Retrial potential as new evidence emerges in Menendez case
In the first week of airing, "The Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez" attracted over 12 million viewers, and the audience continued to grow. As everyone started talking about the 1989 murder, new evidence in the case began to emerge.
On August 20, 1989, Erik and Lyle Menendez, crying, called the police and reported that someone had killed their parents. José and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez died in agony, being shot multiple times with a firearm loaded with heavy shot ammunition. The brothers initially claimed it was the work of the mafia, as their father was an influential, wealthy man. In the days following their parents' deaths, they squandered over CAD 945,000. Using that money, they bought, among other things, a restaurant in Princeton, a Porsche sports car, and a Rolex watch. They also went on a trip to London and a Caribbean cruise. The fact that they were the perpetrators of the crime was revealed when Erik Menendez confessed everything to his psychotherapist.
New evidence in the Menendez case?
The series, starring Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez, became a Netflix hit. Javier Bardem and Chloe Sevigny played the parents, and behind the camera was none other than Ryan Murphy, who has been dramatizing the stories of murderers for several years, showing not only the crimes but also trying to understand the motives.
"The Monsters" about the Menendezes stirred up a lot of controversy. One of the arguments against the series was that the director acted as both judge and investigator, presenting what motives the brothers might have had and, in a way, explaining them. An important part of both the trial years ago and the series is the thread of sexual abuse the Menendez brothers allegedly suffered at the hands of their father. According to Ryan Murphy, new evidence in their case began to surface after the series premiere, and, importantly, he believes that a retrial might occur, which we have reported on earlier.
Reports of a possible retrial are circulating in American media. Now, as reported by outlets including Fox News and Forbes, the Los Angeles District Attorney has admitted that his office will re-examine the murders of the Menendez parents. George Gascón stated that shortly, the prosecutor's office will act to determine whether the brothers should still serve life imprisonment. He noted that he has "a moral and ethical obligation to review what is being presented to us and the case of the Menendez brothers is no different."
New information may shed light on the motives for the crime and impact the appeals of Lyle and Erik Menendez, who are serving life sentences. Central to attention is a letter Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin, Andy Cano, eight months before the murders. In this document, Erik Menendez claimed he was molested by his father. In the content of the letter, published by Fox News, Erik describes his situation as "worse than ever" and indicates that he is afraid of his father. Cano's testimony, provided prior to his death in 2003, confirms that Erik talked about the molestation at the age of 13.
Gascón also shared details about a second piece of evidence in the case — a statement by Roy Rosselló, a former member of the popular 1980s band Menudo. Rosselló claims that José Menendez, who was then an influential director at RCA Records, molested him as a youth.
The brothers, admitting to the crime, had previously maintained that they were victims of prolonged sexual abuse by their father and acted out of fear for their lives. The prosecution rejected these allegations, claiming that the main motive was greed, suggesting the perpetrators wanted to seize their parents' multimillion-dollar fortune. The brothers' lavish lifestyle just after the crime was seen as evidence of alleged greed.
According to the prosecutor, after 35 years, the issue of sexual abuse might be evaluated differently by contemporary society. "Sensitivity to sexual assault is much more significant today," Gascón said in a conversation with CNN. He added that it is possible that today's jury would look at this case completely differently.
In addition, Erik and Lyle were separated for 20 years and served their sentences in different institutions. In 2018, Lyle was transferred to Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, where, after a few months, he could reunite with his brother.
