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Diane Vander Molen was an influential witness in the trial of her cousins, Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were convicted for the murder of their parents in 1989. Her testimony about the s*xual molestations the brothers had allegedly suffered at the hands of their father comprised a significant aspect of the case.
For the unversed, the Menendez brothers shot their parents, José and Kitty, at their Beverly Hills mansion on August 20, 1989. Netflix's latest true-crime series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story brought this case to the spotlight again. The docuseries aired on September 19, 2024.
To this day, Diane Vander Molen maintains that her old testimony was true and indeed a major influence on the tragic events. Having largely kept out of the spotlight, she remains of public interest due to her involvement in the case.
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What Diane Vander Molen said about the Menendez brothers?
Diane Vander Molen was one of the key defense witnesses in the case of the Menendez brothers. Lyle had reportedly discussed with Diane about the dark s*xual activities done by his father, José Menendez, during the summer of 1976. Diane was seventeen at this time and Lyle was a mere eight-year-old.
She claimed that the household's atmosphere was unsettling, and emphasized "weird" s*xual behaviors and dysfunctional relationships. In January 2017, she told ABC News that Lyle confided in her that José s*xually abused him in 1976. According to her, Lyle asked her if he could sleep next to her bed because he was not comfortable sleeping in his own room as his father used to "touch" him inappropriately.
Diane recalled informing the boys' mother, Kitty, about this incident. The cousin claimed that Kitty took her husband José's side and said that Lyle was lying. After this, Kitty separated him from Diane and that was the last time the latter heard about it.
In a January 2017 interview with ABC, she mentioned:
“I know that they would never, ever have done what they did unless they felt that they had no choice — that it was either them or their parents. I believe that very strongly.”
Menendez brothers were convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy in 1996
Diane's testimony was compelling on the trial even if it meant no acquittal. The first trial ended on January 13, 1994, resulting in a mistrial. In that trial, defense lawyer Leslie Abramson argued that Erik and Lyle killed their parents in "self-defense."
The second trial took place in 1996 when the two brothers were found guilty of first-degree murder. As a result, they were sentenced to lifetime imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Diane Vander Molen's life today
Nothing has been heard about Diane Vander Molen since the trials. She has reportedly not made any attempts at profiling and prefers to be forgotten by the public. However, whenever she resurfaced, periodically, she spoke in defense of the Menendez brothers and usually warned people of the abuse they suffered at the hands of their father.
.New generations of viewers are now getting familiar with the Menendez brothers through the Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
