Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Menendez Brothers Lose Bid for New Trial | Crime Alert 6AM 09.26.25

Episode Date: September 26, 2025

After separate parole hearings both denied, judge also puts a stop to the Menendez brothers' motion for a new trial. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Crime alert, hourly update, breaking crime news now. Lyle and Eric Menendez will not be getting out of jail. Lawyers were the brothers convicted of killing both parents, Jose and Kitty, filed a petition with the court signing two new pieces of evidence. They claim the evidence supports claims of sex abuse. L.A. Superior Court Judge William Ryan rejected the motion saying the new evidence was not compelling enough.

to produce a reasonable doubt in the mind of at least one Girard. Lyle and Eric Menendez will be eligible to apply for parole again in three short years. I'm Sidney Sumner. That's right, the Menendez brothers will not be getting another trial. It's the conclusion of a two-year legal process reviewing a habeas corpus petition filed by the brothers' attorneys, Cliff Gardner, and Mark Garragos. The petition argued that two new pieces of evidence support the brothers' claim that their father, Jose Menendez, sexually abused them for years. The evidence included a late 1988 or early 1989 letter written by Eric Menendez to his cousin Andy Kano, vaguely describing the abuse.

The attorneys also mentioned allegations from Roy Rosello, a former member of the boy band Menudo, that Jose Menendez molested him as a teenager. The attorneys claimed this proved that Jose Menendez was a violent, brutal man that was still abusing his children just months before his death. Prosecutors argued the new evidence is not new, but a 35-year-old letter that Andy Conno never mentioned, despite testifying in both trials. Prosecutors said in a habeas motion, new evidence must be submitted in a timely manner, typically within five years for the motion to stand. They also claim the letter likely would not have swayed a jury to provide a different outcome, and ultimately, Judge William Ryan agreed.

This decision on the heels of unsuccessful parole hearings for both brothers, the separate boards, both citing anti-social personality traits, as reasons the brothers still pose a threat to the public. Lyle Menendez expressed his frustration with the decision in a Facebook post, calling the judge's disregard of Rasello's allegations and exercise in mental gymnastics. Menendez says their fight for freedom continues. Both Eric and Lyle Menendez are eligible to be reconsidered for parole in 2008. A 16-year-old North Carolina boy was shot in the face by one of a group of friends at a sleepover in Charlotte on Sunday. His family said in a GoFundMe that they were told by doctors Jeremiah Gonzalez

would not survive his injuries. The crowdfunding page reads, quote, on the night of September 21st, 16-year-old Jeremiah Gonzalez was doing what any teenager should be able to do, spending time at a sleepover, playing video games with friends. Jeremiah was a bright, kind, and loving young man with his whole future ahead of him. Yosu Ramos 20 has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill in possession of a stolen firearm. An arrest affidavit says that Gonzales and Ramos were at the home of friends, a 21-year-old man and his 17-year-old brother. The 17-year-old witness to the shooting told investigators that Ramos brought two guns into the house, a Smith and Wesson, in an AR-style pistol. Ramos picked up the Smith and Wesson, pointed it at Gonzales and pulled the trigger, the teen said,

adding that he had a habit of pointing unloaded weapons at them and pulling the trigger. After the shooting, the 21-year-old tried to offer aid while the 17-year-old called police. Ramos grabbed the AR pistol and fled. Police tracked his vehicle and arrested him. Investigators found the gun used to shoot Gonzalez on the bed near the boy. Its serial number showed that it was stolen. Court records show a pending charge of carrying a concealed weapon against Ramos from 2024. He is being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail on a $100,000 bond. He is due back in court in October, and charges are likely to be upgraded by that time. More crime and justice news after this. A South Carolina man has been arrested for keeping four people captive in his basement, some allegedly for years. Police

began investigating 35-year-old Donnie Ray Birchfield Jr. in August after one of the people he was holding, died. The warrants for Birchfield's arrest accuse him of holding the four people against their will, denying them food, medical treatment, and a means to communicate with the outside world. one of the victims died, but her death was not reported until the following day. They also say that Birchfield kept a girlfriend prisoner and routinely choked her, telling her he knows how to dispose of a body because of past experience. He's also accused of stealing money from the victims and using it to pay his credit card bills and shop at Walmart. He was arrested on August 1st and charged with abuse of a vulnerable adult, false imprisonment, and domestic violence,

but the charges were not made public until last week. He has also been charged, with fraud and exploitation as well. Warrants say the woman who died on July 24th and her husband, who was also kept in the basement, were vulnerable adults, and Birchfield was their caregiver. The other two victims were women in romantic relationships with Birchfield. According to the court documents, one had been at the home since September 2024, and the other had lived there since 2015. The documents say Birchfield controlled every aspect of the victim's lives, when they ate and used the bathroom, when they could leave the basement, and when they could access their cell phones, which he kept, to prevent them from calling for help. Teresa Henson said that the man found

in the basement was her developmentally disabled brother, who was living independently until he disappeared a few years ago. His wife was the woman who died in July. He really didn't say anything because I think he was still like trauma and in shock. I walked out of the room and just busted out crying because it was just so heart-picking. Berchfield, who maintains his innocent, according to his attorney is being held on a $150,000 bond, and more charges are possible. For the latest crime injustice breaking news, be sure to follow the Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app. With this crime alert, I'm Sidney Sumner. This is an IHeart podcast.