The story of the Menendez brothers has been much talked about for years, especially in recent weeks due to the premiere of the second season of Monsters, a Netflix series inspired by their case.
Although the series has been harshly criticized by the public and even by Erik and Lyle Menéndez themselves for showing an incestuous relationship between them, it seems that it has also managed to attract the attention of the Prosecutor’s Office to the case again.
More than 28 years ago the brothers were sentenced to life imprisonment for the cold-blooded murder of their parents and now everything has taken a 180-degree turn.
The Menendez Brothers Case Has Been Reopened
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón revealed that the sexual abuse allegations filed by Erik and Lyle Menendez against their father are being reviewed again in search of new evidence.
TMZ also reported that one of the reasons that prompted the Attorney General’s Office to look into the brothers’ claims was the fact that Roy Roselló, former member of Menudo, stated in the documentary ‘Menéndez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed’ that the music executive had abused him in the 80s.
This statement could have given much more strength to the statements of Erik and Lyle, which were dismissed at the time of their trial in 1996.
Kim Kardashian Advocates for Menendez Brothers’ Release
Kim Kardashian, known for her influential role in criminal justice reform, has recently turned her attention to the high-profile case of the Menendez brothers.
Kardashian’s advocacy stems from her belief that the brothers didn’t receive a fair trial. She argues that crucial evidence of the alleged sexual, physical, and emotional abuse the brothers endured at the hands of their parents was not adequately considered during their second trial.
In a personal essay, Kardashian emphasized that if the case were tried today, the outcome might be different due to a better understanding of abuse and its psychological impacts.
“As is often the case, this story is much more complex than it appears on the surface,” Kim stated, adding that “both brothers said they had been sexually, physically and emotionally abused for years by their parents.”
She also hopes that this review will lead to a reconsideration of their life sentences, advocating that the brothers are not the same individuals they were at the time of the crime.
“Following years of abuse and a real fear for their lives, Erik and Lyle chose what they thought at the time was their only way out — an unimaginable way to escape their living nightmare,” she said.
The Menendez brothers’ lawyers are known to have asked the court to overturn the conviction and to do so have asked for a review of new evidence, including a letter written by Erik in which he spoke of his father’s abuse of him and Lyle.
The prosecution is expected to give a new verdict on November 29, thus opening the possibility of the Menendez brothers regaining their freedom.
This article was originally published in Spanish by Mariana Martell in Cultura Colectiva.
