‘The View’ hosts talk Menendez brothers case: ‘Scars live with you’

The hosts of The View weighed in on the Lyle and Erik Menendez case, as growing calls for the brothers’ release gain momentum following the emergence of new evidence.

The focus on the infamous 1989 murder of their parents follows the release of two Netflix portrayals of the Menendez brothers: Ryan Murphy’s series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and the documentary The Menendez Brothers.

Another new show, the upcoming installment of Impact x Nightline titled Menendez Brothers: Monsters or Victims? premiered Thursday on Hulu.

The episode delves into the lives of the Menendez brothers, featuring insights from their co-host, Sunny Hostin.

“Imagine as a child living in your parents home, being abused from the age of six through 18,” Hostin said on Thursday’s episode of The View. “You can be abused in your bedroom, you can be abused in the bathroom. You can be abused anywhere in your home, where you should feel safe.”

The episode, hosted by Nightline co-anchor Juju Chang, includes new interviews with individuals connected to the Menendez brothers, such as their cousin Karen VanderMolen-Copley, comedian and friend of Lyle Rosie O’Donnell, defense attorney Mark Geragos and Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.

Nearly two dozen Menendez family members and lawyers held a press conference in front of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Speakers included Anamaria Baralt, José’s niece; Joan Andersen VanderMolen, Kitty’s sister; Brian Andersen Jr., José’s nephew; and VanderMolen-Copley, the brothers’ cousin.

They spoke about the brothers’ abusive upbringing, including VanderMolen-Copley, who forgave them and said, “I know they were acting out of fear and desperation.”

Andersen Jr., highlighted how trauma shaped their actions, adding, “They are not the villains they were portrayed as.” The family petitioned for a re-sentencing trial based on this new understanding of trauma.

The brothers shot their father, José Menendez, and their mother, Kitty Menendez, a total of 14 times during an attack inside their Beverly Hills home in 1989.

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

The upcoming show features additional interviews with key figures, including William Vicary, former psychiatrist for Erik; Hostin, lawyer and co-host of The View; Andrew Wolfberg, a juror from the second Menendez trial; Robert Rand, author of The Menendez Murders; Terry Moran, ABC News correspondent; and journalist Alan Abrahamson.

On The View, Hostin revealed she began prosecuting child sex crimes in 1997, stating these offenses often go unreported.

Before joining the show, Hostin served as an Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office, where she prosecuted various criminal cases, including sexual assault and domestic violence cases.

“Rapes remains the most underreported crime in our country, at about 3% for women,” Hostin said. “Imagine the number of men and boys that are raped and that go unreported. And so in ’97 we were behind, and I have seen a sea change of people now realizing that when you are sexually abused by someone you trust who is supposed to protect you, like a parent, that type of trauma is something that is very difficult.”

Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said, “A jury had to render a verdict without knowing about the horrors they endured. Those scars live with you for the rest of your life.”

Co-host Sara Haines agreed, stating the brothers endured decades of sexual abuse, emphasizing the importance of highlighting individuals who are serving disproportionate sentences.

“It’s really important that this shines a light on how many people are serving time where the punishment does not fit the crime,” Haines said. “I do think they should be released.”

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 that led 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 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 found both brothers guilty of first-degree murder, sentencing them to life in prison without the possibility of parole, a sentence they have been serving ever since.

Now, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón is reviewing new evidence potentially offering the brothers a chance at justice.

Gascón told Newsweek his office is currently reviewing a 1988 letter written by Erik to his cousin about the alleged sexual abuse he endured by his father. The new evidence also includes a statement from a former Menudo member who claims he was also sexually assaulted by Jose.

While Gascón has not yet determined an outcome, a hearing is scheduled for November 29.

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