Menendez brothers' aunt reveals why their mother 'ignored' her husband's abuse of their sons

Erik and Lyle Menendez's aunt has shared why she believes their mother overlooked the severe abuse they endured from their father during their upbringing.

Joan Andersen VanderMolen, the sister of Kitty Menendez, has been leading efforts to secure the brothers' release from prison as new evidence surfaces.

In an interview with NewsNation's Chris Cuomo, the emotional aunt said that the Kitty she knew growing up "would have never allowed anything happen in her home."

Instead, she speculated that their mother sacrificed her children due to being consumed by the family's newfound wealth and fame.

The brothers, aged 18 and 21 at the time, killed their parents, Jose and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez, using shotguns in their Beverly Hills mansion in August 1989.

"When we finally realized the depth of the awful treatment (from Jose Menendez), and then (Kitty Menendez) admitting she knew all along, it's beyond anything we can describe. It's so painful."

VanderMolen continued, "I think she was getting used to the money, fame and fortune. I guess her kids were enough of a sacrifice for her. The Kitty I grew up with would have never allowed anything to happen in her home. This was something that she had to have learnt by Jose."

Their cousins, Karen VanderMolen-Copley and Tamara Goodell, also mentioned that the family "knew there was abuse at gut level" but were reluctant to accept it.

Karen explained, "As time went on, we all talked to each other more and more. It validates the gut-level reactions that we had. … But as we talked to each other it became obvious."

Earlier yesterday, the family, along with defense attorney Mark Geragos, held a press conference in Los Angeles requesting a revised sentence that could potentially free Erik, 53, and Lyle, 56.

Geragos commented on the brothers' treatment during their trial, stating, "If they were the Menendez sisters they would not be in custody."

The family emphasized that during the trial, the public lacked an understanding of sexual abuse against boys, with Geragos referencing Saturday Night Live sketches that mocked Erik and Lyle.

Kitty’s sister, Joan Andersen VanderMolen, also addressed the press, expressing the family's pain over the last three decades.

"Their actions, while tragic, were the desperate response of two boys trying to survive the unspeakable cruelty of their father," VanderMolen said.

She added, "The truth is, Lyle and Erik were failed by the very people who should have protected them—their parents, the system, and society at large."