Following prosecutors’ announcement that they were examining fresh evidence in their case, up to two dozen members of the extended family convened for a news conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Lyle Menendez, 56, and Erik Menendez, 53, were found guilty of killing their parents in their Beverly Hills house over 35 years ago and are currently serving life terms without the possibility of release.
The murders have gained attention in recent weeks after a documentary and a Netflix dramatization of their tragedy, Monsters, were released.
The boys shot Jose and Kitty Menendez, their parents, several times at close range in August 1989. At the time, they were 18 and 21 years old.
They acknowledged the shootings, but they insist they killed their parents in self-defense after years of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse.
During the press conference, Anamaria Baralt, the niece of Jose Menendez, declared that family members had established a “new coalition” named Justice for Erik and Lyle.
“Both sides of the family are united, sharing a new bond of hope,” she told reporters.
“This has to do with justice, truth, and healing… There is no therapeutic benefit to their ongoing detention.
