The Menendez Brothers‘ day in court has arrived … the convicted killers are attending a resentencing hearing Tuesday, and attorneys on both sides are making their cases with full-throated support from Erik and Lyle‘s family members in the courtroom.
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Tamara Lucero Goodell is the brothers’ cousin once removed — she’s the great niece of Erik and Lyle’s deceased mother, Kitty — and she took the stand in the Van Nuys, L.A. courtroom first. She talked about the shotgun murders of the brothers’ parents in 1989 … which occurred just three weeks before her 9th birthday.
Tamara testified she has no concerns about the brothers committing any crimes if they’re released from prison. She said she wasn’t aware of any alleged abuse from Kitty or Jose — an alleged detail the brothers are attempting to leverage for their freedom. She recalled once seeing Jose grabbing the back of Erik’s neck during a tennis match.
Diane Hernandez, another of Kitty’s nieces, also took the stand Tuesday … she had testified in their original trial in the ’90s, saying at the time that Lyle had told her about his father’s alleged abuse … and she said Kitty didn’t believe her when she told her about it.
Diane also said she didn’t think the brothers would ever commit further crimes if released. She even welcomed them to come live with her … saying it would be “healing” if they went free. Hernandez directly appealed to the judge, saying “be merciful.” She said it would be a “miracle” if the brothers could get a last visit with her mother Joan.
Lyle and Erik attended today’s courtroom proceedings via Zoom. They were visibly affected by emotion when Diane spoke. They’ve been serving time since 1996, when they were found guilty in their second trial of killing their parents … and they were sentenced to life in prison without parole.
L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman opposes their release, even their resentencing — the process was kick-started by his predecessor, George Gascon, last year.
As we reported, California Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered a risk assessment report on the brothers to determine whether they’re still a danger to society if they’re released. Newsom will decide in June on granting them clemency.
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A family cousin, Anamaria Baralt, spoke to reporters on her way into the hearing this morning, thanking supporters.
The brothers’ attorney, Mark Geragos, spoke to the media outside the courthouse during a break later in the day … calling it “an emotional morning for the family.” He talked about the generational trauma to the family. He called it a “unicorn-style situation” with horrific crimes juxtaposed with “remarkable almost unparalleled rehabilitation and redemption.”
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The fourth witness for the day was Jonathan Colby, a retired Miami, Florida criminal courts judge … he testified when he wanted to “give back” through volunteer work after retiring, and he visited the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County, where Erik and Lyle are currently serving. He said he’d been visiting since 2015, and the brothers stood out due to their good works, and said other inmates looked up to them. He said their actions actually prompted him to re-examine his belief in rehabilitation.
Colby also said he brought his dog, a golden retriever … and he told the court the dog was very fond of Erik — a good judge of character, in his estimation.
Colby was asked by the prosecutor about false testimony from the brothers during their 1990s trial … Colby said he never talked about that with them. He said he was impressed with them in their current institutional environment. He said they would thrive on the outside, not just survive.
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The fifth witness for the day was Anerae Brown, who served time with the Menendezes. He’d been in a gang since the age of 17, and was potentially facing the death penalty for a gang-related murder … he met Lyle in prison, and said he told him he had potential, which humbled Brown. He met Erik about six years later, around 2007, when he was transferred, and he said Lyle had written Erik to watch out for him in the new facility. (Erik and Lyle later began serving time together at Donovan in 2018.) Erik took him under his wing, and he became part of “Menendez University.” Brown got emotional.
Brown was later found suitable for release by the Parole Board. He pursued a career in music, and has kids now … and says he couldn’t have done any of it without the brothers’ help, and pointed out they’ve helped dozens of others.
