Terry Baralt, the 85-year-old aunt of condemned killers Lyle and Erik Menendez, is in a difficult and dangerous condition. She experienced a stroke in a Los Angeles hotel room on April 13. Baralt’s hospitalization comes at a crucial moment for the Menendez brothers. Family members are currently trying to get them free after more than 30 years in prison for the crime of fatally shooting their parents, José and Kitty Menendez.
Baralt’s health crisis seems to be causally connected to the highly charged experience of being addressed directly by the Menendez brothers—one at their resentencing hearing. At the hearing, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office entered into evidence a graphic and unredacted photo of Jose Menendez’s clearly identifiable dead body. This completely unexpected anunció, according to reports, re-traumatized relatives present. Bryan Freedman, an attorney for the Menendez family, recognized the effect that the image had on everyone in attendance.
“The photographic depiction of this conduct upset any of the Menendez family members present in court,” – Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office
As Baralt fights a stage four colon cancer diagnosis, her family’s pain only grows. A Los Angeles superior court ruled on April 11 that the hearing to resentence him could go forward. This hearing has generated a tremendous amount of press interest. Despite this advancement, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has expressed his intent not to recommend resentencing for Lyle and Erik Menendez. Before Hochman concluded, he expressed doubts that the brothers have taken accountability for their actions.
Mark Geragos, who still represents Lyle and Erik, fired back in no uncertain terms against Hochman’s gambit during a Today show interview. He sparked even more drama when he called Hochman “almost serially abusing” the Menendez family with what he called a “capsule of lies.”
“We could tell at that meeting that [Hochman] had no interest in that,” – Mark Geragos
The Menendez family has long and vigorously advocated for the release of Lyle and Erik. Baralt wants people to understand that their incarceration has ramifications that extend beyond their lifetime. She spoke about the anguish caused to her family and their desire for closure.
“Thirty-five years is a long time. It’s a whole branch of my family erased,” – Terry Baralt
Unfortunately, the tragic family history of the Menendez brothers has made things much more complicated for them as their family is forced to walk this difficult legal tightrope. Baralt’s quote goes a long way to show just how personal this case is.
“For everybody, this is a story. For me, it’s very personal. Those kids, they’re like the boys that I didn’t have,” – Terry Baralt
The tense situation came to a head as 22 members of the Menendez family converged on Hochman’s office. They called for their release and told the office to “stop re-traumatizing us.” This emotional appeal seeks to underscore the emotional toll the family is forced to go through in their pursuit of justice, accountability and answers.
The resentencing hearing for Lyle and Erik Menendez is currently scheduled for April 17. Their legal team has already begun challenging their life sentences without parole that were imposed in 1996, yet it remains unclear as to whether they will gain success. As the clock ticks down on that day, the Menendez family continues to contend with their traumatic past even as they try to sculpt a different future.