ANDY Cano was the cousin of the Menendez brothers, who took the stand to defend his relatives.
Erik and Lyle murdered their parents on August 20, 1989, in a crime that shocked America and was infamously dramatized by Ryan Murphy in his Netflix series Monsters.
The brothers were sentenced to life in prisonAP: Associated Press
Andy testified about the brothers’ alleged abuse in courtCourt TV
The brothers were sentenced to life in prison without parole but it has been announced that their case will go to a retrial after new evidence came to light.
Sadly Andy passed away from a drug overdose in 2003, years before there was a widespread movement to free Erik and Lyle.
An infamous trial
Not much is known about Andy’s life before the trial, but his testimony became an integral part of the Mendendez brothers’ case.
Andy was asked by Erik and Lyle’s attorney, Leslie Abramson, to reveal a secret that his older cousin had confided in him.
Under oath, Andy alleged that Erik was being sexually abused by his father, Jose.
Andy said that Erik revealed this information when he was 13 and that they had spoken about it several times.
However, when the trial ended in a hung jury, a second trial was called and information about Erik and Lyle’s alleged abuse was restricted.
Over time, the trial became the subject of huge public interest and was watched live across America.
After the trial
The brothers’ defense was not successful and they were eventually sentenced to life in prison without parole.
After the trial, Andy battled with intense feelings of guilt about not intervening earlier.
Eventually, he overdosed on sleeping pills and passed away in 2003, at the age of 29.
Andy’s sister, Marta, found a letter from Erik to his cousin which shed more light on his claims of sexual abuse
The letter read: “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’s 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.”
While testifying, Andy opened up about how conversations with Erik about the abuse always ended with a “pinkie promise” to stay silent.
A letter written by Erik to Andy details his alleged abuseAP: Associated Press
The brothers finally reunited in 2018AP: Associated Press
The Menendez brothers’ crime
The Menendez brothers murdered their parents Kitty and José on August 20, 1989.
They claimed that this was motivated by the alleged years of abuse that they suffered at the hands of their father.
After the murder, they lived a lavish lifestyle which was paid for with the millions of dollars that they inherited from their parents.
Erik hired a professional tennis coach and Lyle bought a buffalo wing restaurant in New Jersey.
They were eventually caught after Erik confessed to his therapist, Dr Jerome Oziel, who then told his mistress, Judalon Smyth.
When Jerome broke off his affair with Judalon, she told the police about the Menendez brothers’ crime.
After being sentenced in 1996, the brothers didn’t see each other again until 2018.
Since Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series Monsters dramatized their crimes and a subsequent documentary dived into the case, calls for Erik and Lyle’s release have intensified.
Celebrities including Kim Kardashian have advocated for their release and new evidence will be given at an upcoming retrial.
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