Family of Erik and Lyle Menendez hold press conference
LOS ANGELES (KYMA, KECY/NBC) - The family of Erik and Lyle Menendez held a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
According to NBC News, the family called for the brothers to be re-sentenced.
"On behalf of our whole family it is my honor to formally introduce our new coalition - Justice For Erik and Lyle. Like so many others I struggle to process the events of that fateful August day and the loss that I felt. Over time it became clear that there were two other victims there on that day - my cousins Lyle and Erik. Lyle and Erik would continue to be victimized, they would be victims of a system that would not hear them and they would be victims of a culture that was not ready to listen."
Anamaria Baralt, Niece of Jose Menendez
NBC News says this comes after Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said earlier this month that he and his office would review the evidence to determine if the brothers, who were found guilty for the 1989 killing of their parents, should be re-sentenced and potentially released.
The review hinges on a letter that Erik wrote to his cousin that his attorneys say corroborates claims of sexual abuse by his father nine months before their parents were killed.
However, Gascón has not yet announced a timeline for a decision on his office's review.
According to a press release obtained by NBC News, the press conference took place at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, with the press release mentioning the following speakers participating in the press conference:
- Anamaria Baralt, Niece of Jose Menendez (speaker)
- Joan Andersen VanderMolen, Sister of Kitty Menendez (speaker)
- Karen VanderMolen, Niece of Kitty Menendez (speaker)
- Brian A. Andersen Jr., Nephew of Kitty Menendez (speaker)
- Natascha Leonardo, Niece of Kitty Menendez
- Arnold VanderMolen, Nephew of Kitty Menendez
- Kathleen Simonton, Niece of Kitty Menendez
- Karen Copley, Niece of Kitty Menendez
- Diane Hernandez, Niece of Kitty Menendez
- Alicia Barbour, Niece of Jose Menendez
- Erik VanderMolen, Great Nephew of Kitty Menendez
- Sarah Mallas, Great Niece of Kitty Menendez
- Alexander Hernandez, Great Nephew of Kitty Menendez
- Sylvia Bolock, Niece of Jose Menendez
- Rebecca Frascone, Family Friend
- Tamara Goodell, Niece of Kitty Menendez
- Mark Geragos, Erik and Lyle's defense attorney (speaker)
- Cliff Gardner, co-counsel for Erik and Lyle (speaker)
- Rosie O'Donnell (speaker)
To watch a livestream of the press conference, see attached video.
