Menendez Brothers' Cousins Speak Out on DA's Opposition to Parole

DA's Opposition to Menendez Parole

• 🎯 The District Attorney of Los Angeles, Nathan Hawman, has announced his opposition to a resentencing pathway for Lyle and Erik Menendez that could make them eligible for parole.
• 💡 Hawman claims the brothers have told too many lies and not enough admissions about their parents' murders, but suggested his office might reconsider if Eric and Lyle confess to 16 specific lies.

Family Criticism of DA's Stance

• 🗣️ Cousins Tamara Goodle and Anamaria Baral criticize the DA's position, correcting the urban legend that the brothers "knapped" their parents and stating the crime scene photos do not support this claim.
• 🧠 They argue that resentencing should focus on rehabilitation and life post-conviction, not on replaying the original crime or a laundry list of "lies" addressed during cross-examination.
• ⚖️ The cousins believe the DA's focus on past events and "lies" is irrelevant to the purpose of resentencing and is not how the process was explained to them.

Legal Pathways and Defense Strategy

• ❓ The cousins discuss the technical legalities of different pathways to freedom, including a habeas corpus petition for a new trial based on self-defense claims.
• ⚠️ They suggest that admitting to the DA's 16 "lies" could potentially dash the habeas corpus pathway, as it might contradict the self-defense argument.
• 💔 Tamara expresses dismay at the DA's lack of understanding of the brothers' activities since incarceration and his continued comparison of their case to Sirhan Sirhan's.

Family Support for Release

• 💔 The death of Uncle Milton, Kitty's brother, means there is no living family member who actively supports keeping Lyle and Erik in prison.
• 📢 Anamaria states that the DA's press conference was a violation of Marcy's Law, as victims' family members were not informed, and describes his demeanor as hostile and patronizing.
• 🎯 They question whom the DA is serving, asserting he is not serving the victims' family who want the brothers released, and suggest he is only serving his personal self-interest.

Other Cases Discussed

• 🔪 In the Brian Coberger case, the defense may argue that while Coberger's DNA is on the knife sheath, it was planted by someone else.
• 🧬 Prosecutors are conceding that jurors may not need to hear about the genetic genealogy process that led them to Coberger, only that a tip directed law enforcement to him.
• 🔒 In Waterbury, Connecticut, a 32-year-old man was found severely emaciated after allegedly being held captive by his stepmother for over 20 years in a locked storage space.
• 🏓 Scott Peterson was reportedly involved in an incident with another inmate on a pickleball court at Mule Creek State Prison, suffering minor injuries.