Letter of Erik Galen Menendez in Support of His Petition for Commutation of Sentence!

Dear Governor Newsom,

 I am writing to you on behalf of Erik Menendez. Erik killed his parents Jose and Mary Louise Menendez on August 20, 1989 when he was 18 years old alongside his brother Lyle. Erik was first incarcerated at the age of 19. He is now 50. Erik has spent more time in prison than he’s spent outside of it. Whether it be due to Lyle & Erik’s personal testimony, the testimony of close friends and family, or psychology experts, there's a considerable amount of evidence to show that the brothers were heavily physically, emotionally, and sexually abused. The damaging psychological ramifications of child abuse has only recently been a topic not only that people want to talk about, but also one that people understand.  Erik’s emotional intelligence was far behind his numerical age even at the time of the first trial. This is due to the years of emotional trauma he suffered at the hands of his parents. That is not to say that because he was abused he had the right to kill his parents. However, Erik’s abuse provides ample explanation as to why he could’ve committed this crime that many would characterize as heinous. I am not in any way saying that Erik is wholly innocent; in fact there are less than few people who argue that claim. I’m saying that his sentence was excessive. As the result of more extensive research done within the past few years, we are aware that one’s prefrontal cortex, the decision making part of the brain, is not fully developed until the age of 25. Lyle and Erik committed the killings of their parents when they were 21 and 18. This maturation could also be hindered by psychological maltreatment. Erik has had many years to reflect in prison. He takes full individual responsibility for the crime he committed and he’s undoubtedly remorseful. The people closest to Erik have reported him to be nothing less than thoughtful and softhearted. For a period of time, Erik worked with hospice patients while serving his life long sentence. Fellow inmates and guards speak highly of Erik and respect him as a person. While residing at Pleasant Valley State Prison, Erik also spearheaded an idea called “The Ladder System”. It rewarded positive behavior in prison that began to reform the system at Pleasant Valley. It was unfortunately shut down. He resides at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility where both brothers are incarcerated and reunited in 2018. The unit where they are housed is reserved for inmates who agree to participate in education and rehabilitation programs without creating disruptions. This is a true testament to the phenomenal person Mr. Menendez is. He would benefit society much more as a free man. Erik is not a threat to anyone today nor was he in 1996. Governor Newsom, I’ve written to you asking you to grant Erik Menendez a commutation of his sentence. It is not lost on me how perilous and trivial such a proposal seems, especially with the state of the world at the moment. I also understand that releasing two notorious killers wouldn’t paint you in the best light. I am sure, however, that the people who are opposed to the release of the Menendez Brothers are painfully misinformed. The release of Erik Menendez would not only shed light on the horrendous effects of child abuse, but would also be a great opportunity for people to learn about the facts of the Menendez Brothers case. I can assure you that they have not been portrayed accurately in the media. Erik Menendez’s release would benefit society in more ways than one. Please do the morally responsible thing Governor Newsom. #ProjectMenendez

Letter of Joseph Lyle Menendez in Support of His Petition for Commutation of Sentence

Dear Governor Newsom,

I am writing to you on behalf of Lyle Menendez. Lyle killed his parents Jose and Mary Louise Menendez on August 20, 1989 when he was 21 years old alongside his brother Erik. Lyle was first incarcerated at the age of 22. He is now 52. Lyle has spent more time in prison than he’s spent outside of it.  Whether it be due to Lyle & Erik’s personal testimony, the testimony of close friends and family, or psychology experts, there’s a considerable amount of evidence to show that the brothers were heavily physically, emotionally, and sexually abused. The damaging psychological ramifications of child abuse has only recently been a topic not only that people want to talk about, but also one that people understand. The psychological experts who evaluated Lyle testified that his emotional intelligence was far behind his numerical age even at the time of the first trial. This is due to the years of emotional trauma that he suffered. That is not to say that because he was abused he had the right to kill his parents. However, Lyle’s abuse provides ample explanation as to why he could’ve committed this crime that many would characterize as heinous.  I am not in any way saying that Lyle is wholly innocent; in fact there are less than few people who argue that claim. I’m saying that Mr. Menendez’s sentence was excessive. As the result of more extensive research done within the past few years, we are aware that one’s prefrontal cortex, the decision making part of the brain, is not fully developed until the age of 25. Lyle and Erik committed the killings of their parents when they were 21 and 18. This maturation could also be hindered by psychological maltreatment. Lyle takes full culpability for his actions and he’s extremely remorseful. Those who know Lyle best have regarded him as nothing less than caring and compassionate. While Lyle resided at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, CA, he was the president of his prison’s government. He resides at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility where both brothers are incarcerated and reunited in 2018. The unit where they are housed is reserved for inmates who agree to participate in education and rehabilitation programs without creating disruptions. Lyle also has a Facebook page dedicated to advocating for abuse victims. Fellow inmates and guards speak extremely highly of him. This attests to Lyle’s incredible character. He would benefit society much more as a free man. Lyle is not a threat to anyone today nor was he in 1996. Governor Newsom, I’ve written to you asking you to grant Lyle Menendez a commutation of his sentence. It is not lost on me how perilous and trivial such a proposal seems, especially with the state of the world at the moment. I also understand that releasing two notorious killers wouldn’t paint you in the best light. I am sure, however, that the people who are opposed to the release of the Menendez Brothers are painfully misinformed. The release of Lyle Menendez would not only shed light on the horrendous effects of child abuse, but would also be a great opportunity for people to learn the facts of the Menendez Brothers case. I can assure you that they have not been portrayed accurately in the media. Lyle Menendez’s release would benefit society in more ways than one. Please do the morally responsible thing Governor Newsom. #ProjectMenendez