Los Angeles County DA releases Menendez brothers letter cited as ‘new evidence’ that sparked review of case

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Ex-mob boss who spent time in prison with Menendez brothers says they ‘deserve a break’

Famed mobster-turned-mentor Michael Franzese spent 11 months in solitary confinement with Lyle Menendez in a Los Angeles County federal correctional institution.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon on Sunday released a letter he cited as “new evidence” in the Menendez brothers case, which is being reviewed as the pair appeal their convictions for the 1989 murders of their parents. 

In a series of images of Joseph Lyle Menendez, 56, and Erik Menendez, 53, Gascon posted a letter written from Erik to his cousin, Andy Cano, in which Erik allegedly reported abuse from his father, Jose Menendez, months before the killings of his father and mother, Mary “Kitty” Menendez in their Beverly Hills mansion. 

“Progressive DA Gascón wants their case to be reevaluated,” a series of captions that accompanied the images state. “He says it is his moral and ethical obligation to review the Menendez brothers’ case. It has been 35 years since their sentencing. It is time to decide whether these men have paid their dues to society. Erik and Lyle Menendez have spent most of their lives behind bars and will continue to unless we can ensure George Gascón can review and restore justice for all.” 

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Pictured is a letter allegedly written by Erik Menendez and sent to his cousin Andy Cano 8 months before the killings of Jose and Kitty Menendez. ( SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY)

Cano’s mother found the letter nine years ago. Cano testified that Erik Menendez told him about his father’s abuse when he was 13. 

He died in 2003, Fox Los Angeles reported. 

“It’s still happening but it’s worse for me now,” the letter states. “I know what you said before but I’m afraid. You just don’t know dad like I do.” 

Earlier this month, Gascon announced that his office would review what he said was new evidence that the brothers were possibly molested. 

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Erik Menendez (C) and his brother Lyle (L) are pictured, on August 12, 1991 in Beverly Hills. They are accused of killing their parents, Jose and Mary Louise Menendez of Beverly Hills, Calif.  (MIKE NELSON/AFP via Getty Images)

A second piece of evidence also being reviewed is a statement by Roy Rosselló, a former member of the 1980s popular Puerto Rican boy band Menudo. Rosselló alleged that Jose Menendez, an RCA Records executive, sexually assaulted him when he was a teenager. 

The brothers eventually admitted to carrying out the slayings of their parents, but said they were repeatedly sexually assaulted by their father and feared for their lives. Prosecutors argued there was no evidence that the pair were molested, but committed the murder because they were after their parents’ multimillion-dollar estate.

Lyle and Erik Menendez are seen as young men with their mugshots overlayed. The brothers are currently serving life sentences for the murders of their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez in 1996.  (Ronald L. Soble/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Prosecutors pointed to the brothers’ lavish spending spree after the murders.

MENENDEZ BROTHERS, CONVICTED OF KILLING PARENTS, DEFENDED BY RELATIVES AS THEY FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

“Sensitivity to sexual assault is much more significant today,” Gascon said during an appearance on CNN last week. “I think 35 years ago, cultural norms were a little different. There’s no question that a jury today would look at this case probably very differently.”

“There’s no question that they committed the killings. The question is to what degree of culpability should they be held accountable to, given the totality of the circumstance,” he added. 

The brothers were convicted after a second trial and both sentenced in 1996 to life in prison. The office of their attorney, Mark Geragos, declined to comment on the letter to Fox News Digital. 

An undated photo of the Menendez family as it appears on-screen during a panel at CrimeCon 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sunday, June 2. The brothers Lyle and Erik were convicted of fatally shooting both of their parents in 1989.  (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)

The case garnered immense media attention that has since been renewed upon the release of an eight-part Netflix true crime drama, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” and “The Menendez Brothers” documentary, also on the streaming platform. 

“We truly value the support we’ve received following the District Attorney’s statement,” Tammi Menendez, wife of Erik Menendez, posted on X earlier this month. “We hold onto hope that this November will bring the resolution we have all been wishing for. We would deeply appreciate your ongoing prayers as we await their official response.”

Menendez brothers, Erik, left, and Lyle on the steps of their Beverly Hills home in November, 1989.  (Ronald L. Soble/Los Angeles Times)

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Both brothers are currently incarcerated at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.

Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com.