Thread by @freemnndz

Family members who stand by the Menendez brothers, a thread:

In 1989, 18 year old Erik and 21 year old Lyle Menendez killed their parents Jose and Kitty. They were both sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole in 1996 after two trials.

But their relatives have been supporting them and advocating for their release for decades. They say they know that the brothers were sexually, physically and emotionally abused and that they killed out of fear for their own lives.

These family members testified for the defense in 1993 and 1996 and have been trying to raise awareness about the injustice they believe the brothers have faced by participating in documentaries and interviews throughout the past 30 years.

Jose Menendez's mother, Maria Menendez, always publicly supported her grandchildren and visited them in prison. https://t.co/HReeG49S09twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Jose's sister, Teresita Baralt, testified that her brother was "ruthless" with his boys. She said that the family was devastated when Jose and Kitty were killed in 1989, but "it was worse" after the verdicts when jurors convicted Erik and Lyle of first-degree murder. https://t.co/r37fROKWt2twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Teresita's husband, Carlos Baralt, also testified for the defense and mentioned that Jose told him that he already told the brothers they were disinherited. This contradicts the prosecution's financial gain theory since the brothers believed they were out of the will. https://t.co/HPSr422bfEtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Marta Cano, Jose's sister and Erik's godmother, testified for the defense and said her brother was a "sick person" who had "tremendous traumas" from his childhood. She also found a letter from Erik to her son Andy in 1988, where he wrote about his father's molestation. https://t.co/sRfAZGZmBCtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Andy Cano, Erik and Lyle's cousin and Marta's son, was very close to the brothers growing up. He testified that when he was 10 years old, 13 year old Erik told him the about the molestation. Andy was 15 when the brothers were arrested. https://t.co/H5lhTz8b7Ztwitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Andy died of an overdose on sleeping pills in 2003. His mother believes it was because he was traumatized by the outcome of the trial and couldn't cope with the incarceration of his cousins.

abcnews.go.com/US/deserve-set…

Jose's brother-in-law, Peter Cano, testified that when 5 year old Lyle was being hyperactive, Jose grabbed and whispered something to him that made Lyle "wet
himself," Jose then took the "pale and trembling" Lyle to the bedroom and punched him hard in the stomach.

Kitty Menendez's sister, Joan Vandermolen and her daughters, Diane and Karen, said that they can't forgive Kitty for what she did to her sons but they "absolutely" forgive Erik and Lyle and want to see them free.
https://t.co/3EGTZlnFym https://t.co/HQoZSP1iZenbclosangeles.com/news/national-…
twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Joan's daughter, Diane, lived with the Menendez family for over a year. She testified that Lyle told her that he and his dad were touching each other "down there" when he was 9 years old. She told Kitty about it but Kitty convinced her that nothing was wrong. https://t.co/pownTJhesGtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Diane's sister, Kathleen, also stayed with the Menendezes during summer and said that the red flags were there when they visited. She testified that whenever Jose was alone with one of the boys, especially Erik, no one was allowed to go near the hallway.

Alan Andersen, Kitty's nephew who lived with the Menendez family in 1975 and 1977, remembered that rule as well. He said that he heard noises coming from the bedroom and Kitty stopped him when he tried to find out what was happening. https://t.co/PfAAMXkeLPtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Alan's Mother and Kitty's sister-in-law, Patricia Andersen, testified for the defense and talked about how Erik and Lyle
were treated after losing tennis
matches. https://t.co/dQeBb7JcOVtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…