Erik & Lyle Menendez’s Family Pleads for Their Release at L.A. Press Conference

Lyle and Erik Menendez’s family held a press conference in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon, with more than 30 family members advocating for the brothers’ freedom at Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

The brother’s defense attorney Mark Geragos began by saying that he has been working “18 months” to get the brothers out of prison.

Mark revealed that Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon’s office has “engaged with us productively for well over a year.”

Before letting the family speak, Geragos said, "They've spent over 35 years in prison. If they were the Menendez sisters, they would not be in custody. We have evolved."

Anamaria Baralt, the niece of Jose Menendez, was the first to speak on behalf of the family. She called Erik and Lyle “victims,” saying, “They became victims of a culture that was not ready to listen."

She stressed, "It’s time to recognize the injustice they’ve suffered and allow them the second chance they deserve."

Anamaria believes that their incarceration "serves no rehabilitative purpose," adding, "Now here we are, both sides of the family united, sharing a new bond of hope, hope that with the reexamination of their case, a new outcome will be reached. Hope that this 34-year nightmare will end and that we will be reunited as a family.”

She wants the DA’s office to see “the full picture” and release the brothers from prison. She emphasized, "If Lyle and Erik’s case were heard today, with the understanding we now have about abuse and PTSD, there is no doubt in my mind that their sentencing would have been very different."

Anamaria also read a statement from her mother and Jose’s 85-year-old sister, who “stands firmly” with the brothers, even though she couldn't attend.

To help in their fight for Erik and Lyle’s freedom, Anamaria revealed that the family has created a website, JusticeForErikandLyle.org. 

Joan Andersen VanderMolen, sister of Erik and Lyle’s mom Kitty Menendez, was the second to speak at the press conference. 

VanderMolen admitted that she was “full of emotion,” saying that she has “hope” for Erik and Lyle. 

Joan believes that Lyle and Erik’s actions were a “desperate” attempt of escaping the alleged abuse that they suffered at the hands of their father.

She said, “I had no idea the extent of the abuse they suffered at the hands of my brother-in-law. None of us did. We know that abuse has long effects, and victims of trauma sometimes act in ways that are very difficult to understand."

"They were just children, children who could have been protected and were instead brutalized in the most horrific ways,” Joan went on. “The truth is, Lyle and Erik were failed by the very people who should have protected them: by their parents; by the system; by society at large. When they stood trial, the whole world was not ready to believe that boys could be raped or that young men could be victims of sexual violence. Today, we know better.”

Joan teared up, noting that Erik and Lyle have become “better men” after everything they have gone through. 

VanderMolen urged people to sign the petition at the website.

Brian Andersen Jr., nephew of Kitty Menendez, spoke next. He said he felt that the brothers were “vilified” for their actions and the system “failed” them. He added, “They are more than their past… They are no longer a threat to society… Erik and Lyle deserve a second chance.”

"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," Brian added.

Karen VanderMolen admitted that she was “also nervous” to speak. She felt that “the truth needed to be known” about Lyle and Erik, who she believes were abused. 

She noted that her sister Diane had evidence that could not be presented at the second trial. 

She said, “These were two young boys who were never allowed to make decisions of their own. They lived in constant fear… What happened is tragic. I forgive my cousins. I know they were acting out of fear and desperation.”

Karen pointed out that the brothers’ trauma drove them to make questionable decisions. 

She went on, “I believe they have paid for their crimes… It is time for Erik and Lyle to come home.”

Following the press conference, the family is meeting with the DA’s office to plead their case. 

In 1996, the brothers were convicted of the 1989 murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. They have appealed their sentences several times, but have always been denied.