Menendez brothers, convicted of killing parents, defended by relatives as they fight for freedom

The relatives of Erik and Lyle Menendez — popularly known conscionable arsenic the Menendez brothers — are lasting up for the 2 men convicted of shooting some their parents to decease successful their Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, mansion successful 1989.

Joseph Menendez, who goes by his mediate sanction Lyle, and his brother, Erik, shot their parents, Jose and Mary "Kitty" Menendez. They were some convicted successful the murders and ordered to service beingness successful situation successful 1996, but they person precocious been seeking reduced sentences.

"We are virtually the full extended household of Erik and Lyle Menendez. We are 24 beardown and contiguous we privation the satellite to cognize we enactment Erik and Lyle," their household wrote successful a connection that Erik's wife, Tammi Menendez, posted to X connected Thursday successful effect to a caller bid astir their lives and crimes. "We individually and collectively commune for their merchandise aft being imprisoned for 35 years. We cognize them, emotion them, and privation them location with us."

Their radical connection comes successful effect to a caller Netflix amusement called "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," which premiered connected Netflix past week. 

MENENDEZ BROTHER, WHO GUNNED DOWN PARENTS, SLAMS NEW SHOW FOR ‘DISHONEST PORTRAYAL’

Erik and Lyle Menendez perceive during their proceedings successful the 1990s. (Ted Soqui/Sygma)

"Monsters" is advertised arsenic a "true-crime drama probes the lives of the Menendez brothers, convicted of the brutal 1989 murders of their parents successful Beverly Hills."

But the Menendez brothers' household members picture it arsenic "a phobic, gross, anachronistic, serial episodic nightmare that is not lone riddled with mistruths and outright falsehoods, but ignores the astir caller exculpatory revelations," they said successful their connection posted to X. 

"We cognize these men. We grew up with them since they were boys."

"Our household has been victimized by this grotesque shockudrama. Murphy claims helium spent years researching the lawsuit but successful the extremity relied connected debunked Dominick Dunne, the pro-prosecution hack, to warrant his slander against america and ne'er spoke to us," the connection reads. "The quality assassination of Erik and Lyle, who are our nephews and cousins, nether the guise of a ‘storytelling narrative’ is repulsive. We cognize these men. We grew up with them since they were boys. We emotion them and to this precise time we are adjacent to them."

Lyle, left, and Erik, right, are pictured successful caller mugshots from 2023. After years apart, they were moved into the aforesaid lodging portion astatine Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility successful San Diego successful 2018, according to the New York Daily News. (California Department of Corrections)

Erik Menendez published his ain connection done Tammi connected X anterior to his family's message, saying the amusement creates "a caricature of Lyle rooted successful horrible and blatant lies rampant successful the show." 

"It is bittersweet for maine to cognize that Netflix’s dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our transgression person taken the achy truths respective steps backward — backmost done clip to an epoch erstwhile the prosecution built a communicative connected a content strategy that males were not sexually abused, and that males experienced rape trauma otherwise than women," Erik said successful his connection shared by Tammi. 

THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS: MONSTERS OR MISUNDERSTOOD?

Menendez brothers, Erik, left, and Lyle connected the steps of their Beverly Hills location successful November, 1989.  (Ronald L. Soble / Los Angeles Times)

Lyle's household members posted a abstracted absorption to the amusement connected Facebook.

"So these ‘writers/creators’ got up successful the morning, ate their cornflakes, and went to an bureau wherever they decided to prevarication astir rape survivors who person suffered each azygous time of their life. The professionals did this for money. How ironic," they wrote connected a nationalist Facebook leafage wherever they talk connected Lyle's behalf portion helium is successful prison.  "Never forget: There was much grounds of maltreatment successful the archetypal proceedings than determination is successful astir palmy kid maltreatment prosecutions."

LYLE MENENDEZ, WHO SHOTGUNNED PARENTS TO DEATH WITH BROTHER, PLANS FOR LIFE AFTER PRISON AMID NEW APPEAL

His household went connected to picture the amusement arsenic "the astir atrocious fictional mini series" that they "have ever seen."

Trial of the Menendez brothers successful Los Angeles - Lyle Menendez with his lawyer : Jill Lansing. Los Angeles, 9th March 1994.  ( Ted Soqui/Sygma)

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The brothers' attorneys person argued they should person been convicted of manslaughter alternatively than murder, successful which lawsuit they already would person been released from prison.

A abstracted documentary astir the brothers titled "The Menendez Brothers" is scheduled to premiere connected Oct. 7. The movie promises to "offer different position — that of the brothers themselves, provided successful all-new audio interviews," according to a property release. It volition besides item the brothers' allegations that their father sexually assaulted them.

Fox News' Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.