As the fate of the infamous Menendez brothers remains up in the air, their remaining relatives are speaking up about their imprisonment — including an aunt who has stayed quiet on the matter for decades.
"It’s time — 35 years is a long time," 85-year-old Terry Baralt told ABC News. "It’s a whole branch of my family erased. The ones that are gone and the ones that are still paying for it, which were kids."
Baralt is the only living sister of José Menendez, who was murdered by his sons back in 1989, along with his wife, Kitty. More weight has been given in recent years to the accusations that he sexually abused his children, which has played a part in the calls for Erik and Lyle Menendez to finally be eligible for parole after spending over three decades in prison.
"When kids are little and they come to you, you fix the problem. I can’t help them," she admitted. "There is nothing I can do — just go visit them and cry when I leave."
Last fall, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón voiced his support for resentencing, which would allow the brothers to be eligible for parole. When Nathan Hochman was elected to replace Gascón in the latest election, he made a hard pivot from his predecessor’s stance.
Hochman has insisted the Menendez brothers have demonstrated a "lack of acceptance of responsibility for their murderous actions" and that they "pose an unreasonable risk of danger to the community."
Many of their family members, as well as members of the general public, have voiced their disagreement. Currently, a judge is hearing arguments as to whether a resentencing hearing will take place at all.
For Baralt, any delays in determining her nephews’ fate take an additional toll — she told ABC News that she’s fighting colon cancer, and may not live to see them released if it doesn’t happen soon.
"I have tried to go see them as much as I can, but it’s hard because I live in New Jersey and I’m 85," she said. "I don’t have that much time."
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