'The View' Hosts Talk Menendez Brothers' Case: 'Scars Live With You'

The hosts of The view commented on the Lyle and Erik Menendez case as calls for the brothers' release grew louder after new evidence emerged.

The focus on the infamous 1989 murder of their parents follows the release of two Netflix portrayals of the Menendez brothers: Ryan Murphy's series Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez and the documentary The Menendez brothers.

Another new show, the upcoming episode of Impact x Nightline titled Menendez brothers: monsters or victims? premiered Thursday on Hulu.

The episode delves into the lives of the Menendez brothers and features insight from their co-host Sunny Hostin.

“Imagine being a child living in your parents' house and being abused from the age of six to 18,” Hostin said on the episode of ” The view. “You can be abused in your bedroom, you can be abused in the bathroom. You can be abused anywhere in your home where you should feel safe.”

The episode, hosted by Night line Co-host Juju Chang features new interviews with people associated with the Menendez brothers, such as their cousin Karen VanderMolen-Copley, comedian and friend of Lyle Rosie O'Donnell, defense attorney Mark Geragos and Los Angeles County District Attorney, George Gascon.

Nearly two dozen Menendez family members and attorneys held a news conference Wednesday outside the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles.

Speakers included Anamaria Baralt, José's niece; Joan Andersen VanderMolen, Kitty's sister; Brian Andersen Jr., Jose's nephew; and VanderMolen-Copley, the brothers' cousin.

They spoke about the brothers' abusive upbringing, including VanderMolen-Copley, who forgave them and said, “I know they acted out of fear and desperation.”

Andersen Jr. emphasized how trauma shaped their actions, adding, “They are not the villains they were portrayed to be.” The family requested a resentencing hearing based on this new understanding of trauma.

In an attack at their Beverly Hills home in 1989, the brothers shot their father, José Menendez, and their mother, Kitty Menendez, a total of 14 times.

Lyle, then 21, and Erik, then 18, admitted that they shot their Hollywood executive father and mother because they feared their parents would kill them to expose Erik's alleged long-term sexual harassment to prevent the father.

The upcoming show features additional interviews with key characters, including William Vicary, Erik's former psychiatrist; Host, lawyer and co-host of The view; Andrew Wolfberg, a juror in the second Menendez trial; Robert Rand, author of The Menendez Murders; Terry Moran, ABC News correspondent; and journalist Alan Abrahamson.

To The viewHostin revealed that she began prosecuting child sex crimes in 1997, stating that these crimes often go unreported.

Before joining the show, Hostin served as an assistant district attorney in the New York County District Attorney's Office, where she prosecuted various criminal cases, including sexual assault and domestic violence cases.

“Rape remains the most underreported crime in our country, at about 3% among women,” Hostin said. “Imagine the number of men and boys who are raped and go unreported. And so we were behind in 1997, and I've seen a sea change in people who now realize that if you're sexually abused by someone you trust, who should protect you, like a parent , this type of trauma is something that is very difficult.”

Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said: “A jury had to reach a verdict without knowing the horrors they endured. These scars will stay with you for the rest of your life.”

Co-host Sara Haines agreed, saying the brothers endured decades of sexual abuse and emphasizing the importance of highlighting individuals serving disproportionate sentences.

“It's really important that this sheds light on how many people are serving sentences whose sentence doesn't fit the crime,” Haines said. “I think they should be released.”

In the Menendez brothers' first trial, which began in 1993, Lyle and Erik were charged with the 1989 murders of their parents. They claimed they killed their parents in self-defense.

The brothers claimed their father physically and sexually abused them throughout their childhood, creating a traumatic environment that led to their actions.

The trial ended with two jurors deadlocked, unable to agree on whether the brothers were guilty of murder or acting out of fear. This resulted in a mistrial on January 28, 1994 and set the stage for a second trial in 1995.

Prosecutors argued there was no evidence of the alleged abuse, and the judge excluded evidence of abuse from the second trial. They said the sons were motivated by a desire to inherit their parents' multi-million dollar estate.

On February 2, 1996, the jury found both brothers guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced them to life in prison without the possibility of parole, a sentence they have been serving ever since.

Now Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón is reviewing new evidence that could potentially give the brothers a chance at justice.

Gascon said Newsweek His office is currently reviewing a 1988 letter from Erik to his cousin about the alleged sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of his father. The new evidence also includes a statement from a former Menudo member who claims he was also sexually abused by Jose.

Although Gascón has not yet determined an outcome, a hearing is scheduled for November 29.

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