A Los Angeles judge ruled that Erik Menendez and Lyle Menendez will remain behind bars after he rejected their request for a new trial.
The brothers have been in prison ever since they were found guilty of killing their parents, Jose Menendez and Kitty Menendez, in 1989.
On Monday, September 15, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William Ryan rejected a Habeas Corpus petition that the brothers’ attorneys filed in 2023, according to ABC 7. The petition cited two pieces of evidence that the attorneys say supported their claims that Erik, 54, and Lyle, 57, were sexually abused by Jose.
The judge’s denial of the petition means that Erik and Lyle are not eligible for a new trial.
According to NBC4, Ryan ruled that the new evidence likely would not have “resulted in a hung jury, nor in the conviction of a lesser instructed offense.”
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“Neither piece of newly discover [sic] evidence is particularly strong,” Ryan continued of his ruling. “The evidence alleged here is not so compelling that it would have produced a reasonable doubt in the mind of at least one juror or supportive of an imperfect self-defense instruction.”
The first alleged piece of evidence was a letter Erik sent to his cousin in 1989 before he and Lyle murdered their parents.
According to People, the letter detailed claims of sexual abuse against Jose. Additionally, the attorneys provided another piece of evidence that was an affidavit submitted by former Menudo member Roy Rosselló, who claimed Jose raped him.
“What’s disappointing is Roy not getting an opportunity to see his truth through,” a family source told People after the ruling. “It was incredibly brave of him to come forward. In terms of outcomes though, the most important was getting resentenced and the fact that they’ll have an opportunity to go before the parole board again soon.”
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Shortly after the ruling was made, a post on Lyle’s Facebook page read, “The fight continues. This disappointing decision does not take away from the courage of Roy Rossello or the torment that he lived through at the hands of Jose Menendez.”
“To claim that another rape victim of Jose Menendez would not have affected the decision of at least one juror is quite the exercise in mental gymnastics,” the post continued. “And to claim that the writing of Erik was also meaningless would likewise get a gold medal in the mental gymnastics category. Onward!”
After Erik and Lyle were found guilty of first-degree murder during their 1996 trial, they were hit with life sentences, according to NBC News. However, many people have called for them to be released early due to the alleged sexual abuse they faced at the hands of their father.
