Menendez brothers claim one key moment may have changed outcome of trial
The Menendez brothers have claimed one key moment may have changed the outcome of their trial.
Lyle and Erik Menendez's case has received renewed interest over the last few weeks after their story played out in a new Netflix show, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
The Netflix series explored the real-life case which saw the brothers murder their allegedly abusive parents in 1989.
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Following the murders, Erik confessed what had happened to his therapist, recordings of which were obtained by the police.
The boys then went to trial, where they were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Now that the Netflix show has aired, a follow-up documentary has given Lyle and Erik the opportunity to tell their story for the first time in 34 years.
The two have always maintained that the murders were in self defence, after confronting their father over years of sexual and physical abuse.
The brothers also claim that their mother knew about the abuse but failed to protect them.
In the documentary, the brothers discuss their trial and the one factor they believe could have impacted the outcome.
They claim that OJ Simpson's acquittal for the murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman had an impact on their second trial, which took place just eight days later.
"I didn't really think that it would have the profound effect on the public that it did in terms of high profile defendants. We got washed in the wake of that," said Lyle.
Meanwhile, in the 2017 documentary, The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All, Erik added: “Because [Simpson’s acquittal] was so shocking, there was this sense that an extreme injustice had happened and now we’re gonna have to right it with every defendant that comes up. We were the next defendant.”
On 3 October, it was revealed that potential new evidence supporting the brothers' allegations of abuse had been unearthed, and as a result, a hearing will take place on 29 November.
Los Angeles District Attorney, George Gascón, stated in a press conference: "We have been given evidence. We have been given a photocopy of a letter that allegedly was sent by one of the brothers to another family member talking about him being the victim of molestation.
"We’ve also got evidence that was provided by the defence, by his lawyers, that one of the members of the Menudo band [Roy Rosselló] alleged that he was molested by the father.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.
Topics: Menendez Brothers, TV And Film, Netflix, Crime
Lucy Devine