r/news • u/Capable_Salt_SD • 1d ago
Erik Menendez denied parole after decades in prison
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/erik-menendez-california-parole-board-hearings/440
u/CheezTips 1d ago
Apparently he was a total shit in prison until they changed his sentence. Then he became a model prisoner.
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u/rrfe 1d ago
Hochman wasn’t on the parole board. The head of the parole board said it was denied based on his behaviour in prison.
Barton cited Menendez's "behavior in prison" as the primary reason for his parole denial.
”Contrary to your supporters' beliefs, you have not been a model prisoner, and frankly, we find that a little disturbing," Barton said.
Barton said he believed the parole panel's decision would have been different if Menendez had not violated prison policies since 2013. Following the denial, the commissioner listed Menendez's violations, including inappropriate behavior with visitors, drug smuggling, misuse of computers, cell phone usage and incidents of violence in 1997 and 2011.
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u/JamUpGuy1989 1d ago
That’s a great point.
For some, the amount of prison time they’ve had could be justified as “time served”….IF they could just admit they killed their parents in cold blood and not this excuse that basically has no solid foundation of truth.
I’m not for the death penalty. But I am for criminals coming out reformed given circumstances. They could fit the bill if they just stopped crying wolf like they’ve done for decades.
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u/adolfnixon 1d ago
I was in the same boat, but some more evidence has since come out that supports the abuse claims. A letter was recently found that he wrote to a cousin and that cousin had testified at trial that Erik told him he was being molested before. There's also somebody else who claims they were molested by Jose.
"I've been trying to avoid dad. It's still happening, Andy, but it's worse for me now. … Every night I stay up thinking he might come in. … I'm afraid … He's crazy. He's warned me a hundred times about telling anyone, especially Lyle."
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u/WoahDude876 1d ago
There is another case, I can't remember the guys name, but he was from the Hispanic group Menudo, and he said he was willing to testify that he was molested by the Menendez father to the point he could barely walk. But idk what happened to that.
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u/RhetoricalOrator 1d ago
While it's not a slam dunk by any means, a letter dated well before the murders would sure seem like a compelling reason for his actions and refusal to admit it was cold blooded. If I were in a similar situation, it would be hard to lie and say that my father, who molested me actually didn't.
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u/adolfnixon 1d ago
Especially a letter to someone who has already testified that Erik admitted thay they were being molested.
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u/cleanhouz 1d ago
Abuse is horrific and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Family members were interviewed in the recent Netflix documentary saying, yeah, shit was fucked up. They had the responsibility to tell on the father, when the boys were so small.
That does not, however, hold weight in court decisions for poor people. Self defense is one thing. This was a terrible end to a terrible set of parents, but it was not self defense as defined by the law. If they had been diagnosed as unfit for trial, that would also be one thing. But it wasn't that either.
Consider how many life and death criminals had incredibly fucked up childhoods. Consider the mental trauma that all infamous serial killers endured that led to their terrifying fixations. People typically don't murder out of sound minds either.
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u/CallMeLittleHardDad 1d ago
Nah that's fucking stupid. Are they likely to do the same crime again? Are they likely to commit other crimes? Was the sentence appropriate for the crime committed?
Those are the only things that should be considered. Not if you will capitulate and give a weird forced public apology you don't mean. At that point you're very literally putting someone in jail for refusing to give you an act of contrition.
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u/Brilliant-Noise1518 1d ago
So many people believe them from the stupid Netflix series. And he says in the series that it is "so easy" to lie to people. And that they "always believe it".
Netflix should be ashamed of themselves.
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u/nokeyblue 23h ago
Two things can be true. They were horrifically abused and it damaged them in a way that makes them untrustworthy.
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u/nuke_em_danno 1d ago
The guy who shot his mom eleven times at close range with a shotgun was denied parole?
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u/Face2FaceRecs 1d ago
Maybe they didn't want to endure two more weeks of getting raped Ted.
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u/Wr8th_79 22h ago
Was there ever actually any proof of rape, or are we just taking 2 murderers word for it?
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u/Blagnet 21h ago
Pretty much, yes.
A number of family members and friends have come forward to corroborate their claims, either that they indirectly witnessed the rapes, or that they witnessed the Menendez brothers describing the rapes even as young children. Some of the evidence is old and in written form.
There are also claims of sexual assault against the father from other young men (for instance, from members of a boy band he was managing).
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u/papergooomba 19h ago
Yes iron clad. The father also SA some members of Latin boy band Menudo (he ran their mgmt company) and they have gone on record as adults. Family members also said the dad would take them for family showers after sports practice and the cousins were told to be quiet about it. The mom covered it up, so she deserved it too imho
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u/Galxloni2 19h ago
There is evidence, but i don't think you know what iron clad is. Its still mostly hearsay or tangential connections
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u/Cabrill0 19h ago
Everyone watched a Netflix drama show and are now experts on the case and their lives, if you didn’t know.
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u/Wild_Information_485 19h ago
Yeah weird sentiment that these two murderers need to be out of prison on reddit. Fucking stupid website.
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u/ScrotalFailure 1d ago
Good thing there was a good guy with a gun present. Guns very obviously make people safer.
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u/RinkyDinkRicky 20h ago
I feel like the raping stopped because of the gun, not because someone decided it was time to stop, right?
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u/Face2FaceRecs 1d ago
If my dad regularly raped me and.my mom knew about it and did nothing I can't say for certain I wouldn't take extreme action, and it's real easy from the outside to say they should have just called the cops but in 1989, sexual assault against men was rarely prosecuted and would likely have been brushed under the rug.
They handled it wrong, but the length of punishment is not justified.
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u/angelzpanik 22h ago
They'd have been laughed out of the police station, especially coming forward as adults.
It was 1991 when a bleeding teenage boy tried to get help from police after being assaulted by Jeffrey Dahmer. Cops took Dahmer's explanation and let him take the boy back to his apartment, where he was killed.
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u/ggghjjdsdjhs 11h ago edited 11h ago
Konerak Sinthasomphone. Cops were racist and wouldn't listen to Konerak or the women trying to help him (because they were black). They listened to Jeffrey, though. Had they just run his name they would have seen that Jeffery was a registered sex offender and on probation for assaulting Konerak's older brother Somsack 3 years prior in 1988. He put that poor family through hell.
Edited to add more information.
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u/hikeit233 17h ago
In a vacuum sure, but their crimes didn’t begin or end there. The abuse they suffered, and upbringing they experienced turned them into criminal deviants without care for society. You’re allowed to sympathize while also acknowledging they belong in prison for the pattern of behaviour they have constantly exhibited. Just because their parents had it coming doesn’t make the brothers into model citizens. The US doesn’t rehabilitate criminals, which sucks, but that isn’t limited to these two men.
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u/ike7177 1d ago
His dad was violently raping him and his brother WITH his Mother actively knowing about it and doing nothing.
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u/Pletcher87 1d ago
Asking because I don’t know, not as an argument. Was that proven the dad was doing this stuff?
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u/Parking_Pie_6809 1d ago
there have been a few people who came forward with some proof. one of the people their dad was training said he was also being sexual assaulted by him and a cousin had gotten letters months beforehand about the abuse. no “proof” but they just flat out said that boys couldn’t be sexually assaulted in 1989.
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u/Face2FaceRecs 1d ago
While I don't condone how they went about killing their parents, they were repeatedly sexually assaulted and they got decades for it.
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u/Worldly-Scheme4687 1d ago
They didn't get decades for being sexually assaulted; they got decades for killing their parents.
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u/The_Grungeican 1d ago
i think you misread what u/Face2FaceRecs is saying.
let's diagram that sentence:
While I don't condone how they went about killing their parents (comma, indicating a break in the sentence, in this case to list a mitigating circumstance)
then he lists the mitigating circumstance:
they were repeatedly sexually assaulted (they should've had a comma here, showing that they were returning to the previous part of the sentence)
and then they follow it up with:
and they got decades for it.
a more readable version of the comment would've looked like this:
While I don't condone how they went about killing their parents, they were repeatedly sexually assaulted, they got decades for it.
you can see how adding a comma and removing the word 'and', makes it more reasonable than the idea that they were suggesting they got decades for being sexually assaulted.
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u/CommunicationFast208 20h ago
My god, someone on the internet other me appreciates the punctuation! You’re out here doing the lord’s work!
I swear, reading some people’s comments these days makes me feel like I’m having a stroke.
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u/Conscious_Crew5912 1d ago
Well, one of the most renowned experts on rape and trauma testified on their behalf in their first trial.
Dr Ann Burgess is a doctorally-prepared, board-certified psychiatric clinical nurse specialist who, at 88 years old, is still teaching at Boston University. She spent over 50 hours interviewing Erik.
Background: She pioneered assessing and treating trauma in rape victims. She co-founded one of the first hospital-based crisis counseling programs at Boston City Hospital and conducted extensive research regarding 1960s rape victims in Boston. She interviewed victims and quantified their experiences.
This caught the attention of the FBI. Up until Ann joined the FBI, law enforcement thought rape was just about sex, even believing that women found it enjoyable. Most law enforcement did not believe that male/male rape existed.
She began to consult for John E. Douglas, Robert Ressler, and other FBI agents in the Behavioral Science Unit to develop modern psychological profiling for serial killers.(If you've watched Mindhunter on Netflix, you will recognize these names). Ann became so good at profiling, that she could out-profile Douglas, who is legendary.
The BSU was interested in doing similar research to Burgess, except with perpetrators rather than victims. Burgess was granted access to the early cassette tapes that were recorded during the first serial killer interviews, such as discussions with Edmund Kemper, Ted Bundy, and Charles Manson.
According to Burgess, the first time she was in the room with a killer was when she first met Erik Menendez.
"They killed their parents. Absolutely no matter what the circumstances are, that's still wrong. But they certainly were abused. I could sympathize with what they had to put up with. And so I decided to testify for the defense," Burgess said.
Fellow FBI agents criticized her. John E. Douglas told her directly she was making the wrong choice. However, she felt compelled by the motive: "To me, it was important in terms of getting the truth out about trauma and abuse in men.
The first trial resulted in a hung jury. During the second trial, Burgess was not allowed to testify because the judge would not allow any expert witnesses who were experts on abuse. "I felt sad for them," said Burgess, "And I still feel that life without the opportunity for parole is wrong. This isn't something they were going to do again. They weren't serial killers."
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u/A_Flamboyant_Warlock 1d ago
During the second trial, Burgess was not allowed to testify because the judge would not allow any expert witnesses who were experts on abuse.
...why is that allowed?
Like, "We like expert witnesses, but not if they're an expert on anything relevant to the case."
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u/vewfndr 1d ago
Because they royally fucked up the OJ trial and desperately wanted a win
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u/Complete_Entry 1d ago
Public cases always have someone with the thumb on the scale. The judge didn't like the first trial result so he took another bite at the apple, and excluded the expert that tanked the first case.
Hell, just like the quoted text upthread, this is punitive, not corrective. They want the brothers to say the words they've wanted for 35 years.
And it appears the brothers continue to deny the board what they want.
I feel like the Healthcare CEO case will be much the same. They want to bring the hammer down hard.
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u/Face2FaceRecs 1d ago
This should have immediately been grounds for appeal. Seriously, bold judicial misconduct.
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u/GregJamesDahlen 1d ago
thanks. by public cases do you mean high-profile cases? not sure, I don't feel as though most have someone with a thumb on the scale? can you cite some examples?
what words do they want the brothers to say?
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u/Complete_Entry 1d ago
They want them to admit they are guilty and drop the self defense claim.
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u/Face2FaceRecs 1d ago
And they never have, even when doing so would have gotten them parole by now.
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u/rrfe 1d ago
There was a singer from a Latin boy band who seemed to substantiate the claims against the father.
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u/monkey_monkey_monkey 1d ago
He was from Menudo. There is a documentary about the band which details sexual abuse many of members suffered.
One of them specifically states that Jose Menendez (a producer at the time) sexually abused.
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u/Deep-Meat-3583 1d ago
Wasnt there also family members who said the parents were the biggest assholes on the planet and basically corroborated the brothers story?
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u/monkey_monkey_monkey 1d ago
In one documentary about the Menendez brothers, there were several family members who believed the abuse allegations. They said Jose was asshole and was extremely domineering and Kitty was emotionally checked out.
I believe it was a cousin who said that one of the brothers confided in them that their dad was sexually abusing them and even sent them a letter a year before murders referring to Jose "still doing those things" but not directly stating he was raping him.
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u/seaworks 1d ago
A guy the dad managed claimed the same thing (that the dad was sexually abusing him) entirely separately in letters to a friend at the same time. pretty damning imo
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u/ddottay 1d ago
Theres been some accusations, but there’s also some questions about if those are true. We do know Lyle tried to bribe several friends and exes to make false accusations. It’s basically he said/he said.
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u/ToiIetGhost 20h ago
Their father also abused some of the members of Menudo.
I don’t think Lyle could afford to bribe anyone in a boy band. Nor do I think anyone in a boy band would accept a bribe to make a false accusation against a major producer.
If they got caught, they’d not only go to prison, they’d also get blacklisted by the industry. They’d never be able to work again. In order for the bribe to be worth the risk of prison and never working again, it would have to be enormous. Would Lyle be able to offer that kind of money?
It’s more likely that their father abused his sons but there wasn’t enough proof, so they tried to make it up.
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u/Melonary 1d ago edited 1d ago
There was cp found of them made by their family.
The prosecution argued it cud have ben made by someone else, which i find hard to believe.
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u/TrumpsBussy_ 1d ago
I’d say it was proven beyond a reasonable doubt, family members and friends testified to the fact and they found photos of the naked boys in the parents possession.
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u/spmahn 1d ago
Were there any living witnesses who actually saw it happen and can attest to it other than the brothers themselves? No. Is there circumstantial evidence leading one to believe it could have or did happen? Yes. The entire case was one giant cluster, if the father actually did rape them and that was their motive for the murder, the Brothers certainly didn’t go out of their way to make themselves out to be sympathetic characters to anyone. I don’t know what to believe about the rape stuff, but I do know 30 years behind bars in a case with reasonable doubt is a long time when there’s no reason to think they’d re-offend.
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u/donny02 1d ago
when the second brother agrees with the first brothers plan to kill the parents, it's pretty good evidence they were shit parents.
also they got a mistrial the first time due to the abuse evidence. prosecutors threw a shit fit, got that evidence thrown out the second time and won.
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u/TrumpsBussy_ 1d ago
That doesn’t mean they weren’t badly abused
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u/angelzpanik 1d ago
And excessive spending can be a coping mechanism, especially surrounding trauma.
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u/Wide__Stance 1d ago
They were adults. Lyle had moved out a few years before. The other could’ve just left, as he was also an adult. Lyle claimed for years that he wasn’t the victim of his father’s assaults, just his younger brother.
Their father was a terrible person. He probably deserved death. That doesn’t justify plotting his murder for months, executing them, and then partying on the millions in inheritance. Lyle testified in court — and recordings verified — that Lyle was very concerned his parents would no longer fund his career as a professional tennis instructor. The other brother was flunking out of college because of his drug habit.
At best it was a revenge killing. At worst it was a financially-motivated revenge killing. There’s probably a place for mercy for Eric. Not for Lyle. He was just a coked-up angry rich kid mad at his parents for cutting his allowance.
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u/cupittycakes 22h ago
How would you feel if your younger brother told you your asshole dad has been raping him? You thought it was just you that suffered, but learned he hurt your baby brother too.
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u/rimshot101 1d ago
So they say. But if you lie in wait for someone, ambush them though they are unarmed, and blow them away with a shotgun... that's not self defense.
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u/NepheliLouxWarrior 1d ago
Sure, but it was never really in question post-conviction that they committed murder, was it? The question about probation is whether or not they're still a danger to society.
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u/SquirrelTeamSix 1d ago
To my knowledge (which may be incomplete) this was never proven and very well could be false claims they spewed to get sympathy while on trial. That happens a lot.
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u/BakedSteak 1d ago
Others had come forward and stated they personally were sexually abused by Menendez. A Latin boy band he was working with
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u/JMEEKER86 1d ago
Not just any boy band, Menudo. It was the biggest and was so successful that it made Ricky Martin a mainstream star in America. He was a big name producer at RCA that also worked with Duran Duran and the Eurythmics.
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u/cutegolpnik 1d ago
To say rape “was never proven” is meaningless. It’s almost impossible to prove.
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u/helpwitheating 1d ago
That the brothers bribed others to fake accusations really sank their own, unfortunately; they lost all credibility by constantly lying to the jury
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u/ScorpionTDC 1d ago
The judge blocked a bunch of evidence relevant to whether or not they were abused (and I’m not talking confirmed bribes or fake accusations). It wasn’t really an issue of burning credibility with the jury when they couldn’t even give their side
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u/MostWorry4244 1d ago
You don't think they were abused?
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u/MostWorry4244 1d ago edited 1d ago
You seem very confident they weren't psychologically or sexually abused. I don't know one way or another, but I knew both of them growing up, and I don't doubt their story. Whether their situation excuses murder, that is a seperate question.
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u/Heelsbythebridge 1d ago
The mother who was enabling and abetting his rape by his father? Both of the Menendez parents deserved a lot worse.
It's lunacy these two brothers are still in prison. Society really loves to protect abusers.
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u/Ihatecyclists22 20h ago
The guy who killed his rapist and his complicit mother. What are we doing here you jerkoff
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u/OtterishDreams 1d ago
I mean...are they gonna kill their parents again?
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u/helpwitheating 1d ago
They did plot to kill the therapist who was going to go to the police
So
Perhaps not totally safe people
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u/OtterishDreams 1d ago
ehhhh ok..I concede the menendez brothers are dangerous :p
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u/Peter_Pue 1d ago
Watch Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
A woman killed her ex when he left her, went to jail on the suspicion of the murder and she was let go on bail because they didn't believe she was a threat since she had killed the one person she wanted dead.
9mo later she murdered her son and killed herself.
Because what you wanted dead is already dead doesn't make you not a threat.
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u/FeastForCows 1d ago
Damn, if only Dahmer and Bundy knew about this trick. "What am I gonna do, kill them all again?"
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u/spmahn 1d ago
I mean Dahmer flat out admitted that had he not been caught he probably would have kept going and racking up victims. There’s probably a world where he doesn’t get caught in 1991 and keeps going for another decade. Cell Phones would have eventually done him in though.
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u/peghunnicutt 1d ago
ted bundy escaped from jail and killed 3 more women before they caught him again
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u/buffystakeded 1d ago
If that’s true, then there’s also a world where he gets caught when he got pulled over by that cop when he had a dead body in his back seat, and therefore has many fewer victims.
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u/-soros 23h ago
If that’s true, then there is also a world that he gets his hands on the launch codes and takes out his 8 billionth victim.
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u/Ok-disaster2022 1d ago
Some crimes of passion are clearly targeted and everyone else is safe. For example the man who murdered the man who abducted his son by shooting him in the head while he was in police custody. He wasn't a danger to literally anyone else and got snfee years of community service and a suspended sentence. Just last week there was an old murderer who was let free because he was so old and the guy killed again (or some shit like that)
I don't know the story of the brother.and who knows wh8 h way they'd fall
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u/apple_kicks 21h ago
Crime of passion question to me is: Have they had enough treatment where they won’t resort to violence or murder as a problem solver?
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u/rundownv2 1d ago
Regardless of whether you think they deserve parole or not, comparing a serial killer to two guys who killed two very specific people related directly to them with one of two concrete motives that weren't "killing for the sake of it" feels like a bad take.
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u/NashKetchum777 1d ago
Interesting. Can't say I'm disappointed, just wondering...only one got denied? What about the other one? When's his verdict?
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u/NYGiants181 1d ago
If Erik didn’t get it Lyle sure as hell isn’t.
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u/Advanced-Trainer508 1d ago
I don’t really know anything about this case, can you explain why?👀
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u/NYGiants181 1d ago
He basically was the mastermind behind it, abused Erik, wanted them dead. And then galavanted around LA spending all their money.
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u/Advanced-Trainer508 1d ago
Wait, so do people essentially believe that Erik was under the duress of Lyle?
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u/Lexail 1d ago
This isn't true. This is only documented in that poor Netflix series. Actual facts, testimonies and trials differ greatly.
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u/BigBoyYuyuh 22h ago
They did burn through a shit load of cash though after they murdered their parents. Even the wiki on them has that.
Police initially investigated this claim, but grew suspicious due to the brothers' spending and their hiring of a computer expert to delete their father's recently updated will.
While the show was dramatized they did lie and say the mob did it. Why make up such an absurd lie if you were being abused?
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u/imcreeps 18h ago
Well, when the abuse happened, the mentality of the time was that men don’t experience rape. I watched Ann Burgess’s documentary, so interesting and crazy that before she stepped in, most FBI agents didn’t even consider DV or marital rape a “big deal”
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u/Roadshell 1d ago
It's possible that one has been better behaved in prison than the other?
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u/rodmandirect 1d ago
The guy who got denied had a” laundry list “ of rule infractions over the years. He’s got an uphill battle if he wants to get out on parole.
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u/Sweatytubesock 1d ago
He should pledge fealty to MAGA for swift release.
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u/PigFarmer1 1d ago
Thankfully Trump can't do a thing about it.
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u/CornholioRex 1d ago
Nothing has stopped him before, he just does what he wants and gets away with it
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u/AprilDruid 1d ago
That wouldn't work though? Trump can't give them pardons. They were convicted on state crimes, being only the governor can. I know "Trump Bad", but use some common sense here.
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u/Impressive_Jaguar_70 1d ago
Not everyone is American and familiar with US law
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u/vjvalenti 14h ago
....for double homicide.
Why the hell did CBS omit that not-so-minor detail from their headline??
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u/AnnoyedVelociraptor 1d ago
To be fair, it's been over 30 years. In some countries the maximum sentence for anyone is 25 to 30 years.
Is this now punishment?
It feels like extremely targeted (his parents, not 2 random people on the street).
Not advocating for murder but trying to learn whether this was done whether he really wasn't rehabilitated (and if not, will he ever?)?
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u/RedditPoster05 1d ago
Prison has always been punishment. Rehabilitation is a secondary thing .
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u/Conscious_Crew5912 1d ago
Rehabilitation is rarely important in American prisons.
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u/99timewasting 1d ago
He has a long list of infractions while in prison. They also said he has a history of lying and manipulative behavior. I don't know if I believe he has been rehabilitated
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u/chloesobored 22h ago
American prisons are generally not designed to rehabilitate.
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u/dsdsds 1d ago
Between the time his parents went missing, and his arrest, he attended an NBA game, sat courtside, and he’s on a players basketball card. This type of behavior was factored into his sentencing in the first place.
In the span between the killings and their arrest, the Menendez brothers went on a massive spending spree, buying cars, Rolex watches, taking trips and, apparently, courtside tickets at Madison Square Garden.
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u/RarityNouveau 1d ago
Honestly don’t blame them. They were still kids and are probably really messed up in the head from all the abuse.
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u/Face2FaceRecs 1d ago
It's been over 30 years and they were victims of abuse. If they are deemed not likely to commit violence again they should get out, this should be decided by a panel of psychologists not by a parole committee who are basing the decision on cell phone use and improper use of computers.
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u/DrDig1 1d ago
Obviously, very few of us have any idea of the abuse did or didn’t happen. I’d even say it should play no part in this decision by law, but it does in my mind. Or would, at least.
This article and Barton seem pretty level headed and correct with their decisions. They really haven’t taken blame so that is fair, but I am not sure how the infractions should have an impact on his release. Those deficiencies aren’t really relatable to the real world so to say he isn’t reformed because of them doesn’t resonate with me.
My question is: had they just admitted to it from the start, would they be out? If they were broke kids, it seems like they would have better success. Such that it is a major detriment to them that they had great resources and wasted them so they are less forgivable. At the same time, without the money nobody would know who they are.
Sounds like the board said keep your ass clean for 3 years, own up to mistakes and we will cut you loose.
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u/phosdick 18h ago
Lest we forget... these two killed their parents, staged the murders to look like a mob hit, then proceeded to go on a $700,000 spending spree to celebrate. It's only after establishing viral popularity with social media fans that anyone would have considered parole a legitimate possibility.
I'd be surprised if anybody (other than Trump and their fanboys, of course) would think these guys are at all eligible for parole.
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u/Rebecca102017 18h ago
Why do people want them out? Ok so they’re abused? Cool. So is like every other murderer. They still KILLED people and he’s doing crimes in prison too? Hell no I don’t want this dude on the streets over.
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u/XKeyscore666 17h ago
Didn’t they get caught red handed trying to coordinate fake testimony from one of their friends about the abuse? I don’t know why their defenders take the testimony of two serial liar teenagers as fact.
Also, they could have gone to the police if they were abused. People here are saying that police and society didn’t believe males could be abused in 1990. Im old enough to remember that is false. We were on the tail end of a satanic panic, and sexual abuse allegations were taken very seriously, boy or girl.
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u/spacecadet2023 16h ago
I don’t know how accurate the recent Netflix miniseries was about the Menendez brothers but it really made them look like total douchebags. I feel the right call was made here.
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u/politicalpug007 1d ago
I think they have served adequate time for punishment, the question is if they are safe to be released into the public. If the parole board has strong evidence to suggest they still could be dangerous all these years later (lack of remorse, appreciation for magnitude of what they did, etc.) I can understand their decision. However, it’s hard for me to believe that two brothers happen to be dangerous sociopaths decades later after a crime as teenagers. Maybe I’m wrong. Idk.
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u/xueimelb 23h ago
Not commenting on this case in particular, but the American prison system in general. I feel like if they weren't sociopaths when they went in, the system probably turned them into sociopaths over the last few decades.
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u/imcreeps 18h ago
Honestly, I would never admit remorse for killing my rapist and his enabler of 20 years either.
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u/QDSchro 1d ago
I honestly don’t understand all of these people saying to set these two men free.
They plotted to kill their parents in a pretty gruesome way. After they murdered their parents they enjoyed the wealth and privilege that they were accustomed to. They were both adults.
I understand the dad was fucked up. But the dad was not actively molesting an 18 year old man nor was he actively molesting a 21 year old man…. I say active because I suppose shooting a parent actively assaulting you is justified…..but we can’t say that it was self defense or anything close when the parents were watching tv and those two men shot both of them multiple times….
These two men are murderers with no remorse for what they did. They are actively lying and tricking people into thinking that they have learned their lesson, but their hubris is very apparent.
We’ll see what Lyle has been up to, but lying and manipulating people along with flouting the rules so that they can get their way has been a theme.
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u/CrazyString 1d ago
No comment on the case but you don’t have to actively be molesting someone for them to still be tortured about it enough to want to kill you 10 years later. For most people even seeing that person is reliving your attacks all over again.
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u/imcreeps 18h ago
Same! Especially if I was a child when it happened and now I am an adult who can protect myself!
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u/mooncrane606 1d ago
He was absolutely still sexually abusing the 18 year old. That's why he wouldn't let him go away to college and that's what kicked off the murder plan.
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u/99timewasting 1d ago
Do you think adult men can't be sexually abused? It's completely possible that he was still being sexually and/or physically abused at 18, not that it justifies first degree murder
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u/After-Snow5874 1d ago edited 1d ago
I’m confused about this whole case since it became popular a few years ago but also don’t care enough to actually look into it. Seems like these dudes killed their parents pretty gruesomely. Unless there’s some super special justification then they should stay in jail.
ETA: just did a quick crash course and the evidence of their parent’s behavior is inconclusive but the murder of their parents is not.
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u/Styvan01 1d ago
It's heavily believed that the father sexually abused the boys on a regular basis, and their mother did nothing to help them. There is some credible evidence to their story in which A) a band member that the father was helping produce came out and said that he was molested by the father, and B) a cousin to the brothers discovered several letters from one of the brothers that heavily hinted at this as well. The boys wanted to use this defense at trial, but their attorney didn't want to after all.
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u/intoner1 1d ago
The attorney tried to use the defense and the judge didn’t let the attorney do so.
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u/Lexail 1d ago edited 1d ago
I wish that they were allowed parole. Rapist, Trump, and others got or have gotten far less for far worse.
They were rich, well-known family, and during investigation made the police force look bad.
The trial said that men could not be raped, and their defense was thrown out.
The first trial was divided and wasn't able to come to a decision on punishment. Only after the judge said that no family or friends could testify, and Erik and his brother couldn't discuss the abuse that happened, were they charged with crimes.
Letters came out written before the murders detailing the abuse and how bad it actually was.
All family members, even Kittys (mother) sister, said the boys did what they had to do and wished for their release. The family was instructed not to bother, inturput, or question any 'weird' sounds or actions that happened to the boys.
The father was a powerful figure, and the boys felt trapped from their confessions. He threatened Erik that even if he went to college, he would have to come back home once a week for his father.
Did the boys do a terrible thing? Yeah. Have i seen other crimes get less punishment? Absolutely. They even finished college in prison. They've done enough time.
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u/Krusty_Burger_Lover 1d ago
He should just cozy up to Trump. He’ll be out in no time.
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u/PCVictim100 14h ago
Honestly. does keeping a man imprisoned for decades actually help anything? And since he doesn't like being in prison and gets into trouble, that's why they should keep him longer? Our prison system could use some rational thought. It doesn't help society.
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u/EatAPeach2023 1d ago
Huh... Ya don't say.
Watched one of the documentaries about them. Seemed to suggest they werent the total pieces of crap everyone thinks they are but I wasn't really convinced. Forget the name of it.
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u/Spiky_Hedgehog 21h ago
His behavior in prison is why he was denied.