Menendez Brothers: Erik and Lyle's family push for their release from prison
LOS ANGELES - Nearly two dozen family members of Erik and Lyle Menendez gathered for a news conference in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday pleading for the release of the brothers from prison after the killings of their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion 35 years ago.
"They've spent over 35 years in prison. If they were the Menendez sisters, they would not be in custody. We have evolved," said Erik and Lyle's defense attorney, Mark Geragos.
Geragos said during their time in prison, the brothers created programs to counsel and mentor other inmates, and were part of the first class of 22 prisoners to get their bachelor's degree while incarcerated.
He added that several high-ranking correctional officers have submitted letters attesting to the brothers' "phenomenal behavior" while in prison.
RELATED: Rosie O'Donnell feels like the Menendez brothers' 'big sister'
"For us this is not a political issue, this is about truth, justice, and healing," said Anamaria Baralt, cousin of Erik and Lyle.
"If Lyle and Erik’s case were heard today, with the understanding we now have about abuse and PTSD, there is no doubt in my mind that their sentencing would have been very different," she said.
She went on to call the brothers "victims of a culture not ready to listen," asking the DA's office to help end "this 34-year-nightmare" and to "take into account the full picture."
"Lyle and Erik deserve a chance to heal, and our family deserves a chance to heal with them."
Joan Andersen VanderMolen, sister of Kitty Menendez, called the pair's actions "tragic," but the "desperate response of two boys trying to survive the unspeakable cruelty of their father."
"I had no idea the extent of the abuse they suffered at the hands of my brother-in-law. None of us did," she added. "We know that abuse has long effects, and victims of trauma sometimes act in ways that are very difficult to understand."
"The whole world was not ready to hear that boys could be raped," she said, adding "today we know better."
"I've known Erik and Lyle my whole life. I can tell you without a doubt that they are not the villains they've been portrayed as. They were boys, young, scared and abused by their father in ways no child should ever experience," said Brian Andersen Jr., nephew of Kitty Menendez.
Prosecutors at the time contended there was no evidence of any molestation. They said the sons were after their parents’ multimillion-dollar estate.
"They tried to protect themselves the only way they knew how," Andersen said. "Instead of being seen as victims, they were vilified."
"They are no longer a threat to society," he continued.
Menendez Brothers' press conference: Brian A. Andersen Jr.
Brian A. Anderson, nephew of Kitty Menendez: "I've known Erik and Lyle my whole life. I can tell you without a doubt that they are not the villains they've been portrayed as. They were boys, young, scared and abused by their father in ways no child should ever experience."
While several family members are supporting the brothers, Kitty Menendez’s brother, Milton Andersen, believes justice was served and his nephews should remain in prison. In a statement from Victims' Rights Attorney Kathy Cady, Anderson was never notified of the case being reassigned or any notice about the press conference… saying this was a ‘flagrant violation of his rights as a victim’s family member.’
"The news of this press conference, set for October 16, only underscores Gascón’s consistent pattern of elevating victims who align with his views while silencing those who do not," attorney Cady wrote in a statement.
New Evidence Submitted
The office of LA County District Attorney George Gascón is actively reviewing the case.
In a statement Wednesday night, the DA's Office wrote in a statement, "In addition to the habeas filing that is being handled by the office's Writs and Appeals Division, which will be considered by the court, the Menendez brothers' cases are being reviewed by the office's Resentencing Unit for possible resentencing."
Over the weekend, the DA revealed one of the two pieces of "new evidence" in the case.
It appeared to be a handwritten letter from Erik Menendez to his cousin Andy Cano, in which Erik allegedly complained about the abuse he suffered from his father eight months before the August 1989 killings.
RELATED: Menendez Brothers: Gascón reveals 'new evidence' letter that led to case review
According to the brothers' attorneys, Cano's mom found the letter nine years ago. Cano testified at trial that Erik had told him about his father's abuse when Erik was 13. Cano died in 2003.
The second piece of evidence being reviewed was a sworn statement from a former member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, who claimed he was abused by José Menendez as a teenager.
Lyle and Erik Menendez have been serving life sentences since 1996 for killing their parents, José and Mary "Kitty" Menendez. While the brothers never denied killing their parents, at trial, attorneys argued they feared for their lives after suffering years of sexual abuse from their father.
RELATED: Menendez Brothers: Testimony of Lyle and Erik Menendez, and the trial marred by wealth and abuse
The Menendez brothers have appealed their convictions multiple times over the years without success.
Their attorneys argue that because of society’s changing views on sexual abuse, that the brothers may not have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole today.
"What happened is tragic. But I forgive my cousins. I have forgiven them because I know they were acting out of fear and desperation. These were children. No child should ever have to endure that kind of pain. This abuse trapped them. It was painful and it terrified them. Their fathers' abuse shattered their lives and the family's lives, and the courts failed them," said Karen VanderMolen, niece of Kitty Menendez.
Interest in the case has recently been renewed by the release of Netflix's "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," and an upcoming documentary, in which the brothers will tell their side of the story.
RELATED: Menendez Brothers: Could Erik and Lyle be resentenced? LA DA makes major announcement
The brothers have a hearing on Nov. 29.
The family hopes to have Erik and Lyle home by Thanksgiving.
FOX News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.