Erik and Lyle Menendez have long asserted that their drastic actions stemmed from enduring sexual abuse at the hands of their father. Fresh evidence, highlighted in a Peacock docuseries last year, might soon pave the way for their release. Both brothers have been incarcerated for life for the 1989 murder of Jose and Kitty Menendez in their opulent California residence.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón recently revealed his intention to seek resentencing. A pivotal piece of evidence is a letter purportedly penned by Erik to his cousin pre-murder, expressing dread of his father. Additionally, Roy Rosselló, an ex-member of the boy band Menudo, has sworn in testimony that he was sexually assaulted by Jose Menendez—who was then leading RCA Records—during the mid-1980s.
Rosselló first shared his harrowing account publicly in “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed” in 2023, sparking renewed calls to revisit the Menendez brothers’ sentences considering their claims of victimization. “There’s been no other individual to claim Jose Menendez raped them,” journalist Robert Rand, who co-produced the docuseries, stated to CNN. “We suspect more victims may exist and urge them to come forward.”
Rand's work, along with a recent Netflix documentary and the series “Monsters: The Lyle and Eric Menendez Story,” underscores a persistent fascination with the Menendez narrative and an evolving societal grasp of sexual abuse, particularly concerning male victims, as Rand notes.
In “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed,” Rosselló recounted meeting Jose Menendez at age 13. “That man, he raped me. That’s the pedophile,” Rosselló declared, gesturing at a photograph of Jose Menendez. He recalls being plied with wine, losing consciousness, and awakening in agony in a New York City hotel room.
“For a week, the pain was excruciating. Movement was torturous,” Rosselló recounted, overwhelmed with emotion. The Menendez brothers’ habeas corpus submission, lodged soon after the docuseries aired, incorporates Rosselló’s assertions. “The jury was unaware that Jose Menendez raped Rosselló again in a New York hotel,” the document emphasizes.
"Some Menendez backers question Roy Rosselló’s silence 30 years ago during the trial," Rand told CNN. "But many feel such shame as survivors that they remain silent forever." Rand and director Esther Reyes affirmed that Rosselló, now residing in Brazil, is prepared to testify in Los Angeles if required.
“He’s an exceptionally trustworthy witness,” Reyes shared with CNN. “I spoke with him extensively. His narrative is unwavering and lucid.” CNN attempted to contact Rosselló regarding Gascón’s move to resentence the Menendez brothers, but he was unavailable for comment.
“Roy is very much aware of the unfolding situation,” Rand confirmed. “He’s keenly monitoring all progress.” Rosselló, as per Rand, also wishes to converse with Erik and Lyle, although the brothers’ legal team advises against any interaction due to Rosselló’s potential status as a witness in the murder trial.
“Roy has expressed a strong desire to meet the Menendez brothers,” Rand conveyed.
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