Joan VanderMolen, Lyle and Erik Menendez Courtesy of Netflix/Getty Images
Kitty Menéndez’s sister, Joan VanderMolen, is cautiously optimistic that Erik Menéndez and Lyle Menéndez are headed for a prison release — and she couldn’t be more supportive of her nephews.
During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, VanderMolen, 92, reacted to Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón’s recommendation that Erik and Lyle’s life sentences be reduced to 50 years.
“I am here for them,” VanderMolen told Us before weighing in on the chances of Erik, 53, and Lyle, 56, being granted parole. “It’s bound to happen. It doesn’t make sense for them not to be [released].”
Now that Gascón submitted his motion, it is up to a judge to approve the request. Before Erik and Lyle qualify for release, the Board of Parole Hearings is also expected to weigh in.
Kitty Menéndez’s sister, Joan VanderMolen, supports Erik and Lyle Menéndez — and a rare tell-all offered a surprising glimpse into the family dynamics since the brothers’ high-profile murder trial. VanderMolen, 92, spoke with Vanity Fair on Friday, October 11, after Erik and Lyle received a new hearing in their case. Kitty’s sister wanted to make […]
“I can imagine it happening,” VanderMolen noted, adding she “occasionally” speaks to the brothers as they serve time behind bars at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California. “They’ve been doing great since they’ve been in prison so that is not going to change.”
While Erik and Lyle’s lawyer has predicted that they will be home by Thanksgiving, VanderMolen tries to stay confident with reports indicating a decision about their potential release could take up to six months, adding, “We‘ll see how it goes. That’s all we can do.”
Erik Menendez and Lyle Menendez. VINCE BUCCI/AFP via Getty Images
Erik and Lyle were arrested in 1990 on two counts of first-degree murder after their parents, Kitty and José Menéndez, were found shot in their home. The siblings admitted to killing their parents following years of alleged physical, emotional and sexual abuse. They were ultimately found guilty of and sentenced to life without parole in 1996 after two high-profile trials. While their prior attempts to appeal the decision were denied, recent high-profile TV projects such as Monsters, The Menéndez Brothers and more have seemingly offered Erik and Lyle a chance at freedom.
MEGA A decision about Erik and Lyle Menéndez‘s murder case came sooner than expected due to a few reasons. After there was renewed interview in Erik, 53, and Lyle’s high-profile case 25 years later, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón announced on October 4 that a hearing has been set amid new evidence. Gascón said […]
“I won’t speak to whether [Erik and Lyle] have a plan [after their potential prison release]. I just think that in order to get through each day, you’ve got to just ground yourself,” their attorney Mark Geragos told Us at a press conference earlier this month. “It’s a long road from life without [parole] for almost 17 years to being hopeful.”
While Erik and Lyle have personally remained out of the spotlight after their initial sentencing, they got a chance to share their side of the story in Netflix’s The Menéndez Brothers.
“I do worry and I think it is important that the seriousness of my crime not be minimized or diminished,” Erik said in the October documentary. “I went to the only person that had ever helped me and that had ever protected me. Then ultimately this happened because of me. Because I went to him. Then afterwards, he was arrested because of me. Because I couldn’t live with what I did, I couldn’t. I wanted to die. In a way, I did not protect Lyle. I got him into every aspect of this tragedy. Every aspect of this tragedy is my fault.”
Meanwhile Lyle admitted he still blamed himself for the events that took place.
“For me, I never could escape that night. That night just floods back into your mind a lot,” he noted. “I never found understanding. I sometimes feel like I rescued Erik. But did I? Look at his life now. It feels impossible that I couldn’t do better. I couldn’t rescue all of us.”
With reporting by Andrea Simpson
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