The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office rejected the testimony filed by former Menudo band member Roy Roselló related to the Menendez brothers' early release from jail efforts.
Rosselló has been saying for years he was abused by Erik & Lyle Menendez's father. His allegations were one of the two pieces of evidence used in the incarcerated Menendez brothers' 2023 habeas corpus petition for a new trial.
The brothers, who have been appealing their life sentence for murdering their parents since their conviction in 1996, used Roselló's testimony as well as a letter sent by Erik to his cousin Andy Cano eight months before the killings, alleging sexual abuse by his father in their habeas corpus petition. Public interest in the case was renewed after the series 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story' was released in September 2024 and became the number one series on Netflix internationally.
In July 2025, Judge William C. Ryan ruled that these two pieces of evidence might have altered the outcome of the brothers' second trial, in which such testimony had been excluded. However, Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman dismissed the letter as potentially "untrustworthy," arguing it could have been used in the original trials and questioning why it wasn't, rather than being rediscovered decades later.
He also deemed Roselló's declaration inadmissible and irrelevant to the brothers' actions, emphasizing that alleged abuse does not legally justify premeditated murder.
Hochman stated that "The central defense of the Menendez brothers at trial has always been self-defense, not sexual abuse. The jury rejected this self-defense defense in finding them guilty of the horrific murders they perpetrated; five different appellate state and federal courts have affirmed those convictions, and nothing in the so-called 'new' evidence challenges any of those determinations."
The DA wrote, "There are few murder cases in which the evidence of planning and premeditation is as stark as that presented in this case." Further stating that their petition "does not come close to meeting the factual or legal standard to warrant a new trial."
Hochman described the habeas petition as a "Hail Mary" attempt to overturn convictions reaffirmed by multiple appellate courts, reiterating that the self‑defense claim was central but already rejected by juries and judges. Hochman's predecessor, George Gascón, previously recommended resentencing, citing the brothers' rehabilitation and the alleged abuse as mitigating factors.
Despite this, under Hochman's leadership, the DA's office has urged the court to reject the habeas motion and to uphold the convictions as justified by the overwhelming evidence of premeditated murder. A resentencing judge has already set a 50‑to‑life term, making the brothers eligible for a parole hearing later this month, though a final decision now rests with the parole board and California Governor Gavin Newsom.
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