Were the Menendez Brothers Molested? Sexual Abuse Claim Whats Happened To The Menendez Brothers Since They Killed Their Parents? Though Rossells revelation is a glimmer of hope for the Menendez brothers, criminal defense attorney Alan Jackson told Today that leveraging the allegation to lobby for their exoneration and freedom would be a complex process involving a petition and another trial. After nearly 27 years behind bars, he says he regrets that fateful night in August 1989, when he and Erik killed their parents in a rampage. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first. What horrors from childhood would they allege that would make them commit double homicide? See the 'Counting On' Kids' Houses, Look How Much the Little Couple's Kids Will and Zoey Have Grown Up, Every Look From the Kardashian-Jenner Family at the 2021 Met Gala, Gabby Petito's Texts Show 'More and More Tension' With Brian Laundrie. Keep reading for details about the claims, the brothers convictions and more. Their defense ultimately failed and the brothers were sentenced to life in prison. ', She then added: 'I believe that very strongly. WebThe defense argument that the brothers had been punched, belt-whipped, and molested by their parents, per TIME, was persuasive enough that the two juries who were WebAccording to the brothers, the elder Menendez forced his sons to perform oral sex on him, among other horrific acts. Many of them still want to be back with those people. One such group was Menudo, who signed with RCA Records and worked closely with Jose. The petition has to be reviewed by a superior court judge. Was Sexual Abuse Behind the Menendez Brothers' Murders? In the years since the trial, many people including those closest to the brothers have shared vastly differing opinions about claims that both their parents abused them sexually. She also noted that the two brothers has an odd relationship with their mother, saying: 'This was when Lyle was 15 and Erik would have been 12, and when Jose wasnt supposed to be home that night, the two of them would argue over who got to sleep with their mom. She claims that Lyle was scared to sleep in his own bed when she was staying there once, allegedly for fear that he would be touched inappropriately if he was alone. Lyle Menendez revealed details about the events leading up to the shotgun murders of his parents on August 20, 1989 and the sexual abuse he says that he and his brother endured in an interview. I did know that those were boys who had been incested. Its a claim that Lyle continues to make, long after he was dismissed by investigators. 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Sexual Abuse Claim Details. A lot of people probably know at least a little bit about the infamous case of the Menendez brothers. Rosie O'Donnell Says 'It's Time' to Free the 'Innocent' Menendez I spent 60 hours with Lyle before the first trial in the Los Angeles County Jail, and some interviews with Erik. Alarmed by what she was hearing, Vander Molan immediately went to her aunt, Kitty Menendez. Two juries (one for Erik and one for Lyle)both deadlocked during the first trial, largely because of the defense's controversial allegation that Jose Menendez sexually molested both boys from an early age. He said his mother washed his body until he was 13. For years, we have been thetop moviegoers even though the films we watch rarely reflect our communities. Were the Menendez Brothers Sexually Abused? Claims - In What kind of mother lets it happen?". Lyle's first wife Anna Eriksson in court in 1996. I wasnt alive when the California siblings gunned their parents down with shotguns in 1989 and I would turn 4 only months after they were finally convicted of murder in March 1996. Thats the man here that raped me, Rossell says in the clip while pointing at a photo of the late music executive. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. Double-Murder Details. And they had no history to suggest that anyone was going to come to their help. Police spoke with the brothers after arriving at the home but did not check them for gunshot residue to see if they had recently fired a gun, this despite the fact that they considered them both persons of interest at the time. Lyle Menendez Today on His Sexual Abuse Claims - People.com It all came to head they claimed a week before the killings when Lyle, who was 21 at the time of the murder, claimed that his mother ripped off his toupee in front of Erik, who did not know he was bald. But many people knew there was sexual abuse in this family.. For years, we have been the top moviegoers even though the films we watch rarely reflect our communities. That near-perfect show had it all: solid, Netflixs Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story takes fans of the Julia Quinn novels-turned-series back in time. I studied the available recordsschool, health, crime records that were availableand interviewed teachers, friends, girlfriends, family, extended family and a coach. If youre like me and didnt know the extent of the Menendez family's alleged abuse or youre just a little fuzzy on the details its time to hear it straight from the brothers mouths. Now serving life in prison, the brothers will never see the free world again. Marshals Top 15 Most Wanted List Nabbed In Mexico, Guilty As Charged Or Misjudged? 'He became very serious about asking me if he could sleep in the other bed next to mine and saying that he was afraid to sleep in his own bed because his father and him had been touching each other down there, indicating that it was his genital area,' said Vander Molen. A cousin of the brothers, Diane Vander Molen, spoke to ABC News in the same article and claimed that she believes that the abuse allegations are true. Money was not what it was about.". Rosie O'Donnell Menendez Brothers Should Be Freed, Has He used objects a toothbrush and some sort of shaving utensil brush. In 1989, two brothers from an extremely affluent family murdered both of their parents with shotguns in their Beverly Hills mansion. Sexual abuse is very much psychological abuse. Dr. Hart spoke with A&E True Crime about that case, and what he thinks ultimately drove the brothers to pull their triggers. Erik Menendez, in particular, was seemingly susceptible to peer pressure. He insisted that the murders of 45-year-old Jose and 47-year-old Kitty who suffered 15 gunshot wounds between them were not premeditated. Lyle Menendez Admitted To Molesting His Younger Brother, His teachers in the 9th grade reported that he would cry in school, on average, every day of the week. If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 802 9999 between 12pm2.30pm and 7pm 9.30pm every day. Lyle claimed that "she was enjoying it," but that he was not. You certainly would think that Erik had to deal with all kinds of self-doubt about his own sexuality when he was being sexually molested by his father. He had great difficulty concentrating in school. It makes me very sad., Lyle, meanwhile, commented on what claims like Roys couldve done back when he and Erik were facing the judge and jury, saying, Of course you would know that would have made a difference at trial. Pivoting away from the romantic shenanigan, Missing Black Girls Deserve More Attention. After being arrested for their parents' deaths, Lyle and Erik Menendez confessed to the crime, and, when the trial began, so did their sexual abuse allegations. While prosecutors tried to posit that the Menendez brothers killed their parents in order to get their hands on the familys money, Lyle took the stand during the famed 1993 trial and turned that script on its head. Kids who have been abused will go into court and try to defend the parent that has been abusing them. The consistency of the reporting of it, and the details of the reporting of it. O'Donnell said: "[The letter] basically said, 'I know you know, and I hope we could connect'. 'By her demeanor, I could tell that she was not believing any of this, said Vander Molen. Their lawyers argued that the parents' alleged actions made the brothers fear for their lives enough to take action. This episode began to pique the interest of a new generation of true crime followers, many of whom have demanded mercy for the convicted brothers. It remains unclear why Rossells accusations have not surfaced until now and whether authorities will investigate them. WebBlood Brothers becomes even worse when older son Lyle Menendez (Nico Tortorella) reveals he was also abused as a child. They see no way out. Her life ended and our lives essentially ended all because of this fateful decision. But I interviewed one of his girlfriends from high school, and there was nothing that came out of that to suggest homosexuality. ', Kitty's brother, Brian Andersen, rejected the claims made buy the brothers and Vander Molan however, saying: 'The idea that Erik and Lyle were abused by my sister Kitty is absolute insanity. First, they have to file the petition. Erik then called his brother Lyle to come join his session and after he too detailed what the two brothers had done, the older brother threatened the life of the doctor saying that is he ever told anyone they would kill him as well. The brothers alleged during their trial that they had been sexually, physically and emotionally abused since they were young children and said they acted out of fear and hatred when they shot their parents to death in their Beverly Hills mansion. The Menendez Brothers So those procedural and factual hurdles thats a big mountain to climb. Directed by Esther Reyes, Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed begins streaming May 2 on Peacock. He also testified that his father forced him to perform oral sex on his mother multiple times and sodomized him when he was just a child. The brothers argued that they were driven to murder their father and mother after a lifetime of physical, emotional and sexual abuse, a claim that relatives of the brothers said was categorically false. In 1996 Lyle and Erik Menendez were each sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, but even today Hart views the homicides as a reaction to gross parental misconduct, rather than the work of cold, calculating killers. First Couple To Be Featured On U.S. Kitty Menendez's older brother, Brian Anderson, stated that the idea that his sister or brother-in-law would abuse either of their sons was utter nonsense (via In Touch Weekly). While the brothers did not deny killing their parents, their testimony relating to sexual abuse was limited during the trial. I am so suspect of you right now. Menendez Lyle testified that when he stopped performing the acts, his mother became enraged. California law prohibits conjugal visits for inmates serving out life without parole sentences so neither of the two brothers has children. O'Donnell reflected: "People weren't ready to accept the fact that boys too get raped - sometimes by their fathers - and as a culture, we ridiculed them. Their allegations were supported by the testimony of an elder cousin, Diane Vander Molan. And remember, 10 times more children are killed by their parents each year than the other way around. Our family tragedy should be a lesson to all on the destructive effects of child abuse and molestation, whether they are wealthy or not.. The United States Marshals have confirmed that Edgar Salvador Casian-Garcia and Araceli Medina are now behind bars. Their cousin Diane Vander Molen who testified at the trial about how the brothers confronted her about the abuse when she lived with the L.A.-based family for one summer told ABC News that she strongly believes her cousins claims. The Menendez brothers killed their parents in 1989, but their case is still talked about today. Breakdown: The boys detailed the alleged sexual; abuse they suffered during their trial (Lyle above testifying in 1993), Hard time: It took two trials before the boys were convicted of murdering their parents (Erik above in 1993). Both Menendez brothers were in tears, along with most people in the courtroom, at the shocking revelation. The 61-year-old claimed to have received a letter way back in 1996 that led to her building a connection with them. Lyle and Erik Menndez - Wikipedia She would turn up the television set if one of them was off in another room being physically abused by the father. Theres always going to be skepticism, he told People in 2017. So much reporting of sexual abuse is a case of somebody describing what happened to them with nobody observing them. WebOn a recent Sunday morning, Lyle Menendez sat in the day room at Californias Mule Creek State Prison quietly talking on the phone about his dad Jose and mom Kitty, who he and The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Molested He then married Rebecca Sneed in 2003, and the two are still together. The outrage, the anger, the betrayal, the feeling that she knew all along.. He had to deal with his love for his father and his great fear of his father. In court, Lyle claimed that he began imitating his father's alleged sexual abuse by abusing his younger brother. How Are Black Women Writers Surviving The WGA Strike? I did know that they were innocent. As is often the case with allegations of this nature, there is no evidence to corroborate or disprove the brothers' stories. Commentary: Why did Center Theatre Group really halt programming at the Mark Taper Forum? Diane Vander Molen, claims both Erik and Lyle Menendez were being sexually molested by their father inside the affluent familys home in Beverly Hills.
