CA - Court upholds Menendez brothers' convictions

[Noirdame79]

Regarding the photo I posted of Lyle and Erik on their father's lap, I have gotten into a lot of arguments over it. I've had people tell me that it proves that Jose wasn't molesting his sons (how?) or that it was a natural resting positioning for his hand, on his son's genitals (yeah, okay), that I'm seeing what I want to see (then what about other people who have commented on it?) or as in here, where I was blamed by one user for even bringing it up! Really?

This photo, by the way, until recently, has rarely been shown in its full form. The first time I saw the photo was the A&E Biography segment about the brothers. They noticeably panned the photo from the bottom up, and the photo has disturbed me ever since I saw it about 20 years ago. The recent 20/20 did show the full version, and it did result in people commenting about it on youtube. Some recent articles have also shown it, prompting comments. It was also displayed by the defense during the first trial and Erik was directly questioned about it by his attorney, Leslie Abramson. The late Dominick Dunne, who covered the trial for Vanity Fair and did everything he could to explain away the abuse allegations, dismissed the photo by saying, "I doubt he (Jose) deliberately put his hand on his son's genitals". If that photo is no big deal, why do so many books and documentaries crop it above the waist level?

In conducting my research about sexual abuse (what it is, the effects, identifying it and healing from it) I discovered that there have been cases where survivors of incestuous abuse have found family photos that seem like nothing out of the ordinary at first, but looking closer, it revealed that the perpetrator was in, fact, "hiding in plain sight". In the book, The Right To Innocence: Healing The Trauma Childhood Sexual Abuse by Beverly Engel, one chapter about how to recognize that you were victimized, states that reviewing your childhood, including photos, can provide strong clues. "One client found the first clue to her long-buried incestuous relationship with her father revealed most blatantly. In a photograph with her father holding her on his knees, her legs are spread wide open and his hand is up her dress. Another survivor can be seen at age 14 in a family photo picturing her father standing next to her with his arm around her. At first glance there is nothing unusual, but closer examination reveals his arm around her shoulder and his hand right on her breast."

So we may not see a lot of photos like that which provide clues but that doesn't mean that there aren't any. In photos taken in earlier decades, especially, those clues may have been overlooked because it wasn't issue that was at the forefront of public consciousness; and the perpetrators undoubtedly were aware of this.

 

[Noirdame79]

I managed to get a DVD copy of the A&E American Justice episode from 1996. It's undeniably biased, but has some interesting information. Interviews with some of the jurors from the first trial; Erik's attorney, Leslie Abramson, and one of his attorneys from the second trial, Barry Levinson (who would later commit suicide); Lyle's public defender from the second trial, Charles Gessler, Erik's former "best friend", Craig Cignarelli, Kitty's brother Brian Andersen. Prosecutors Lester Kuryiama and David Conn were also interviewed (Pamela Bozanich must have been unavailable), as was Detective Les Zoeller. It also contains very graphic crime scene footage.

It's been years since I last saw it, so it was interesting to watch it again. As always, very little background information on Jose and Kitty; if you want to learn more, you'll have to read books about the case. The segment does make a point of how Jose's domination of his sons not only kept them from living normal lives but also had a strong hold over them, even after his death. Family members (even Brian Andersen, before he turned on them) felt that the spending spree after the murders was the way that the brothers expressed their grief (and people who are aware of PTSD trauma would agree with that). It's also not mentioned in documetaries that Craig Cignarelli's credibility was damaged in the first trial so he was not called to testify in the second trial. Dr. Jerome Oziel and his mistress, Judalon Smith, were not reliable witnesses either. Smith recanted her statement to police and her original testimony; Oziel came across as untrustworthy to the jurors and even Pamela Bozanich later conceded that as a witness, he was a "nightmare". Oziel later surrendered his license after being accused of violating the doctor/patient privilege (confidentiality) and for having sex with his female patients.

One of Erik's jurors, Hazel Thornton (who later wrote a book about the experience) felt that the men on Erik's jury were extremely biased because the brothers were from a wealthy family, resented them, and wanted to convict them of first-degree murder and were very concerned about that the public and press would think of them if they allowed the brothers to be convicted of a lesser charge, such as second-degree or manslaughter. They were also uncomfortable regarding the abuse allegations and refused to believe that the brothers could have been afraid of their parents.

According to L.A. Times journalist Ann O'Neil, who covered both trials, the defense strategy was an imperfect self-defense. That Lyle and Erik had misinterpreted their parents' actions that night, thinking that their parents were planning to "eliminate" them before they could expose the truth (about the abuse). Leslie Abramson stated in an interview with American Justice: "No one ever said that because they were abused that they had the right to kill their parents, or that being abused was an excuse to commit an illegal act. All we talked about was the fact that the abuse had created, first of all, mental illness in Erik, and moreover, a justifiable fear of these people. If they could treat him that badly, for that many years, it was not irrational for Erik to believe that they would kill him." The fear was justifiable, but not the act, at least not at the time that it happened.

Hazel Thornton stated that the defense gave the jurors a seminar with experts about the effects of abuse, but the prosecution didn't have any contradictory expert witnesses. While the tape of the confession was ultimately played, there has been no real evidence as to what led up to the confession or what happened after, as both Oziel and Smith were not reliable.

In the second trail, Lyle did not testify. Prosecutor David Conn felt that the reasoning behind this is because Lyle didn't want to be cross-examined, especially regarding some statements he allegedly made while awaiting the second trial; Lyle later told Barbara Walters that he realized that not testifying in the second trial was a mistake, but it was too painful to relive the abuse. Lyle's public defender, Charles Gessler, stated on the episode that Erik had promised Lyle that he would never have to go through it again, that the little brother offered to carry the burden to protect his big brother. "Lyle Menendez took no joy in bringing these things to public to attention. He had to, in the first trial; it didn't seem necessary in the second trial, it seemed duplicative."

David Conn also mocked Erik for being afraid of his mother, and Conn took full advantage of the fact that no other defense witnesses could be called to corroborate Erik's testimony until the penalty phase. Judge Stanley Weisberg also told the jury that they only had two options regarding Kitty's death: first-degree murder or acquittal. Manslaughter could only be applicable in Jose's death. The desperation for a conviction was obvious.

I'm going to start sharing Erik's recent phone interviews. The first two segments are about what led up to his arrest. The second interview (so far only the first half has been uploaded) is his response to the ABC 20/20 special.

 

[Noirdame79]

As I said, Erik Menendez now only speaks through sources that he trusts, as he knows how the mainstream media will edit and manipulate things to suit their agenda, and that some people will always will see him and Lyle as monsters. Case in point: I recently watched an older documentary about the case and noticed that an excerpt from Robert Rand's interview with Erik in October 1989, where he described his father in glowing terms (not unusual in abusive households where there is a narcissistic parent) was featured but conveniently edited out the part where Erik stated that he and his father "took showers together" which is a major red flag!

So here is Part 1 of a recent interview where Erik describes the situation when he learned of Lyle's arrest back home in California, while Erik was in Israel playing in an amateur tennis tournament. Part 2 will be posted soon.

[video=youtube;Tdv652VvNF0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdv652VvNF0[/video]

 

[Swirlz]

Jose and Lyle

Lyle testified that this was a picture of himself pretending to look sad after his soccer team had lost a game. The prosecutor used it against him during her closing argument.

 

[Noirdame79]

Lyle testified that this was a picture of himself pretending to look sad after his soccer team had lost a game. The prosecutor used it against him during her closing argument.

How nasty! He was a kid! I'm sure she never did anything like that in her life, right? I really can't stand Pamela Bozanich! She annoys me more than the other prosecutors do! This was a kid who had already been abused and terrorized by his parents and was likely desperate for love and affection. Don't most children pretend? She's still incredibly biased, even now!

 

[Noirdame79]

Part 2. Erik describes arriving in London, extradition stuff, then flying to Miami to see relatives before returning to Los Angeles to turn himself into authorities:

[video=youtube;CUyMaB_LJ8Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUyMaB_LJ8Y[/video]

 

[Swirlz]

There was a picture that was entered into evidence of Erik ate age 10 months hanging from a high bar. He's crying in the picture and one hand is slipping off of the bar. Jose is off to the side in the picture, laughing. Jose's sister testified that she was present when the picture was taken and that it was Kitty who took the picture. I looked for a copy of it on google images but I couldn't find it.

Lester Kuriyama said during his closing argument that the picture was no big deal. He said his own daughter had been able to hang from a chin-up bar at about the same age and that he and his wife had thought it was cool and had gone and gotten a camera and taken a picture.

 

[DeDee]

Lyle testified that this was a picture of himself pretending to look sad after his soccer team had lost a game. The prosecutor used it against him during her closing argument.

I have always seen this photo as one that the man is leaning forward to try to make eye contact with Lyle who is leaning away from his father.

It appears to be taken while inside of a vehicle so Jose is sitting rather close to his son. Who was sitting in the front seat snapping the photo that thought this would make a really nice keepsake moment?

 

[Noirdame79]

I have always seen this photo as one that the man is leaning forward to try to make eye contact with Lyle who is leaning away from his father.

It appears to be taken while inside of a vehicle so Jose is sitting rather close to his son. Who was sitting in the front seat snapping the photo that thought this would make a really nice keepsake moment?

Knowing how competitive Jose was and how angry and insulting he would become if his sons didn't win, I wouldn't be surprised if Lyle put on that act so that his dad would either leave him alone or treat him more kindly (assuming that Jose was even capable of kindness). Lyle had already been programmed pretty much from when he was a toddler to suppress his emotions and obey his father at all times. As for the identity of the photographer, I don't know the answer to that but I think it was most likely Kitty. After all, she may very well have taken those naked photos of the boys (where their faces were deliberately out of frame) when they were little.

 

[Noirdame79]

There was a picture that was entered into evidence of Erik ate age 10 months hanging from a high bar. He's crying in the picture and one hand is slipping off of the bar. Jose is off to the side in the picture, laughing. Jose's sister testified that she was present when the picture was taken and that it was Kitty who took the picture. I looked for a copy of it on google images but I couldn't find it.

Lester Kuriyama said during his closing argument that the picture was no big deal. He said his own daughter had been able to hang from a chin-up bar at about the same age and that he and his wife had thought it was cool and had gone and gotten a camera and taken a picture.

As DeDee mentioned about the photo of Jose and Lyle, who ever thought that moment was one you would want to preserve? It really annoys me how the prosecutors in this case and some media people (like the late Dominick Dunne), dismiss or try to explain away things like that which are clearly proof of inappropriate behavior or mistreatment. Erik is not smiling in that photo; he's crying and looks like he is in pain while his father is laughing behind him! He was a baby for crying out loud! Makes you wonder what Lester Kuryiama is like in his private life, huh?

Speaking of Kuryiama, on American Justice he mentioned that when the brothers, in his words, "claimed that their parents were child molesters, it made our job as prosecutors extremely difficult because normally, we prosecute child molesters." But of course, no mention was made nor was any footage shown of the tactics that the prosecutors used during cross-examination of Lyle and Erik regarding the sexual abuse. Both Bozanich and Kuryiama mocked the brothers, asked insulting questions like, "were there any witnesses", "why didn't you tell someone", "why didn't you leave", and Kuryiama took it a step further by taunting Erik about his confusion over his sexuality and implied that he was gay and that was the real reason why his parents, particularly Jose, were upset. Not only did it show the prosecution team's ignorance about sexual abuse, its effects and the motivations, but it begs the question - since they prosecute child molesters, are those the kinds of questions they would want a victim to answer or the kind of insults and insinuations they would want a sexual abuse survivor to go through after everything they have already suffered? But since it was the Menendez brothers, none of that was applicable in their minds because Lyle and Erik came from a wealthy family. Like I said, the bias of the prosecution in both trials is transparently obvious.

 

[Noirdame79]

If you believe in the paranormal, you may find this interesting. A paranormal investigator went to the Beverly Hills Mansion on Elm Drive to try to contact the spirits of Jose and Kitty. It comes out like radio signals, at times it's hard to understand, but using headphones may help. You hear the words "money" and "spoiled" but here's something extremely interesting; three times the investigator asked Jose if he abused his sons, and each time he said "yes". He was asked if he was going to kill his sons, and you hear the word matar which in Spanish means "to kill" or "to slaughter". I could also hear the words "fear" and "gun" and when asked if he could have pushed his sons over the edge, he replied "sure". Hmm. What do you think?

[video=youtube;qiaBTI8RyrM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiaBTI8RyrM[/video]

 

[Noirdame79]

To answer the questions why didn't the brothers leave if it was so terrible, I can provide some answers from a psychology standpoint. Yes, leaving is always an option. However, it's hard for people who have abusive parents to take that road; no matter how bad things might be at home, it's still a home and they are often worried about how they would survive on their own. And in most cases, most abused children, even as adults, continue to seek love and approval from the abusive parent and hope that things will change for the better. Pamela Bozanich asked Lyle why he didn't leave home and his response was that despite it all, he loved his father and wanted to be a part of his life. The two oldest surviving children of British serial killer couple Fred and Rose West expressed this as well (they were still living at home when their parents were arrested), they still refer to those monsters as "Mum and Dad" and although they suffered horrific abuse and witnessed things (not the murders, but sexual activity and their mother's prostitution) that no child should ever see, they still loved their parents despite all the fear and pain in the situation. Both Mae and Stephen felt terrible when Fred killed himself and Mae felt guilty that she didn't answer his letters or visit him in prison when she had the chance. Their mother refuses to talk to them on the phone or write to them, and they feel bad about that too.

In my own situation, when I was 15 and my mother was beating me, I finally got up the courage to defend myself and hit her back (she never struck me again after that) and while a huge wave of emotions came over me, one of the strongest I felt was guilt. I felt terrible that I had hurt her, even though she had hurt me so many times and allowed me to be abused by my stepfather. I also never ran away, although I thought about it many times. I didn't think I had anywhere to go, and I was afraid I'd end up living on the street - when I was 13, my stepfather threatened to take me "downtown and show you what life of a prostitute was all about". Can you imagine how terrifying that was?

After the murders of Jose and Kitty, many people (family, friends, police and reporters) noted that Erik was very upset about the situation, especially his mother's death. He would often burst into tears at the mention of her name and even wrote a poem about her called, "Castles In The Sand", with one line stating, "My mother was always building castles in the sand to be blown away in the wind." Despite all the problems, he was close to her, or as close as he could be.

 

[Noirdame79]

More about the chance of a new appeal:

[video=youtube;K7xTxwtYACs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7xTxwtYACs[/video]

 

[Noirdame79]

Reporter Terry Moran looks back on the case:

[video=youtube;h7Ftx4WCuDI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7Ftx4WCuDI[/video]

 

[Noirdame79]

Signs that an adult may be using their relationship with a child for sexual reasons

The signs that an adult is using their relationship with a child for sexual reasons may not be obvious. We may feel uncomfortable about the way they play with the child, or seem always to be favouring them and creating reasons for them to be alone. There may be cause for concern about the behaviour of an adult or young person if they:

Refuse to allow a child sufficient privacy or to make their own decisions on personal matters.

Insist on physical affection such as kissing, hugging or wrestling even when the child clearly does not want it.

Are overly interested in the sexual development of a child or teenager.

Insist on time alone with a child with no interruptions.

Spend most of their spare time with children and have little interest in spending time with people their own age.

Regularly offer to baby-sit children for free or take children on overnight outings alone.

Buy children expensive gifts or give them money for no apparent reason.

Frequently walk in on children/teenagers in the bathroom.

Treat a particular child as a favourite, making them feel 'special' compared with others in the family.

Pick on a particular child.


https://www.parentsprotect.co.uk/warning_signs.htm

 

[Noirdame79]

I came across something else that I think is of interest to this case. Remember the infamous McMartin preschool case? It greatly affected the issue of child abuse and false accusations. Here's an article about the trial, which like the first Menendez trial, ended in a hung jury. Pay close attention to the words of one of the prosecutors, Pamela Ferraro:

http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/06/us/los-angeles-journal-brevity-follows-marathon-in-retrial.html

After the trial, it was discovered that she had attended McMartin Preschool. Why am I bringing this up? Because Pamela Ferraro is none other than Pamela Bozanich, one of the Menendez prosecutors! Many people don't make the connection as this was before her marriage, so she went by her maiden name. That trial must have been a huge embarrassment for her, which explains why she attacked the brothers' abuse claims with such obvious malice. You can still see her bias against them in the 20/20 special.

 

[Noirdame79]

These characteristics of signs that an adult may be sexually abusing a child ring very true in this case:

Refuse to allow a child sufficient privacy or to make their own decisions on personal matters.

Privacy was a luxury that Lyle and Erik were denied as children. Jose tried control their every move, down to what they ate, what they talked about, who they associated with, even what they thought about. He showered with them on a regular basis; this was confirmed by Erik himself in a recorded interview months before his arrest and confirmed by family members. He discouraged them from making friends in their childhood, with the reasoning that he didn't want them to associate with "losers". Forming friendships is crucial to a child's development; any parent who tries to prevent this has an agenda in doing so. They couldn't make their own choices; he chose for them. Again, that is reflective of an abusive parent who views their children as property rather than individuals. The incident where Jose drilled a hole in the ceiling so that he could spy on Erik in his bedroom is another sign that something was not right in this family. The fact that he took the time and the effort to do this is disturbing, creepy, and inappropriate. No normal, caring parent would do that, nor would they shower with their kids, especially when they are old enough to do so on their own. Before anyone tries to explain this away, ask yourself these questions - did your parents shower with you? Would you do that with your own kids? Would you spy on your kids in the bedroom and/or bathroom?

Insist on time alone with a child with no interruptions.

Again, this is something that Jose did; Kitty was in fact, upset about how much time he spent with the boys rather than with her. Family members confirmed that Jose would haul one or both boys into a room and lock the door; the rule was, according to Kitty's nephew, Brian Andersen, Jr, that while that was taking place, you were not permitted to even go down the hallway. Parent or not, that is a red flag. Why would he want no interruptions and have the door closed if there was nothing wrong or inappropriate? The lack of privacy, lack of respect and secrecy is very apparent here too.

Buy children expensive gifts or give them money for no apparent reason.

This one is a no-brainer, Jose was, according to a neighbor, prone to "showing off" through the kids, but more importantly, his growing wealth and power made it easier to control his sons and manipulate them into silence. Most documentaries always play up how rich the family was and how the brothers were "spoiled" and had everything, as if that alone meant that they had a good life, didn't have any real problems or that their parents had no part in the family tragedy. The murders are not to be condoned of course, but the environment that Jose and Kitty created played a large part. Lyle and Erik didn't choose to have wealthy parents, any more than anyone chooses to be born into poverty. Calling them "spoiled" is blaming them for something over which they had no control. The grooming process cannot be discounted either; giving his sons "everything" in terms of material possessions, that's a giveaway also. That's what predators do with their victims; give them gifts, money or "special attention" in order to gain the child's trust. In Jose's case, he likely did that in order to exert more control over his sons and as I said, as a way to manipulate them. He demanded that his sons obey him, and he prescribed to a rule of patriarchy in ancient Rome; a child is property of his or her father and the father could in fact, sentence his child do to death if he saw fit. It's easy to see how the seeds were planted that would eventually explode.

Frequently walk in on children/teenagers in the bathroom.

I covered this earlier; Jose had no respect for his sons' privacy and didn't allow them much alone time outside of school, especially in their pre-teenage years. Showering with them, spying on them, etc.

Treat a particular child as a favourite, making them feel 'special' compared with others in the family.

Jose did this with Lyle, who was his namesake, and his "favorite". Although Jose victimized Lyle sexually, physically and mentally, he also made no secret of the fact that Lyle was going to be a more improved version of himself. He spent more time with Lyle, to the point where family referred to Erik as the "throwaway child". Lyle's feelings about his father were understandably mixed; he resented him for controlling him, for being unfaithful to his mother, for forcing him to live up to expectations he knew he could never meet; he feared him so much as a child that he began to stutter, frequently wet his bed, etc. At the same time, he admired his father and wanted to please him, and tried to be what his father wanted. Those kinds of emotions are common with people with abusive parents.

Pick on a particular child.

As previously mentioned, family members considered Erik the throwaway child where his father was concerned, but that didn't necessarily mean that he did not have a heavy burden as to his father's expectations or that he didn't suffer at Jose's hands. Jose was verbally cruel to Erik, comparing him unfavorably to Lyle, calling him a "sissy", "coward", "stupid", etc. The fact that Erik was far more vulnerable made him an easy target for Jose's abuse; much of the sadistic treatment served, in Jose's reasoning, to "toughen up" his younger son, whom he viewed as weak. The abusive parent also attempts to normalize their mistreatment of their children, but also go so far as to threaten them, and tell them that no one will believe them if they tell the truth. Erik was terrified of his father (no child should be afraid of their parents), but admired him because he saw him as a god, which was precisely how Jose wanted his sons to view him. Jose's homophobia and his "concern" about Erik's sexuality (undoubtedly confused by his father's abuse), was no doubt, an excuse to berate his son, spy on him and a way for him to conveniently cover up the fact that he was an incestuous father and was likely molesting other young boys as well.

The red flags were there. That's the reason why most of the family came to Lyle and Erik's defense and remain supportive of them. Even their maternal grandmother, Maria Menendez, stood by her grandsons until her dying day.

 

[Noirdame79]

I've mentioned before that most documentaries don't get into Jose and Kitty's backgrounds, Kitty's, especially, is very downplayed. During the first trial, the defense wanted to have witnesses testify to that but the judge ruled that it was "too remote" to be relevant to the case, but of course, that is not true as abuse is a cycle. I will try to present some information about Jose and Kitty's childhood years and how it shaped them and carried over into their own offspring and how they treated their children.

Jose was the third child and only son of his parents, Jose Menendez Sr, had been a prominent soccer player in Havana, Cuba and later owned a successful accounting business; his mother, Maria Carotta Lliano, was a champion swimmer and she came from family of lawyers, doctors and university professors. Their two daughters, Teresita (Terry) and Marta were raised primarily by their father, who, despite his success and competitive athletic background, was a sweet, gentle man who comforted his daughters over their mother's neglect. You see, the minute that Jose was born Maria made him the center of her life; he was her "perfect" child who could do no wrong. She instilled in him the belief that he was superior to other people; she refused to discipline him and wouldn't allow anyone to lay a hand on her precious son. His sister Terry conceded that as a child, he was "impossible" because he had not been given boundaries or limitations, Maria told him that he didn't have to listen to anyone because he was superior, and he grew up believing that. He inherited his mother's intolerance for weakness, and this led to him becoming a bully; he would bite his playmates when he was very young and would punch them when he was older. In 1954, he set fire to the dance floor of a country club of which his parents were members and his father was forced to pay $10,000 in damages which was a very large sum in those days, but Maria forbade her husband to even speak to Jose about the incident. Later in life, despite the close bond with his mother, Jose would complain that he never knew his father well, and his mother's dominance likely affected him in ways that would also affect his sons later on. Like his parents, he was gifted with athletic ability, he excelled in his mother's sport of swimming but also enjoyed track and football. Although bright, he worked just hard enough in school to maintain acceptable grades. He could pour on the charm if needed but his refusal to abide by rules and his bullying behavior resulted in him being kicked out of at least two schools. At age 16, Jose was sent to live in the US by his parents, who wanted their son to escape the oppression of Fidel Castro; they would join him there later as would his sisters. When Jose arrived in America, he spoke very little English, was penniless and very angry for having to leave his homeland. He joined the high school swim team but his tendency to cheat did not go unnoticed. He was disqualified on several occasions for deliberately using the wrong stroke. Once he graduated, he worked hard but underneath his feeling of superiority was an inferiority complex due to his immigrant status. Because of this, his need to charm and be accepted would often be hampered by his need to control and humiliate others. That extended to his successful business in New Jersey and California.

Kitty was born Mary Louise Andersen in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Like Jose, she was the youngest child; the three others were her sister Joan and her brothers, Milton (known as Spike) and Brian, who claims to have given his baby sister the nickname, Kitty, because she tagged along with her siblings and neighborhood children, "like a pet". Her father, Charles "Andy" Andersen owned a heating and air-conditioning shop and her mother Mae was a stay-at-home mom. However, Andy was a violent man who frequently beat Mae in front of the children and he was known for being violent towards his sons as well. Andy left the situation before Kitty entered school and he and Mae later divorced. Mae, prone to depression, became a withdrawn alcoholic who became dependant on her children to take care of her, leaving Kitty in particular, feeling neglected. Before her marriage, Mae had been a concert pianist and she did manage to support her children financially but at home, the shades were always drawn and she seemed to crack under the weight of responsibility. Kitty was also affected by her father's re-marriage; she was often taunted at school because of her parents' divorce, leading to her belief that divorce was humiliating and admission of failure. Although Andy reportedly turned his life around and became a changed man, Kitty refused to have anything to do with him, even in her adult years, and later confided to a friend that she had inadvertently married a man just like her father, "the very man I tried to run away from". There was also a rumor that Andy occasionally returned to see Mae for sex, which also dogged Kitty throughout her childhood. Despite this, she was spoiled and indulged by her older siblings, especially by her two brothers. Kitty grew up in a world where her mother depended on her emotionally, forcing her into a parental role, but that the same time was pampered by other family members. This dynamic, coupled with the lack of parental and maternal nurturing, was to repeat with Kitty's sons. She developed a competitive spirit and had a rebellious streak, often "borrowing" her mother's car before she was old enough to legally drive. On the surface, she put up a front of fun and excitement which hid the turmoil of her home life and caused her to stifle her emotions so that she would not be hurt again. She did well in school, but as with Jose, it was not her primary focus. Her love of music, dancing, literature and drama were traits she would pass on to her youngest son, Erik. She entered beauty contests and even worked on one of the local television stations. She was popular with boys but didn't take those relationships seriously.

When Kitty met and fell in love with Jose, it was a match very much disapproved on both sides; Jose was three years younger than Kitty and that was his family's main objection. Kitty's family, on the other hand, was dismayed that she wanted to be with an immigrant who barely spoke English. They ignored the objections, moved in together, and got married. Kitty's friends, however, found the relationship troubling as Jose treated Kitty more like a possession, rarely let her out of his sight, and Kitty seemed more like a child than a grown woman in his presence. Although she was later devastated by his infidelities, she couldn't bring herself to even consider divorce, as she felt that it would not only ruin her life, but her sons' lives as well. As bad as things got, as much as Jose mistreated her and the boys, she still considered Jose her "hero" and refused to let go of him; she was possessive of him in her own way, to the point where she began to resent her own children for taking her husband away from her. In conversations with family, friends and in letters she would write to Jose, she confessed that she was madly in love with him and she thought she had given him so much; her love and devotion, two sons, and had given up her own ambitions to be an actress to support his career. She began to feel the neglect she had suffered as a child, while seemingly ignoring the mistreatment and damage that her sons suffered.

Kitty's role in the situation is not examined nearly enough. Yes, she was victimized as well, but her responsibility as a mother was secondary, perhaps even less, compared to her devotion to Jose and trying to preserve her marriage. We know now that staying in a toxic relationship is not beneficial to anyone, especially children. But Kitty convinced herself that divorce was the worst thing that could happen to a woman. So, in her mind, as long as she had Jose, that was all that mattered. Looking at this reasoning now, it comes across as deluded, desperate and selfish. Her jealousy and anger over Lyle's girlfriends, even AFTER he had become an adult, is very telling. She called them and gold-diggers, felt that one was taking Lyle, sexually, to places that he was "unprepared to go", which is a strange comment for a mother to make about her grown son's love life. Lyle stated that his mother often exposed herself to him, showed him photos of her wearing lingerie (a photo of Kitty wearing black lace underwear was displayed at the first trial), asking how she looked and asking him to touch her - it seemed as though she was transferring her need for affection, attention and arousal onto Lyle, who was his father's namesake. She didn't like the fact that Lyle was having sexual relationships, even as an adult, yet she encouraged Erik to get a girlfriend, did everything in her power to get them to have sex, and even had fake IDs made so that they could go to bars and drink. What kind of mother encourages her underage son to do that stuff? She wanted Erik to be a stud (likely because she was aware that Jose was abusing Erik and knew that Erik was confused about his sexuality as a result), yet she didn't want Lyle to have relationships with other women.

 

[Noirdame79]

Even their maternal grandmother, Maria Menendez, stood by her grandsons until her dying day.

Oops, I meant to type paternal grandmother. My apologies.

 

[Noirdame79]

Here is a collection of newsreel footage. Some of it is news reports about the murders; others contain footage from the first trial.

[video=youtube;3StPQRcge8k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3StPQRcge8k[/video]

You'll notice the testimony of Lyle's former friend, Donovan Goodreau, who was a witness for the prosecution. Goodreau was caught lying on the stand under cross-examination when he stated that Lyle had never confided to him that he and his brother had been sexually abused by their father. However, Lyle's attorney, Jill Lansing, had obtained a taped interview that Goodreau had done with journalist Robert Rand a year before the trial, in which he stated that Lyle did tell him that he and Erik had been molested by Jose. After the tape was played, Goodreau claimed that he could not remember making that statement. Um, okay. His credibility was severely damaged, despite the prosecution's efforts to insinuate that Goodreau must have been fed that information. Notice too, how Lester Kuryiama asked Erik very insulting questions about whether there were any witnesses to the sexual abuse, etc. One of the news reports note that while the battered women syndrome in murder cases had gained support and acceptance, battered child syndrome in similar cases has NOT gained that same acceptance, which is ironic when you consider that children are far more vulnerable in abuse situations. A brief snippet of an interview with Jose's mother, Maria Menendez is also featured. It mentions a screenplay that Erik co-wrote with his former friend, Craig Cignarelli (who also testified for the prosecution and like Donovan Goodreau, proved less than reliable), which he asked Kitty to type for him. The prosecution wanted to introduce the screenplay as evidence, but Judge Stanley Weisberg felt that it was not relevant because it was a collaboration, and the fact that Kitty typed it for Erik, shot down the theory that it showed premeditation. Lyle's former fiancee, Jamie Pisarcik, testified for the prosecution, alleging that Erik knew about Lyle's hairpiece months before the murders, but wavered when asked when that incident occurred. When Erik's attorney, Leslie Abramson, stated that she had proof that incident could not have occurred when Pisarcik alleged, prosecutor Pamela Bozanich ridiculed Abramson's line of questioning. Funny how the prosecution had no problem grilling the brothers and defense witnesses about dates and times but when it came to their own witnesses, it was considered insulting or a joke.

Gah, Pamela Bozanich. Have I mentioned before that I can't stand her? Notice that since David Conn, the lead prosecutor from the second trial has passed away, that she has shown up on pretty much every documentary about the case? Lester Kuryiama keeps a lower profile, which gives her the opportunity to revel in the spotlight, as if she is trying to take the credit for the brothers' conviction, although she and her team failed to get one and she was not involved in the second trial. She comes across as extremely unprofessional; she calls the brothers names, and is so sure that the sexual abuse didn't happen. Bozanich was actually one of the prosecutors of the infamous McMartin Preschool case in the second trial, both of which ended in hung juries. The McMartin prosecutors were lucky that they weren't charged with misconduct: innocent people were falsely accused of sexual abuse that NEVER happened and the prosecution witnesses, including a large number of children, were coached and manipulated into making allegations. Most people don't make the connection regarding Bozanich's involvement because the McMartin trials took place before her marriage, so she went by her maiden name, Ferraro (she married Peter Bozanich while preparations for the first Menendez trial were underway), and taking her husband's name has made it easy to distance herself from the McMartin trial scandal. Funny how she never comments on that case yet she never misses a chance to talk about the Menendez brothers. She made statements that sexual abuse must have happened with the McMartin case but thinks the Menendez brothers were lying. I don't think she's particularly trustworthy, given her history. I smell a huge rat where she is concerned.