Erik and Lyle Menendez's Cousin Claims Her Uncle Was 'Very Intense' as She Believes the Brothers Deserve a 'Second Chance'

Erik and Lyle Menendez's cousin Anamaria Baralt revealed that the brothers' father, Jose Menendez, was "very intense" and made a lot of people uncomfortable at family gatherings with his style of humor.

During a recent interview on NewsNation’s Banfield, host Ashleigh Banfield spoke with Anamaria about her family's dynamics and specifically asked whether she felt love for Erik and Lyle's parents, Jose and Kitty.

Anamaria told the host, "I loved my aunt and uncle."

"My uncle was very intense, for sure. He had a very intense energy about him. He could be very funny. It was often at somebody’s expense," she explained. "He had that kind of humor."

"I, because Erik and I are the same age, right? We’re only three months apart, so, in some ways, I was a little bit insulated from having adult interactions with them," she continued. "We kids were always off on, you know, doing some kind of thing. But no, he was very intense. But I did love them."

The Menendez brothers have served 35 years in prison for the 1989 murders of their parents. They are serving life without the possibility of parole.

In recent months, their relatives have stepped up efforts to secure their release, arguing their brains were affected by years of childhood sexual abuse and that their good behavior in prison shows they have been rehabilitated.

On Wednesday, February 26, California Governor Gavin Newsom discussed the Menendez case in a trailer for his new personal podcast, "This Is Gavin Newsom."

He promised the podcast "may even break some news" and said he requested an investigation into whether the brothers pose a threat to public safety.

Anamaria said she was looking forward to the governor's process and the potential release of her cousins as she believes they deserve a "second chance."

"He has promised transparency throughout this process. So, I can’t wait for people to really get to know Lyle and Erik and the incredible people that they are," she told the newscaster. "I don’t know, necessarily. I can’t speak to what made the Governor decide to step in. I think it may have been a few different factors coming in."

The Menendez brothers' cousin continued, "There’s been certainly a lot of people learning about Lyle and Eric and about their rehabilitation, and that has been made public. So, I hope that that has had a part in it, and I’m just grateful on behalf of the family."

The Menendez brothers are due to have a resentencing hearing on March 20-21 in the Los Angeles Superior Court in Van Nuys.

The hearing was requested by D.A. George Gascón, whom Nathan Hochman defeated in November.

Nathan has yet to say whether he is committed to the request, which would lower the brothers' sentences to 50 years to life and make them immediately eligible for parole.