Menendez Brothers: Gascón reveals 'new evidence' letter that led to case review
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón on Sunday revealed one of the two pieces of "new evidence" in the case of Lyle and Erik Menendez, the brothers convicted of murdering their parents in Beverly Hills in 1989.
Gascón posted a series of photos on Instagram, one of which appears to be a handwritten letter from Erik Menendez to his cousin Andy Cano, in which Erik allegedly complained about the abuse he suffered from his father months before the killings.
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The pictures - ranging from stills of the Menendez brothers to solo images of Gascón - were posted with the following caption (compiled):
"Evidence of a letter addressing Erik Menendez's SA has surfaced news. Progressive DA Gascón wants their case to be reevaluated. He says it is his moral and ethical obligation to review the Menendez brothers' case. It has been 35 years since their sentencing. It is time to decide whether these men have paid their dues to society. Erik and Lyle Menendez have spent most of their lives behind bars and will continue to unless we can ensure George Gascón can review and restore justice for all."
According to the brothers' attorneys, Cano's mom found the letter nine years ago. Cano testified at trial that Erik had told him about his father's abuse when Erik was 13. Cano died in 2003.
Gascón's office is working to determine if the brothers are entitled to having their case reheard, or even being resentenced.
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The second piece of evidence being reviewed was a sworn statement from a third person who claimed he was abused by José Menendez as a teenager. Roy Rosselló, a former member of the band Menudo, alleged that José Menendez drugged and sexually assaulted him when he was about 14, during a visit to the Menendez home in New Jersey. José Menendez was an executive at RCA Records, which signed Menudo to a recording contract.
Lyle and Erik Menendez have been serving life sentences since 1996 for killing their parents, José and Mary "Kitty" Menendez. While the brothers never denied killing their parents, at trial, attorneys argued they feared for their lives after suffering years of sexual abuse from their father.
The Menendez brothers have appealed their convictions multiple times over the years without success, but a new petition a year and a half ago points to two pieces of evidence that the brothers' lawyers say bolster their sexual abuse claims.
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Interest in the case has recently been renewed by the release of Netflix's "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," and an upcoming documentary, in which the brothers will tell their side of the story.
The brothers have a hearing on Nov. 29.