April 14 (UPI) — The 85-year-old aunt of Erik and Lyle Menendez, who are currently serving life sentences for the 1989 murders of their parents, has been hospitalized after prosecutors showed graphic crime scene photos in court, according to the family.
Terry Baralt, who is José Menendez’s sister, traveled from her home in New Jersey to Los Angeles on Friday to support her nephews at their hearing, as they fight to be released after 35 years in prison.
“No physical pain has ever kept her from being there for her nephews,” the family wrote in a statement, adding that she has been battling colon cancer. “But the display put on by the DA’s office pushed her past the brink.”
According to the family, Baralt was found unresponsive Sunday and was hospitalized in critical condition. The relatives blamed the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office for its “cruel” presentation last week in court as they showed a photo of José Menendez’s lifeless body.
“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 family said.
“The display was re-traumatizing, completely avoidable and we believe it was intentional,” they added. “The District Attorney’s Office knew what the law required and deliberately chose to ignore it.”
According to the family, the DA’s office violated Marsy’s Law, which is California’s bill of rights for victims, entitling them to “be treated with fairness and respect” and “free from intimidation, harassment and abuse.”
Last month, the Menendez family had asked for District Attorney Nathan Hochman to be removed from the case.
“The prosecutors have shown again and again that they are incapable of handling this process with fairness, care or neutrality required by law,” they said.
Friday’s hearing reviewed Hochman’s motion to withdraw the brothers’ resentencing petition, which was submitted by former district attorney George Gascón. The judge denied the motion and scheduled the brothers’ official resentencing hearing for Thursday and Friday.
Erik, 54, and Lyle, 57, Menendez admitted to killing their parents in 1989 and claimed it was in self-defense as they accused their father of physical and sexual abuse. Prosecutors said the brothers lied about the alleged abuse and killed their parents for a $15 million fortune.
While Hochman apologized to the family Monday “for not giving prior warning” about the crime scene photos, he said “these hearings are intended to be a place where the truth, no matter how painful, is brought to light.”
“We caution anyone attending a hearing in person to be prepared for some of the difficult details,” the DA’s office added, “and images surrounding these tragic circumstances.”
