In the midst of her efforts to rescue Lyle and Erik Menendez from jail, the aunt of the Menendez children is experiencing a setback in her health.
According to a statement released by Bryan Freedman, a lawyer representing the Menendez family in the midst of their efforts to liberate the brothers, Terry Baralt, who is now dealing with a diagnosis of colon cancer, “was rushed to the hospital and remains in critical condition” on Sunday, April 13.
Baralt, who was 85 years old, was discovered unconscious in a hotel room in Los Angeles, as reported by TMZ, which was the first news outlet to reveal the information.
In his statement, Freedman took aim at the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, claiming that the “disturbing and reckless decision” to show “an unredacted, graphic image of José Menendez’s lifeless body” had “retraumatized family members in attendance and led to the hospitalization of” Baralt, who is José’s sister. Freedman’s statement was directed at the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.
An apology was issued by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office in a statement to TMZ. The statement read, “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 through words but also through a crime scene photo.”
Mark Geragos, who represents Lyle and Erik, did not immediately answer to a request for comment that was sent by PEOPLE on April 13. Neither did the Office directly react to the request.
In the beginning of this week, Baralt made her first public statement ever, in which she pleaded for her nephews to be freed from jail. They were found guilty of first-degree murder for the shooting death of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in 1989. Baralt’s nephews were convicted of the crime.
“It’s time,” Baralt, Jose’s lone surviving sister, said in an interview with ABC News. “It’s time.” It has been 35 years, which is a very long period. It is the elimination of a whole branch of my family. Both those who have passed away and those who are still paying for it, who were children, are included in this category.
In addition, Baralt provided an explanation as to why she has chosen to make her voice heard during the interview, which also included eight members of the family expressing their unanimity of support for the release of Erik and Lyle. She said, “This is a story for everyone,” and she meant it. I find it to be a very personal matter. They are like the guys that I did not have. Those children are like that.
Due to the fact that she has cancer, Baralt has expressed her concern that she would not be able to see the boys’ release from jail. “It is a cause for concern,” she said. It is difficult for me to see them as much as I would want since I reside in New Jersey and I am 85 years old. I have made an effort to do so. This is not a time that I have available.”
The Mendendez brothers were found guilty in 1996 and given a term of life in prison without the possibility of release. This conviction came after a mistrial in 1993. Since then, they have been active in the fight for their freedom, maintaining that they killed their parents in the name of self-defense.
Nathan Hochman, the district attorney for Los Angeles County, said in a news conference on March 10 that he would not propose resentencing the Menendez brothers because, in his opinion, they had not taken responsibility for the offenses that they had committed.
A response from Geragos was provided to Hochman’s statements during an interview that took place the next day on the Today program. He said that twenty-two members of the Menendez family attended a meeting with the District Attorney’s office in order to urge for the release of the brothers and to request that the office “stop re-traumatizing us.”
“We could tell at that meeting that [Hochman] had no interest in that,” Geragos said to reporters. To put it another way, this truly does bring to light one of the misconceptions that the District Attorney’s office has here. When it comes to victims, they have no interest.
Geragos continued by asserting that Hochman is “almost serially abusing [the Menendez family] with his lies and his litany of lies.” It was Geragos who made this assertion.
The Menendez brothers’ resentencing case is allowed to go forward, according to NBC News, which reported that a judge in Los Angeles made the decision on April 11.
It was alleged by the site that the brothers made a virtual appearance for the whole session. It has been claimed that the prosecution displayed gruesome photographs of the crime scene many times throughout the presentation.
It has been reported by NBC News that another hearing is going to take place on Thursday, April 17th.