CA - Court upholds Menendez brothers' convictions

[housewife]

That’s not possible. The photos are part of a strip of negatives that also contain photos from Erik’s 6th birthday party, proving they were taken and developed together. Kitty’s handwriting is also on the envelope that contained these photos so she must have seen/gone through them at some point and still kept these disturbing photographs

The strip of negatives as well as the photos were posted in court on a white board. The envelope with Kitty’s handwriting was also shown in court

The photos in order from the negatives are:
1. Appears to be a blurry/miscellaneous photo
2. Naked photo of 8 year old Lyle lying down in a bathtub - photo is only of his legs and genitals (upper body and head is cut off from photo)
3. What appears to be sleepy 6 year old Erik being woken up in bed
4. Appears to be a blurry/miscellaneous photo
5. Family and friends celebrating Erik’s 6th birthday
6. Family and friends celebrating Erik’s 6th birthday
7. Family and friends celebrating Erik’s 6th birthday
8. Appears to be a blurry/miscellaneous photo
9. Family and friends celebrating Erik’s 6th birthday
10. Erik clothed and eating a donut with their mother seemingly in the background
11. Naked photo of 6 year old Erik from the chest down (head is cut off from photo)
12. Photo of the family’s dog
13. Appears to be a blurry/miscellaneous photo

Evidence shown starting at the 1:03:02 mark 48-CA v. Menendez: Lyle Menendez

Also adding that the naked pics cannot be excused as innocent in nature, one of the boys has a visible erection which squarely defines these nude pics as child sexual assault imagery (old name: child ). The focus was specifically on the genitals intentionally in both pics.

Why keep those for posterity? We know pedophiles hoard their collections of images over years and consider them to be very valuable - especially to trade for more images. The photos are also used for leverage to control a victim further. It made me wonder if Jose was showing his sons' genitals to other abusers.

I've read accounts of pedophiles trying to hide their collections, and even asking LE if they will get their collection back after sentencing. Pedophiles will also gift their collections to a pedo friend if incarceration is unavoidable. Even after the abuser's death, the victim still suffers because their image was recorded and shared without their consent.

 

[LadyL]

Lyle and Eric grew up in the 80's. They shot their parents in '89.

RAINN wasn't even founded until 1994.

25 years ago in 1999 - A Beverly Hills 90210 TV episode featuring the RAINN hotline suddenly got 4,000 calls after it aired.

In 2024 we still have serious problems when we report rape as adult females.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/382693736_Silenced_Survivors_A_Systematic_Review_of_the_Barriers_to_Reporting_Investigating_Prosecuting_and_Sentencing_of_Adult_Female_Rape_and_Sexual_Assault

All of this to say 35 years ago they were still broadcasting the TV PSA "Do you know where your children are?" What bleak times, right?

I was responding to a thread of comments that referenced what help was available for SA victims in the 80's and the 90's. If you follow the comments back with the arrow, you will see how my comment was in context. The original commenter disputes (with links) that there wasn't help available in the 80's. I don't know if I agree but that's what I was referencing with my comment.

 

[LadyL]

It's odd to read gory descriptions of murder when gory descriptions of the sexual sadism in the same house are not allowed. Jmo

Are not allowed where? I expect it's the difference between evidence of a murder and lack of evidence of sexual abuse. JMO.

 

[Noirdame79]

Lyle and Eric grew up in the 80's. They shot their parents in '89.

RAINN wasn't even founded until 1994.

25 years ago in 1999 - A Beverly Hills 90210 TV episode featuring the RAINN hotline suddenly got 4,000 calls after it aired.

In 2024 we still have serious problems when we report rape as adult females.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/382693736_Silenced_Survivors_A_Systematic_Review_of_the_Barriers_to_Reporting_Investigating_Prosecuting_and_Sentencing_of_Adult_Female_Rape_and_Sexual_Assault

All of this to say 35 years ago they were still broadcasting the TV PSA "Do you know where your children are?" What bleak times, right?

Excellent points. There was also myths about sexual abuse of children by adults, in particular, a myth about sexual abuse of boys by men, that was common at the time and has persisted to an extent even today, despite the fact that it has been long debunked by experts in the field. The basic myth is as follows - it's not possible for a man who has consensual sexual relationships with women to sexually abuse children, and more specifically, it's not possible for a straight man to sexually abuse boys or adult males. Of course, as has been confirmed, the perpetrator's sexual orientation has nothing to do with why they commit their crimes, nor what victims they target, because sexual assault is an act of aggression and power; sex is merely the weapon.

In an interview for the 2017 docuseries, Erik Tells All (which I highly recommend, by the way), the lead detective in the case, Les Zoeller, stated that because Jose was married to a woman, had a long-time mistress and was a womanizer, he and the other police officers who investigated the case did not believe that Jose could have sexually abused his sons. If this was the attitude of the police at the time (and indeed, Zoeller continued to maintain until his death in 2021 that the abuse was fabricated), it makes it even more unlikely that Lyle and Erik would have been believed had they tried to report the abuse, coupled with Jose's wealth and status in the entertainment industry. Interestingly, after Zoeller made this comment, the docuseries cut to an expert who confirmed that being married and having mistresses has nothing to do with being a sexual predator, including a predator who victimizes children of either gender.

Since Zoeller's passing, two other detectives who worked on the case, Thomas Edmonds and Tom Linehan (both of whom, not surprisingly, are against the possible release of Lyle and Erik) appear to have picked up where he left off, stating that the sexual abuse didn't happen, and Edmonds has even said, "If they were being molested, why didn't they report to the police?" Gee, I wonder why.

MOO

 

[LadyL]

Psychologically, this case is fascinating as it raises questions about how abuse affects decision-making, especially in an environment where the alleged power imbalance was so extreme. Are people who feel perpetually powerless capable of making rational decisions, or could they eventually snap in a way that feels logical to them? I believe we need more education/awareness surrounding this topic. On a human level, I find this case so very sad and sometimes enraging with how some opinions completely ignore the signs of abuse and focus more on how they were portrayed as characters. I full-heartedly think that if it were the Menendez SISTERS, it would be a different situation all round. jmo.

[bbm]

that's a good point and something I will think about

 

[LadyL]

That’s not possible. The photos are part of a strip of negatives that also contain photos from Erik’s 6th birthday party, proving they were taken and developed together. Kitty’s handwriting is also on the envelope that contained these photos so she must have seen/gone through them at some point and still kept these disturbing photographs

The strip of negatives as well as the photos were posted in court on a white board. The envelope with Kitty’s handwriting was also shown in court

The photos in order from the negatives are:
1. Appears to be a blurry/miscellaneous photo
2. Naked photo of 8 year old Lyle lying down in a bathtub - photo is only of his legs and genitals (upper body and head is cut off from photo)
3. What appears to be sleepy 6 year old Erik being woken up in bed
4. Appears to be a blurry/miscellaneous photo
5. Family and friends celebrating Erik’s 6th birthday
6. Family and friends celebrating Erik’s 6th birthday
7. Family and friends celebrating Erik’s 6th birthday
8. Appears to be a blurry/miscellaneous photo
9. Family and friends celebrating Erik’s 6th birthday
10. Erik clothed and eating a donut with their mother seemingly in the background
11. Naked photo of 6 year old Erik from the chest down (head is cut off from photo)
12. Photo of the family’s dog
13. Appears to be a blurry/miscellaneous photo

Evidence shown starting at the 1:03:02 mark 48-CA v. Menendez: Lyle Menendez

so just because the picture taker inadvertently cut off their heads, the pictures are nefarious? lots of families took pictures of their kids in the bathtub or running around naked

 

[Dotta]

so just because the picture taker inadvertently cut off their heads, the pictures are nefarious? lots of families took pictures of their kids in the bathtub or running around naked

How strange to take a picture of a child without a head
but ...
with intimate body parts exposed

 

[housewife]

so just because the picture taker inadvertently cut off their heads, the pictures are nefarious? lots of families took pictures of their kids in the bathtub or running around naked

Not inadvertently.
Purposefully.
Focus on the genitals of children in an aroused state.
My friend, that is not normal.

 

[housewife]

I read about families who would "kick kids out at 18", because the parents felt they had completed their responsibility. Was is a pervasive belief that feeding, clothing, and sheltering a child was all that was required of parents?
If that was the case, I can understand how some believe Jose and Kitty were good parents simply because they had money.

 

[theonewithallthequestions]

so just because the picture taker inadvertently cut off their heads, the pictures are nefarious? lots of families took pictures of their kids in the bathtub or running around naked

The head cut off doesn’t really seem to be inadvertent. The photos appear to have been purposefully aimed that way. As @housewife mentioned, in one of the photos (I believe the one with Erik) the child has an erection. IMO they are nefarious

 

[Noirdame79]

The head cut off doesn’t really seem to be inadvertent. The photos appear to have been purposefully aimed that way. As @housewife mentioned, in one of the photos (I believe the one with Erik) the child has an erection. IMO they are nefarious

Also, the photo of Erik shows him holding his robe open, which suggests that he was asked to or made to pose (he is identifiable by a birthmark on his right wrist) and the camera was aimed downward, deliberately cutting his face out. The photo of Lyle only shows the lower half of his torso. There is nothing "innocent" or accidental" about these photos and why the parents kept them.
JMO

 

[Gigiky]

Also, the photo of Erik shows him holding his robe open, which suggests that he was asked to or made to pose (he is identifiable by a birthmark on his right wrist) and the camera was aimed downward, deliberately cutting his face out. The photo of Lyle only shows the lower half of his torso. There is nothing "innocent" or accidental" about these photos and why the parents kept them.
JMO

The world we live in. ugh!!
I hate to even leave my house anymore.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

"I base my decision in the review of 30 years of ... information about their behavior, as well as a very thorough understanding of what they were convicted of and the elements of the crime," Gascón said. "So my decision was appropriately based."

New LA DA Nathan Hochman speaks out on Menendez brothers' fight for freedom

As calls grow for the Menendez brothers to be released from prison, the incoming Los Angeles County district attorney says he has a lot of evidence to review before showing his support.

abc7.com

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

Governor Won’t Decide on Menendez Brothers Bid for Clemency Until After Newly-Elected DA Reviews Case

Erik and Lyle Menendez are serving life sentences for the 1989 shotgun murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty.

people.com

On Monday, Nov. 18, California Governor Gavin Newsom said he would hold off deciding about possible clemency for Erik and Lyle Menendez, both serving life in prison for the shotgun murders of their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez, until after the incoming Los Angeles County District Attorney reviews the case.

 

[Seattle1]

Didn't even take a month!

Calling it now: first stop will be divorce lawyers.

11/21/24

Lyle Menendez's romance with college student puts release at risk

Lyle Menendez, 56, is having a secret affair with a 21-year-old university student who traveled all the way from England to visit the convicted murderer in prison.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The romance first blossomed at the start of this year, when Lyle spotted Milly on a Facebook group in his name that is run by his wife Rebecca Sneed, 55.

According to those familiar with the situation, he initially approached her under an alias before confessing his true identity to the smitten student.

Since then, their romance has spiced up and even led to Lyle getting busted by prison guards at the top-security Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California, for possessing a contraband cell phone he was using to contact his new squeeze.

 

[Noirdame79]

Didn't even take a month!


11/21/24

Lyle Menendez's romance with college student puts release at risk

Lyle Menendez, 56, is having a secret affair with a 21-year-old university student who traveled all the way from England to visit the convicted murderer in prison.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The romance first blossomed at the start of this year, when Lyle spotted Milly on a Facebook group in his name that is run by his wife Rebecca Sneed, 55.

According to those familiar with the situation, he initially approached her under an alias before confessing his true identity to the smitten student.

Since then, their romance has spiced up and even led to Lyle getting busted by prison guards at the top-security Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California, for possessing a contraband cell phone he was using to contact his new squeeze.

The timing of this article is extremely suspect in my opinion. Whether there is any truth to it or not, it doesn't indicate that Lyle is a danger to society, it doesn't change anything about the case, including the abuse he and his brother suffered. Also, Lyle does not have internet access. The Facebook page/group is run by his wife.

MOO

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

https://www.lacourt.org/newsmedia/uploads/142024112110521224PN-11-21-2024PEOPLEV.ERIKGALENMENENDEZANDJOSEPHLYLE.pdf

A status hearing in the case of the People v. Erik Galen Menendez and Joseph Lyle Menendez is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Department S on the ninth floor of Van Nuys Courthouse West located at 14400 Erwin St. Mall in Van Nuys with Judge Michael Jesic presiding.

 

[Noirdame79]

Lyle's wife Rebecca clarified on the public Facebook page that this is not "a cheating scandal". She and Lyle have been separated for a while, but they remain close; she is also close to his family and continues to advocate for him and Erik. She doesn't owe anyone an explanation, but there you have it.

When it comes right down to it, the brothers' personal lives are not our concern or our business. It's unrelated to the case and should not have any impact on it or the potential release. Unfortunately, the article seems deliberately timed and there are those who are against the possibility of Lyle and Erik being released.

MOO

 

[Seattle1]

When it comes right down to it, the brothers' personal lives are not our concern or our business. It's unrelated to the case and should not have any impact on it or the potential release. Unfortunately, the article seems deliberately timed and there are those who are against the possibility of Lyle and Erik being released.

^^rsbm

This is not true -- specific to LM's illegal behavior cited in the DM (linked above) to enable contact with his latest girlfriend, infractions typically have a direct link to the release of any DOC inmate!

To be clear, inmates already have use of tablets and phones, and LM was twice caught this year with a contraband cell phone used to keep in contact with his UK gf.

LM is not special, and needs to be treated like any other inmate where seldom do you find the parole board agreeing to release any inmate with recent violations on their record. LM can now wait another 18 months before being considered for release-- like any other violating inmate. Clearly, LM's sense of entitlement has not changed whatsoever. MOO

Since then, their romance has spiced up and even led to Lyle getting busted by prison guards at the top-security Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California, for possessing a contraband cell phone he was using to contact his new squeeze.

A record of that incident was included in ousted Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón's resentencing memo, filed in Los Angeles at the end of October. It showed he was caught with the phone on March 15 in the cell he shares with 'multiple other people'.

Despite being busted, DailyMail.com has learned that Lyle has since acquired a second illicit cell phone, which he has been using to stay in touch with the University of Manchester student.

 

[Noirdame79]

^^rsbm

This is not true -- specific to LM's illegal behavior cited in the DM (linked above) to enable contact with his latest girlfriend, infractions typically have a direct link to the release of any DOC inmate!

To be clear, inmates already have use of tablets and phones, and LM was twice caught this year with a contraband cell phone used to keep in contact with his UK gf.

LM is not special, and needs to be treated like any other inmate where seldom do you find the parole board agreeing to release any inmate with recent violations on their record. LM can now wait another 18 months before being considered for release-- like any other violating inmate. Clearly, LM's sense of entitlement has not changed whatsoever. MOO

Since then, their romance has spiced up and even led to Lyle getting busted by prison guards at the top-security Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California, for possessing a contraband cell phone he was using to contact his new squeeze.

A record of that incident was included in ousted Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón's resentencing memo, filed in Los Angeles at the end of October. It showed he was caught with the phone on March 15 in the cell he shares with 'multiple other people'.

Despite being busted, DailyMail.com has learned that Lyle has since acquired a second illicit cell phone, which he has been using to stay in touch with the University of Manchester student.

The Daily Mail is essentially a tabloid. Whoever leaked this knows exactly what they are doing, with a hearing scheduled for November 25 regarding the habeas corpus. The cell phone was already included in the re-sentencing memo before DM released this "story", so that in itself is nothing new regarding the re-sentencing. How do we know he used it to contact this woman? Because The Daily Mail says so? Does this "sense of entitlement" apply to the other inmates he shares the cell with? They also provide no evidence of this second cell phone, not a coincidence.

MOO