Menendez Brothers’ lawyer weighs in on possible prison release after Netflix's Monsters Season 2 gathers attention

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Monsters Season 2 might help the Menendez brothers (Image Source: Netflix)

Netflix's Monsters Season 2, following the parricide committed by the Menendez brothers, is currently the most viral subject online. Not because it's a story of how Lyle and Erik Menendez executed their parents, but because of the emotional and physical torture the two endured when José and Kitty Menendez were alive.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story has reignited online debates over the life sentences of the Menendez brothers. Their lawyer, Mark Geragos, is now hopeful about the brothers getting released after discovering two important pieces of evidence.

Throughout the years, attorney Mark Geragos has been working on the Menendez brothers' case and has luckily found two pieces of evidence that could prove Lyle and Erik Menendez were abused by their parents. During their trials, the prosecutors claimed Lyle and Erik Menendez were lying about the abuse and had planned the horrifying murder over their father's wealth.

However, the two new pieces of evidence include a letter written by Erik Menendez to his cousin, explaining that his father was mistreating them, and Roy Rosselló's allegations that José Menendez sexually abused him in the past.

Now that half of the internet is talking about the Menendez brothers, Geragos sees a hopeful breakthrough for the convicts.


Monsters Season 2 might help release the Menendez brothers from prison

Lyle and Erik Menendez in Monsters 2 (Image Source: Netflix)
Lyle and Erik Menendez in Monsters 2 (Image Source: Netflix)

While Erik Menendez is criticizing Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story for what he considers an 'inaccurate' portrayal of their story, the true-crime series is injecting viewers with curiosity about the real-life events and whether the court must reduce their sentences.

It's been more than two decades since Lyle and Erik Menendez were put behind bars, and their case remains as controversial as before.

In 2023, attorney Mark Geragos filed a Habeas Corpus petition after gathering two significant pieces of evidence in support of the abuse Lyle and Erik Menendez suffered.

In a conversation with People, Geragos said:

"We're saying the second trial did not comport with constitutional protections for a variety of reasons. And a Habeas [Corpus petition] has new evidence... And the new evidence was the Menudo accuser and the letter that Andy Cano wrote or received from Erik eight months before the killing."

The two pieces of evidence that the attorney mentioned include a letter obtained from the Menendez brothers' cousin Andy Cano. Penned by Erik a few months before he and Lyle Menendez committed the crime, the letter discussed how the brothers were handling an abusive father.

The second piece of evidence is the allegation against José Menendez for allegedly assaulting a former member of the Menudo music group in the 1980s. If the court considers these pieces of evidence, Lyle and Erik Menendez might get a chance to come out of prison.

As explained by the lawyer, the judge holds the power to deny it or ask the District Attorney (DA) to provide an official response, or "the judge can do what he did, which was issue an order for the DA to informally respond."


Will the new evidence alter the life sentences given to the Menendez brothers?

The Menendez brothers in Monsters 2 (Image Source: Netflix)
The Menendez brothers in Monsters 2 (Image Source: Netflix)

Even though Lyle and Erik Menendez are "cautiously optimistic" about their case, two legal experts, Dmitry Gorin and Neama Rahmani, are skeptical about the evidence. While Gorin calls it a "long shot," Rahmani considers it a "Hail Mary type argument," and added:

"This isn't enough, in my opinion. A corroborating note or the fact that a victim abused someone else, this is not the type of evidence that typically results in a habeas petition being granted."

Despite the skepticism surrounding the 1989 murder case, Monsters Season 2 has raised awareness about child abuse and showed how such practices can lead to terrifying outcomes. Lyle and Erik Menendez stated that it was fear and years of struggle that led them to shoot their parents at home.


Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is streaming on Netflix.

comment icon
Comment
Edited by Sezal Srivastava