Menendez Brothers’ Uncle Slams DA’s Resentencing Push: ‘Not Rehabilitated’

Milton Andersen, the uncle of Lyle and Erik Menendez, is speaking out against the growing support among family members advocating for the brothers’ release after decades in prison, maintaining they are greedy murderers who deserve to remain behind bars.

Andersen, Kitty’s Menendez’s brother, recently learned about an update in his sister’s case through media coverage.

“Mr. Andersen has been left in the dark, forced to learn crucial updates about his sister’s case through the media, rather than being treated with the dignity and respect he deserves,” his attorney, Kathleen Cady told Newsweek.

Cady said Andersen believes his nephews acted out of greed after hearing their father, José Menendez, planned to remove them from his will. An amicus curiae brief obtained by Newsweek revealed José and Kitty’s assets were valued at over $10 million, and Lyle and Erik each received over $325,000 in life insurance payouts after the killings.

An amicus curiae is an individual or organization not directly involved in a legal case but who submits information, expertise or insight relevant to the case. This is often done through an amicus brief, a document aiming to assist the court by providing additional perspectives or specialized knowledge that may help in making a more informed decision.

“It was only when they [Lyle and Erik] learned that their father was going to take them out of the will because they wouldn’t get a job and they wouldn’t do the tennis circuit that they purchased shotguns under someone else’s name,” Cady said in a recent interview.

Lyle and Erik gunned down their parents, José and Kitty Menendez with 14 shots as the couple sat watching TV in the den of their Beverly Hills home on August 20, 1989.

The duo shot José five times, including once at point-blank range with a shotgun aimed at the back of his head. As Kitty attempted to crawl away, Lyle shot her in the face with a shotgun. In total, she was shot nine times.

Lyle, who was then 21, and Erik, then 18, admitted they shot-gunned their entertainment executive father and their mother, but said they feared their parents were about to kill them to prevent the disclosure of the father’s long-term sexual molestation of Erik.

‘Gascón has shown no interest’

Thirty-five years later, District Attorney George Gascón has officially recommended resentencing the brothers after a year-long review of new evidence—a decision that left Andersen stunned.

“Gascón has ignored the rights of the 90-year-old brother of Kitty Menendez,” Cady said. “Without notifying Mr. Andersen of his decision, Gascon announced in a press release just days before a crucial election that he will recommend resentencing the Menendez brothers to 50 years to life in prison. Should the judge go along with Gascon’s recommendation, the Menendez brothers would be immediately eligible for a parole hearing.”

Cady continued, “It is unconscionable that Gascón, whose ethical obligation is to pursue justice with integrity, has ignored my multiple notifications about individuals coming forward with information that seriously questions the credibility of the so-called ‘new evidence’ in this case. Yet, Gascón has shown no interest in reviewing or investigating this evidence, turning a blind eye to potential flaws in his pursuit to rewrite history.”

Cady said in court records she sent messages to the District Attorney’s office on October 14 and October 16, requesting Andersen be allowed to voice his concerns. She claimed Lyle and Erik are still “fabricating a fraud” to mislead both Gascón and the court.

“They are certainly not rehabilitated,” Cady said in court records. “I have received information that while in prison the brothers have violated regulations and use cell phones for drug trafficking. This would demonstrate a complete lack of remorse and rehabilitation.”

However, the brothers defense attorney Mark Geragos said the Menendez brothers have undergone “phenomenal rehabilitation” during their decades in prison, with correctional officers even supporting their release.

“In their C files were letters by high ranking correctional officers, something I’ve never seen in 40 years, who said I would not only recommend that Lyle or Erik be resentenced, I would also welcome them as a neighbor in my neighborhood,” Geragos said. “And I think that speaks volume to the idea of redemption.”

Uncle Doubts Sexual Abuse Claims

Additionally, Andersen doubts Lyle and Erik were abused for years by his brother-in-law, José, asserting the brothers are liars.

“One of the brothers was attempting to suborn perjury and ask a friend to come in and lie,” Cady said. “It does tend to cause some doubt as to whether or not that claim was true and Mr. Andersen firmly believes that José had not molested either of those boys.”

According to court records, Lyle requested his then-girlfriend, Jamie Pisarcik, to provide false testimony.

“In December 1990, Lyle asked her to testify that his father had done to her what had been done to a character in a movie called At Close Range. Pisarcik was familiar with this movie, having seen it with Lyle. In the movie, a man gives his son’s girlfriend a sedative, then tells the girl to stop seeing his son. The girl refuses, and the father violently rapes the girl. Lyle said Pisarcik had to do it because a large sum of money was to be placed in her bank account. Pisarcik said if money did not appear in her account she would tell the police.”

In the first Menendez brothers’ trial, which began in 1993, Lyle and Erik were charged with the 1989 murders of their parents. They claimed they killed their parents in self-defense.

The brothers’ alleged their father had physically and sexually abused them throughout their childhood, creating a traumatic environment leading to their actions.

The trial ended with two deadlocked juries, unable to agree on whether the brothers were guilty of murder or acted out of fear. This led to a mistrial on January 28, 1994, and set the stage for a second trial in 1995.

Prosecutors argued there was no evidence of the alleged molestation and the judge excluded most abuse evidence from the second trial. They said the sons were motivated by a desire to inherit their parents’ multimillion-dollar estate.

On February 2, 1996, the jury convicted both brothers of first-degree murder, and they received life sentences without the possibility of parole. However, It is now in the hands of Judge William Ryan and he has 30 to 45 days to make a decision. The judge can either uphold, reject or modify the recommendation by Gascón.

Newsweek reached out to Ryan, however, he has not yet responded.

Among the two dozen Menendez family members present at the District Attorney’s press conference on Thursday was 93-year-old Joan VanderMolen, Kitty and Andersen’s sister. When asked about Andersen’s claims, Geragos stated, “I don’t think they want to engage.”

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