Despite legal setbacks, Menendez brothers state belief they'll still see freedom during in-jail interview
Erik and Lyle Menendez expressed their belief that they'll still see freedom despite a recent series of legal setbacks while speaking with TMZ/Fox during an in-jail interview on Monday.
The brothers, who were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison for the 1989 murders of their parents, spoke about their time behind bars during the hour-long discussion — detailing both difficulty and growth.
"I was picked on, bullied violently and it was traumatic, and it was continual and I was separated from Lyle," Erik Menedez said.
Despite this, they also said that they used their time to do good, helping in the creation of the prison's service dog program, a green space program and a hospice care program.
"A lot of our joy, a lot of our grief, has come from that community," Lyle Menendez said. "So, we have something called 'speak in shame' and it's helping people find their voice in their trauma."
Related: LA County prosecutors who supported Menendez brothers' resentencing sue DA Hochman
They've claimed that their father was sexually abusive, and that their mother enabled the abuse that occurred during their childhood.
"People that are victims of severe childhood trauma, we live in the shadows in this inner pain, in this silence where we have self-condemnation, self-loathing," Erik said. "So, a lot of my freedom came from understanding that I am actually someone that is being loved."
Uncertainty has surrounded the brothers' bid for resentencing in recent months, after former LA County District Attorney George Gascón filed for a hearing back in October. However, current DA Nathan Hochman said he doesn't agree, petitioning a judge to withdraw the hearing in March.
"They pose an unreasonable risk of danger to the community," Hochman said at the time. "The Menendez have basically engaged, in not just the ultimate lie of self defense, but a whole series of lies around it."
A hearing for the sentence withdrawal request is scheduled for Friday.
"We're praying with our family and hopeful and trying to not go a little crazy in the interim," Lyle said on potential for freedom.
A cousin of the brothers and a former inmate in support of their release also spoke during the TMZ special, along with a former detective who called it the most heinous murder case of his career.
