Cousins of Erik and Lyle Menendez said on Thursday that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s clemency talks for the incarcerated brothers is “a sigh of relief” following “very disparaging” comments from Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman last week.
Anamaria Baralt, who is a first cousin, and Tamara Goodell, a second cousin, held a Justice for Erik and Lyle Press Conference addressing their hopes of a pardon for the brothers, who were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the 1989 murders of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez.
“This is a pretty exciting time for us as the family of Erik and Lyle Menendez,” Baralt said. She hailed Newsom’s decision to begin the process of a risk assessment from the parole board as “a positive step towards Erik and Lyle’s release.”
She added, “We are incredibly grateful that Governor Newsom is paying attention to this case, particularly those of us [who are] older family members. It is a huge sigh of relief that someone in a seat of power is paying attention to what we have seen up close since Erik and Lyle have been incarcerated. We have seen their rehabilitation over the last three decades with no hope of release, until now.”
Baralt also said that the two brothers, who are now in their 50s, “really do meet the standard for this process,” citing the many ways they have helped their fellow inmates, including those in hospice and with disabilities.
“They have run several programs to mentor inmates who they knew would see the freedom that they would not. That is remarkable,” she shared.
Baralt admitted the strong possibility that this avenue of freedom, like the chance of a resentencing, might end in defeat for the family. “We’d be foolish if we did not recognize that and emotionally prepare for that,” she added. “I hope not.”
Hochman took office in December, replacing former DA George Gascón, who actively advocated for the brothers’ release. Hochman is reviewing both cases separately, but said last Friday that he does not believe their accounts of abuse at the hands of their father, dismissing them as “lies and deception.”
“Gascón seemed much more open to modern thought processes of [abuse victims],” Goodell noted. “What we heard from the L.A. DA’s office the other day felt very disparaging. It felt like a continuation of the narrative from 1989 and it was very frustrating. It was incredibly disappointing to hear that there is no mention of the rehabilitation, no mention of the positive contributions that Erik and Lyle have made to the prison system.”
