The family of Erik and Lyle Menendez is calling for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office to be removed from their ongoing resentencing case after a graphic courtroom photo shown Friday allegedly caused the brothers’ elderly aunt to be hospitalized.
In a statement released Sunday by the Justice for Erik and Lyle Coalition, the family criticized prosecutors for displaying an unredacted image of José Menendez’s lifeless body without warning.
The display, they say, retraumatized attendees and pushed 85-year-old Terry Baralt, José’s sister, into critical condition.
“Terry, who is battling cancer, came to court to support her family,” the statement read. “But the DA’s office pushed her past the brink.”
The reason for her hospitalization was not specified, but family members blame the court’s decision to show graphic content without notice. They also argue it violated Marsy’s Law, which protects victims and their families by guaranteeing respectful treatment in the justice system.
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The DA’s office responded, saying there was no intent to cause distress, and that graphic descriptions of the Menendez case have long been public — including in a recent Netflix documentary. Still, they acknowledged the situation could have been handled more delicately: “We apologize for not giving prior warning.”
Friday’s hearing was a significant step in the Menendez brothers’ resentencing efforts. A judge denied the DA’s request to roll back a previous recommendation that could potentially reduce their sentences from life without parole to 50 years to life, which would make them eligible for parole immediately.
Baralt had spoken out just a day before her hospitalization, telling ABC News the brothers “are like the boys I didn’t have.”
“It’s time — 35 years is a long time,” she said tearfully. “A whole branch of my family is gone.”
Now, the family hopes justice will include compassion — not just punishment.
