Victims’ Family Calls DA’s Attempt to Silence the Truth a Grave Miscarriage of Justice
LOS ANGELES -The Justice for Erik and Lyle Coalition, a family-led initiative advocating for the release of Erik and Lyle Menendez, issued the following statement in response to Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman’s remarks regarding his pending resentencing recommendation and his opposition to the brothers’ habeas petition.
“District Attorney Nathan Hochman took us right back to 1996 today. He opened the wounds we have spent decades trying to heal. He didn’t listen to us. We are profoundly disappointed by his remarks, in which he effectively tore up new evidence and discredited the trauma they experienced. To suggest that the years of abuse couldn’t have led to the tragedy in 1989 is not only outrageous, but also dangerous. Abuse does not exist in a vacuum. It leaves lasting scars, rewires the brain, and traps victims in cycles of fear and trauma. To say it played no role in Erik and Lyle’s action is to ignore decades of psychological research and basic human understanding.
For DA Hochman to claim that new evidence should have been submitted at trial is absurd. The justice system failed Erik and Lyle then, and it continues to fail them now. The fact remains: the jury in their second trial never heard the full truth. Key testimony was kept from them, and now, DA Hochman is attempting to erase this reality once again. He is not just dismissing Erik and Lyle’s experiences, he is silencing survivors everywhere who know what it’s like to be disbelieved, ignored, and retraumatized by a system designed to protect them.
DA Hochman promised to take politics out of prosecutorial decisions, but his actions today say otherwise. If he is truly committed to justice, he will follow the law and issue a resentencing recommendation that reflects Erik and Lyle’s overwhelming rehabilitation, and the undeniable standards set by California Penal Code 1172.1 and AB 600. And he will stop trying to bury the truth about their abuse.
For over three decades, our family has lived with the weight of what Erik and Lyle endured – abuse that shaped their lives, fear that defined their childhood, and a justice system that refused to see them as victims. We have fought tirelessly for the truth to be recognized.
Our hope now rests with Judge Jesic, that he will examine the evidence in their case without prejudice, carefully adhering to California law with modern understanding of trauma.
Our family has been waiting 35 years for the justice system to acknowledge what we have always known. We are so incredibly proud of the men Erik and Lyle have become – men who have dedicated their lives to helping others, despite believing they would never have a second chance. We have fought and advocated tirelessly for their release, so that we can heal and finally move forward. All we are asking for is to right this decades-long injustice.”
To learn more about the Justice for Erik and Lyle Coalition and to sign our petition, visit justiceforerikandlyle.org.