LOS ANGELES — The Menendez family has reported that Terry Baralt, the aunt of Erik and Lyle Menendez, has been hospitalized following the display of disturbing crime scene images in court by prosecutors.
According to a statement released by the family, 85-year-old Terry Baralt, who is the sister of José Menendez, was discovered unresponsive last night and is currently in critical condition at a hospital in New Jersey.
The family holds Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman’s office responsible for Terry Baralt’s hospitalization. They claim that Baralt was deeply upset after being shown graphic pictures of José Menendez’s deceased body in court without any prior warning.
A statement from the Menendez Family reads in part:
“No one prepared us. There was no warning, no humanity – just shock and pain inflicted on people who have already endured decades of grief.”
“The display was retraumatizing, completely avoidable, and we believe it was intentional. The District Attorney’s Office knew what the law required and deliberately chose to ignore it.”
“The level of disrespect was staggering. But it’s part of a disturbing pattern we’ve come to expect, especially from DA Hochman, who has repeatedly spoken to us with aggression and disdain and we will be holding him accountable.”
“Our family is hurting. Terry may not recover from what was done to her – and to all of us – in that courtroom. We deserve better. We firmly believe that if the DA’s office had shown even an ounce of consideration for us, as victims, we would not be hoping for one more day with Terry right now.”
Baralt recently spoke in support of the brothers’ re-sentencing effort in her first television interview. ABC’s Matt Gutman sat down exclusively with the family before Friday’s hearing.
“It was a crazy time for those kids, and what they did was done, but they’re sorry now, but people have to believe that they are sorry…They have paid 35 years in prison, believe me, you pay,” Baralt said.
The family’s attorney Bryan Freedman accuses prosecutors of violating Marsy’s Law, which requires empathy toward victims.
The L.A. District Attorney’s Office released a statement late Sunday afternoon that read in part:
“We never intend to cause distress or pain to individuals who attend a court hearing. We understand the nature of the evidence of these heinous double murders was deeply emotional. However, by design, these hearings are intended to be a place where the truth, no matter how painful, is brought to light. That truth starts with the abject brutality and premeditation of the murders themselves.”
“To the extent that the photographic depiction of this conduct upset any of the Menendez family members present in court, we apologize for not giving prior warning that the conduct would be described in detail not only in words but also through a crime scene photo.”
“We remain committed to ensuring future proceedings move forward with the dignity, respect and transparency this case deserves. We caution anyone attending a hearing in person to be prepared for some of the difficult details and images surrounding these tragic circumstances.”
The brothers’ resentencing hearing will proceed Thursday and Friday.
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