Ana Garcia is laying down the law when it comes to a fair shot at justice.
What led up to the events on the night of Aug. 20, 1989, when Lyle and Erik Menendez killed their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, has long fascinated the public. Now, the Emmy award-winning journalist and host of the new television series “True Crime News” is revealing why she thinks the case would have played out differently if it had been tried today.
“I always say that time is the most interesting lens there is through which we can revisit something.” Garcia exclusively explained to The Post at Warner Brother’s Fall TV Season Celebration on Thursday. “Think about it: the first case where they did introduce the defense that they had been abused by their father, that jury was a hung jury. D.A. tries it again, this time, any testimony and the defense about the sexual abuse was severely limited, if even truly permitted.”
Erik and Lyle have long claimed that their father sexually abused them, which they say led up to shooting their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion. The brothers were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 at just 21 and 18 years old.
“It was a totally different trial. They were two radically different versions of what was going on in that house,” continued Garcia. “And so they get convicted, I get it. They acted not just about the murders because they have admitted they killed their parents. I think that’s where the evolution has happened. They killed their parents. There’s no question about it. Was it horrific? Absolutely. I once had a police captain say to me, if every young person who was abused by their parents killed their parents, we’d have a lot of dead parents. I can understand the fear.”
Garcia noted that in 1989, “there was not a lot of compassion for them. They were just seen as bratty, wealthy Beverly Hills kids.”
“But they clearly suffered. So I think had that trial occurred now, with the way we are more sensitive to the abuse of children, to understand and have that context, I think the trial perhaps would have had maybe a different outcome,” she reflected. “Maybe it would have been manslaughter. They were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. And they’ve been in prison for about 30 years. They’re in their 50s.”
As for why the Menendez case returned to the news cycle all these years later?
“What I appreciate is this movement — the prosecutors, the former prosecutors, are people who are diehards who don’t want to hear this. They’re discounting what they call the TikTok movement. You know what? The TikTok movement in the Menendez brothers case is valid. You have several generations that have never heard of this case who have a different perspective on it, and they have a different view of what they believe justice is. And they’re looking at justice through a current lens. And so I think we should revisit it.”
Taking a moment to touch on the new evidence that has come to light, Garcia added, “There’s the letter that was written from Erik to his cousin nine months before the murders, referring to how frightened he was, he didn’t want dad coming into his room anymore, all of that. That’s clear evidence. Then you have one of the former members of the boy band Menudo, saying that he was sexually assaulted by Jose Menendez, their father, a very similar and independently told story. So I think it’s worth revisiting.”
As does Kim Kardashian. The 43-year-old penned an emotional letter calling for the release of Lyle and Erik, which the podcast host highly commends.
“I think that Kim Kardashian’s essay on her perspective and her opinion on this case is so well done,” the news personality stated. “She’s asking people to have some compassion and think of justice for these two people. Look, should they be released? I don’t know that answer. I really don’t. If this is truly going to be manslaughter, then maybe yes, 30 years is enough.”
Garcia concluded, “There’s a spectrum, right. Like where do the Menendez brothers fit in? I think we should have a discussion about it. I really do. And I am so grateful to the cause on social media, whether it’s TikTok or Instagram or wherever anyone has decided that they want to have it. We’re having a conversation on social media about what everyone thinks is right.”
The Menendez brothers aren’t the only polarizing case Garcia has investigated; they are far from it. The reporter is set to cover a slew of cases, some of which have garnered generous media attention and others have not.
“Every day, and this is five days a week, so every day we do a deep dive into two big cases in addition to updating you on what’s happening in court. But these cases are both really high profile or cases that you’ve never heard of. And I think that we are really giving a voice to survivors, to victims, their families,” she expressed. “I always try and say survivors more than victims because it’s a way of reclaiming your power, especially in a situation where someone is taking something from you. So vital, whether it is your health, your safety, your life, the life of a loved one. And I think it’s really important that we hear them and that we hear the survivor stories.”
True crime doesn’t stop for Garcia when the cameras turn off, admitting that “there’s one case that I covered as a young reporter when I worked for a Philadelphia TV station, and it happened in South Jersey” that stuck all these years later.
“This case is unsolved. I was there the day the little boy disappeared. They thought he had run away. His name is Mark Himebaugh, and he was 11 years old at the time. It happened right before Thanksgiving. And then they realized he hadn’t run away. He was likely abducted and he is presumed dead. But, of course, his parents hold out hope that any day he will walk through that door.”
Garcia shared, “The fact that we have never solved this case just bugs me to no end. So, in my free time, I work on that with two retired police officers, one who worked the case at the time, and then one who is a partner of mine and just trying to do advocacy work. So I try to give back in that way.”
But the correspondent does have a confession about her career, revealing, “People will tell me or they’ll stop and they’ll say, did you see this documentary, that documentary? Unless it’s for work, honestly, I can’t watch True Crime. I really can’t. I get very upset. I do need a break.”
And everyone can relate to what Garcia’s breaks consist of.
“My favorite thing, I know it’s ridiculous, on TikTok and Instagram, I love to look at little animals, and I love to hear little animals eating. And so any video that has a little animal, little squirrels eating a hamburger, the little hedgehog that’s running on the floor, that’s my thing. I love it. It will melt me. I’ll send it to my son. I’ll send it to my friends. That’s how everyone knows that I’m on a break from crime. ‘Oh God. There she is. The chickens!’”
“True Crime News” airs on weekdays, and new episodes of “True Crime News The Podcast” drop every Tuesday and Friday.
