Erik Menendez‘s daughter Talia insisted that “the fight is not over” after her adopted father and her uncle, Lyle Menendez, were denied parole for the 1989 murders of their parents.
“Extremely saddened that the parole board failed once again with a whole different commissioner,” Talia wrote via her Instagram Story on Friday, August 23. “Mentally torturing these 2 by forcing them to relive the trauma they have endured for 10+ hours just to tell them no and to try again in 3 years. You all can judge me for being angry. I’m standing 10 toes for our family.”
Both Erik and Lyle’s bid for freedom was rejected in two separate hearings this week. The brothers were convicted in 1996 on two counts of first-degree murder of their parents — José and Kitty — and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
Talia has become one of the Menendez brothers’ most vocal supporters, especially as they appeared before a parole board with allegations of being physically, emotionally and sexually abused by their parents. (Erik adopted Talia after marrying her mother, Tammi Saccoman-Menendez, while imprisoned in 1999.)
In her response to the parole board’s decision, Talia insisted that “the fight” for her father’s freedom would continue despite the latest legal setback.
“We will not stop until they are free,” she vowed.
Talia referenced her family feeling “let down time and again” when their hopes were “the highest” they’d ever been about the possibility of Erik and Lyle being released.
“Watching your family get older and older, with no violence while incarcerated, things start to change,” she wrote. “This is deeper than the surface level. Enough is enough.”
Talia also called out celebrities who’d previously supported the Menendez brothers’ parole efforts for not commenting on the result of the hearings.
“Where are the celebrities that were ‘advocating’ for them???? It’s been WAY TOO QUIET,” she complained on Thursday, August 23.
She mentioned that the only star who’d checked in on her family was actor Cooper Koch, who played Erik in the Netflix true-crime drama Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
“The only one that I can say has been checking in on my family is Cooper and we absolutely adore him,” she wrote. “To the ones that went to the prison without any background checks to film their show but are staying quiet now. You despise [sic] me beyond measure. Just say your views are down and keep it PUSHING.”
Talia’s mother, Tammi, expressed similar frustration in a statement where she branded the parole decision as “a complete setup” and an “injustice.” The Menendez family released a more measured statement on Friday where they acknowledged their disappointment.
“While we respect the decision, today’s outcome was of course disappointing and not what we hoped for,” the Menendez family members said. “But our belief in Erik remains unwavering and we know he will take the Board’s recommendation in stride. His remorse, growth, and the positive impact he’s had on others speak for themselves. We will continue to stand by him and hold to the hope he is able to return home soon.”
Us Weekly has reached out to California Board of Parole Hearings and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for comment.
Prior to last week’s hearings, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman publicly called for both Erik and Lyle to remain incarcerated.
“The Menendez brothers have never fully accepted responsibility for the horrific murders of their parents, instead continuing to promote a false narrative of self-defense that was rejected by the jury decades ago,” he said in a statement on Wednesday. “We have consistently opposed their release because they have not demonstrated full insight into their crimes or shown that they have been fully rehabilitated, and therefore continue to pose a risk to society.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
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