Erik Menendez Told His Cousin He Was Molested by His Father Prior to Killing His Parents

It’s been more than 28 years since Erik and Lyle Menendez brutally murdered their parents in their massive Beverly Hills mansion. The infamous double homicide of Kitty, 47, and wealthy entertainment executive, Jose Menendez, 45, is widely considered to be one of the most horrific crimes ever committed. To this day, many people still have questions surrounding their untimely deaths, like, for example, who is Andy Cano, and how is he connected to the crime?

In 1993, prosecutors — who were seeking the death penalty — contended that the brothers killed out of hatred and greed, while the defense claimed that they acted in self-defense after years of physical, mental, and sexual abuse. At the time, their cousin Andres (Andy) Cano testified that a 13-year-old Erik told him that his father gave him genital “massages” and wanted to know if they were part of a “normal father-son relationship.” Andy, who is three years younger, said he and his cousin had several talks about the massages and said Erik told him that they “were beginning to hurt” and that “he wanted them to stop.”

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Erik was reportedly so depressed following his parents’ slaying that he confessed to the killings on a whim to his therapist. “I told him Lyle and I walked into the room with two shotguns and killed our parents,” Erik said. “And that’s why I felt so guilty.”

Over the years, the brothers — who are currently serving life sentences in two separate California prisons — have opened up in interviews about gunning down Kitty and Jose. This past January, Lyle, 49, told ABC News how he has learned to live with the crime. “I am the kid that did kill his parents, and no river of tears has changed that and no amount of regret has changed it,” he said. “I accept that. You are often defined by a few moments of your life, but that’s not who you are in your life, you know. Your life is your totality of it.”

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