Aunt of the Menendez brothers hospitalized
(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Terry Baralt, the aunt of Erik and Lyle Menendez, was hospitalized after the brothers' court appearance on Friday.
The Justice for Erik and Lyle Coalition, a family-led initiative advocating for the release of brothers, is calling for immediate accountability and oversight.
The family says the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office's graphic courtroom display without family notification has led to Baralt's hospitalization.
According to a statement issued on Sunday, prosecutors displayed an unredacted, graphic image of José Menendez's lifeless body in open court and without any prior warning. They say it was an act that retraumatized family members in attendance.
Baralt, José Menendez's 85-year-old sister, is now in critical condition.
The statement from the Menendez family reads in part:
"Our family is hurting. Terry may not recover from what was done to her - and to all of us - in that courtroom. We deserve better. We firmly believe that if the DA's Office had shown even an ounce of consideration for us, as victims, we would not be hoping for one more day with Terry right now."
