Roy Rosselló, a member of the group MENUDO, has accused the Los Angeles district attorney of trying to hide the prosecution’s previous errors by dismissing the claims of sexual abuse by the Menendez brothers as unreliable.
In 2023, Rosselló, who made explosive accusations that he was sexually abused by Jose Menendez, an executive at RCA Records, when he was just 14 years old, strongly supported the release of Erik and Lyle Menendez in an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun.
Rosselló’s powerful testimony in the documentary Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed on Peacock has been crucial in the potential resentencing of Erik and Lyle Menendez.
Former District Attorney George Gascón underscored two pieces of evidence to a judge when he recommended a resentencing of Erik, 53, and Lyle Menendez, 56 last year.
The recommendation came after an attorney for the brothers filed a habeas corpus petition, which included Rosselló’s admission about his encounter with Jose in the 1980s, and a letter Erik wrote to his cousin months before the 1989 murders, in which he alludes to abuse by his father.
However, after Gascón lost re-election last November, the Menendez brothers’ chance at freedom was derailed when District Attorney Nathan Hochman brutally opposed a potential resentencing.
In a February 21 press conference, Hochman broke down why he believed Erik’s 1988 letter to his cousin, Andy Cano, and Rosselló’s testimony are not enough to get the killers off free.
Hochman questioned the legitimacy of Erik’s letter and characterized the brothers’ sexual abuse claims as “untrustworthy.”
The district attorney went as far as to say Rosselló’s revelation was “not admissible” because it would have no bearing on the brothers when they killed their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez.
‘JUSTICE FAILED’
“Sexual abuse in this situation may have been a motivation for Erik and Lyle to do what they did, but it does not constitute self-defense,” Hochman said.
In an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun, Rosselló condemned Hochman’s declaration and said justice failed Erik and Lyle.
“The D.A. want to cover the mistakes they did in the past,” Rosselló said.
“One fatal mistake which was that society was not ready to understand that mens [sic] and boys are abused as well.
“And the society and the Justice Department never to [sic] saw and ignored the victims completely.
“But now, the mentality of people are changing.”
Rosselló added, “How do us [sic] can to understand this [sic] horrible things happen to children in their own families and until nowadays the justice is [sic] fail!
“And reasons I have a lot to say why they should not be in jail. They never deserve to be in jail!
“What I would like to say, potential implications of this declarations is how might it impact the case, the victims, public perception, the consequences in the legal and social aspect.
“For him it is not ‘untrustworthy’ but for me it is! I was there!
“And it was not only once. But saying one more word to him [Hochman]: Don’t want or try to be against God’s purpose in the earth! Cause everything is happening accordingly God said.”
Erik Menendez’s letter to his cousin
A hand written letter Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin about his dad’s alleged abuse has sparked a review of the case that could set him and his brother free from jail.
Erik’s letter was written in December 1988, eight months before the double murders in August 1989.
The letter reads in full:
“I’ve been trying to avoid dad. It’s still happening, Andy, but it’s worse for me now. I can’t explain it. He so overweight that I can’t stand to see him.
“I never know when it’s going to happen and it’s driving me crazy. Every night I stay up thinking he might come in.
“I need to put it out of my mind. I know what you said before but I’m afraid. You just don’t know dad like I do. He’s crazy!
“He’s warned me a hundred times about telling anyone, especially Lyle.
“Am I a serious whimpus? I don’t know I’ll make it through this. I can handle it, Andy. I need to stop thinking about it.”
‘PROFOUND RESPONSIBILITY’
Rosselló, who was a member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo when they were signed to RCA Records in the 1980s, alleged that he was sexually abused by producer Edgardo Diaz and Jose Menendez.
The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating Diaz for allegedly sexually assaulting one of Menudo’s members in the 1980s.
Diaz has denied Rosselló’s accusations.
In the Peacock documentary, Rosselló, now 54, said he was 13 when he first met Jose.
“That’s the man here, that raped me. This guy, that’s the pedophile,” Rosselló said of Jose in the 2023 documentary.
Rosselló said he had visited Jose at his New Jersey home and claimed he was handed a glass of wine before losing consciousness.
“I was in terrible pain for a week. I could barely stand the pain. I couldn’t even move,” Rosselló said tearfully before describing how he later woke up in a New York City hotel room, bleeding.
Lyle and Erik Menendez made similar claims during their highly publicized murder trial in the 1990s.
The brothers admitted to killing their parents, citing years of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their father as the driving motive.
Rosselló expressed to The U.S. Sun how he feels that his testimony will contribute positively to Erik and Lyle’s potential freedom.
“I feel a profound sense of responsibility and pride after my documentary Menendez + Menudo Boys Betrayed at Peacock, which has ignited new interest in the decades-long case,” he said.
“I believe that every effort counts in the pursuit of justice, and I hope my actions will contribute positively to the brothers’ potential freedom.
“My experience underscores the importance of advocacy in bringing about change and keeping critical issues in the public eye.
“I feel proud by recognizing how my documentary brought attention to the case, highlighting its significance.”
The Los Angeles district attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Timeline of the Menendez brothers case
Erik and Lyle Menendez’s case dates back more than three decades since their parents were found shot to death at their Beverly Hills mansion.
Below is a timeline of the brothers’ case, starting at the gruesome crime scene:
August 20, 1989 – José and Kitty Menendez are found dead from multiple shotgun wounds.
March 8, 1990 – Lyle is arrested outside his parents’ Beverly Hills mansion.
March 11, 1990 – Erik surrenders to police after flying back into Los Angeles from Israel.
December 1992 – Murder charges against the brothers are officially filed.
July 20, 1993 – The murder trial, highly publicized on Court TV, begins in Los Angeles with Erik and Lyle each having a separate jury.
January 28, 1994 – The first trial ends with two deadlocked juries.
October 11, 1995 – Lyle and Erik’s second trial begins with one jury.
March 20, 1996 – The Menendez brothers are convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
July 2, 1996 – Lyle and Erik are sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and sent to separate prisons.
February 22, 2018 – Lyle is transferred to the San Diego prison, where Erik is held.
April 4, 2018 – Lyle was moved into the same housing unit as Erik – the first time the brothers were reunited in over 20 years.
May 2023 – Lyle and Erik’s attorney files a habeas corpus petition after Roy Rosselló, a member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, made sexual abuse allegations against Jose Menendez in a Peacock docuseries.
September 19, 2024 – Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story releases on Netflix.
October 3, 2024 – Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón says his office is reviewing new evidence in connection with Lyle and Erik’s convictions.
October 7, 2024 – The Menendez Brothers documentary film comes out on Netflix.
October 16, 2024 – Family members of the Menendez brothers hold a press conference begging for the siblings to be released from prison.
October 24, 2024 – Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón recommends the brothers be resentenced.
November 25, 2024 – The Menendez brothers appear in court for a status hearing to learn their resentencing hearing is pushed back from December 11 to allow new DA Nathan Hochman more time to review the case.
January 30-31, 2025 – Erik and Lyle’s resentencing hearing was initially set but had to be rescheduled due to the California wildfires.
March 20-21, 2025 – The brothers are set to go before a judge for their resentencing hearing.
