the parole board deny a new trial for the brothers who have spent 3 decades behind bars.
The basis for a new trial was the discovery of a note Erik (left) wrote in 1988 describing the abuse he allegedly suffered at the hands of his father.
However, Hochman argued that the note and other corroborating evidence were too weak to justify a new trial.
“Very honestly, what we heard from the L.A. DA’s office the other day felt very disparaging,” Tamara Goodell, the brothers’ cousin, said on Thursday. “It felt like a continuation of the narrative from 1989 and very honestly, it was very frustrating.”
Anna Maria Baralt, José’s niece, said D.A. Hochman’s decision is harmful to other victims of sexual abuse.
“Today we understand that trauma re-wires the brain and shapes a person’s actions and decisions in ways that were not fully appreciated decades ago,” Baralt said.
The family members were relieved last week when California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the state parole board to conduct a “risk assessment” of the pair.
The Menendez family said they gasped with relief upon hearing the “great” news Wednesday. They are confident the parole board will determine the brothers are not a risk to public safety and release them.
“We are incredibly grateful that Gov. Newsom is paying attention to this case,” Baralt said.
“This, for our family, is a huge sigh of relief that someone in a seat of power is paying attention to what we have seen up close since Erik and Lyle have been incarcerated.”
