The family of Lyle and Eric Menendez said they were injured and disappointed after the Los Angeles District Attorney denied a new trial for the murderer's brother.
The family said Da Nathan Hochman lacked the understanding and sympathy his predecessor, George Gascon, had, as it was allegedly sexual abuse that the murder duo experienced before shooting and killing wealthy parents at their Beverly Hills mansion more than 30 years ago.
“The relationship is absolutely different. Tamara Goodell, the brother's cousin, said in a webinar Thursday afternoon.
“To be very honest, what I heard from Ladha's office the other day felt very lightly pared. It felt like a continuation of the story since 1989, and to be very honest, I was very frustrated.”
Hochmann issued a recommendation on February 21 that LA County Superior Court would deny the brothers' demands for retrial, due to new evidence that the pair had been abused by their father.
The pair were convicted of killing wealthy music producer Jose Menendez and execution style Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez in August 1989.
They were sentenced to life in prison without parole following two highly publicized trials that made Eric and Lyle (who were 21 and 18 at the time) famous.
The murder pair called for a new trial, along with allegations from members of the band Memdo that Jose had abused him, following the discovery of a bomb memo that Eric had detailed the abuse he suffered in his father's hands in 1988.
However, Hochman argued that the supporting evidence was too weak to justify the new trial.
Jose's nie Anna Maria Baralto was not surprised by the decision of the newly elected prosecutor, but said he called his rhetoric harmful to other victims of sexual abuse.
“The dangers of presenting stories from the 1990s under today's laws — a modern understanding of law and trauma — are ignoring how far they have come, recognising the long-term effects of abuse and the systemic barriers that silence the victim,” she said.
“Today, we understand that trauma guides the brain again and shapes people's actions and decisions in ways that have not been fully appreciated decades ago.”
Despite their frustration, Eric encouraged his loved ones to be focused and strong, his family said — advice supported less than a week when California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the state's parole board to conduct a “risk assessment” for his brothers.
The Menendez family was breathless at Relief on Wednesday when they heard the “great” news, saying they are confident that the parole board has determined that the brothers are not a risk to public safety and will be free.
“We are extremely grateful that Governor Newsom is paying attention to this incident,” Barratt said.
“This is a huge relief sigh of attention for our family that we have seen up close since Eric and Lyle were incarcerated,” he said.
The brothers also replied to the court to seek parole eligibility based on pardon from the governor, evidence of rehabilitation and good behavior behind bars.
The murders were largely falling out of the spotlight until the 2024 Netflix series Monsters: The Story of The Lyle and Erik Menendez sparked new public interest in their case.
