Potential new evidence in the Menendez murders could be exactly what’s needed for the courts to grant a new trial.
If you’ve been on social media lately, you’ve probably heard a little bit about Lyle and Erik Menendez. If not, the brothers were convicted in July of 1996 for the murders of their parents, Jose and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez. At the time, the two were just 18 and 21, respectively, and claimed their reason for murdering them was because of years of abuse. However, they were both hit with consecutive life sentences in different prisons, without the opportunity for parole.
Related: Patrick Mahomes’s Brother Jackson Charged With Aggravated Sexual Battery
Now, they say they have new evidence that supports their claims.
We reported last month ahead of the release of Peacock’s documentary, Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed, that Roy Rosselló, a famed member of the Puerto Rican boy band from the 1980s, Menudo, came forward with some bombshell accusations against Jose, which further painted him as a “pedophile.” Rosselló claimed in the doc that during a trip to New Jersey when he was just 14 years old, he was drugged and raped by the Menendez father. He explained, while pointing at a photograph of Jose:
“That’s the man here that raped me. That’s the pedophile. It’s time for the world to know the truth.”
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the Mendendez brothers, who are currently still in prison, argue Rosselló’s confession strengthens their case, while adding a new piece of evidence in the form of a letter sent to their cousin, Andy Cano, which allegedly details sexual abuse MONTHS before they shot their parents.
Related: Bam Margera Claims He Was ‘Never Legally’ Married To Nicole Boyd
The brothers claim the letter in question wasn’t shown during their initial 1996 trial, but in it, Erik allegedly tells his cousin that he wished he could tell his mother about the sexual abuse at the hand of his father, but he feared she would tell him. Lyle and Erik claim the letter was sent around eight months prior to the fatal shooting, and hope that a new trial can be opened where their conviction could be changed from murder to manslaughter. They argue that if the original jury would have known about Rosselló’s accounts and the letter, the fate of their case may have turned out much different.
Unfortunately, attorney Alan Jackson told TMZ last month that a new trial was a long shot because Rosselló’s accusations weren’t directly linked to the eventual shootings, but the brothers still hold hope.
We’ll just have to wait and see. Have YOU watched Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed yet? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.
[Images via ABC/YouTube & California Department of Corrections]
The post Menendez Brothers Claim To Have NEW Evidence Of Parental Sexual Abuse appeared first on Perez Hilton.
from Perez Hilton https://ift.tt/LBSQyX8
https://ift.tt/L0npo2A
0 Comments