Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘The Menendez Brothers’ living up to its title in every way conceivable, we get another insight into the infamous murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez at the hands of their two sons. We say “another” because this tale has been profiled several times over the years by various networks/shows, including TruTV, Oxygen’s ‘Snapped,’ ABC’s ’20/20,’ as well as Netflix’s ‘Monsters.’ However, this original is one of the only ones to feature exclusive interviews with not just Lyle and Erik from prison but also some of their extended family members like Aunt Joan VanderMolen.
Joan VanderMolen Had No Idea of The Alleged Menendez Family Troubles
Born to Mae Helen Maloney and Charles Milton Andersen as one of their four children in suburban Chicago, Illinois, Joan Andersen truly grew up surrounded by life, love, as well as laughter. Things did change once she, her two brothers Milton and Brian, along with their youngest, Mary Louise “Kitty,” evolved into adults as they all built lives of their own, yet they were still connected. In fact, according to the former, even though the siblings always kept in touch via calls, they also tried their best to frequently spend quality time together and have all their children connect.
But alas, per Joan’s testimony in court, she had no idea her sister Kitty Menendez was so private until all the details of her home life came into the limelight following her August 20, 1989 murder. She actually said she often talked to the late 47-year-old on the phone for hours, through which she knew of her marital family’s move to Beverly Hills and her reported subsequent decline in mental health. However, she added, instead of Kitty telling her the alleged truth that her husband Jose had been having an affair for years and there was trouble at home, she was told the struggle was due to the move.
Therefore, Joan was understandably shell shocked not just when she heard the news of her sister and brother-in-law’s homicide but also her nephews Lyle and Erik’s later arrest for first-degree murders. It was only then that she learned these brothers had reportedly been victims of intense, years-long abuse at the hands of Jose, with Kitty doing nothing to protect them — a claim her daughter corroborated. Diane VanderMolen even testified in court about this as a witness during the first trial in 1993, but to no avail because the jury deadlocked before the retrial jury in 1994 gave a guilty verdict. Her former statements, as well as indications, were thrown out for this later trial.
Joan VanderMolen Backs the Menendez Brothers
Because of every accusation made and the claims to come to light by the time Lyle and Erik were finally sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, Joan has always supported them. She did so even before since she had seen them grow up, knew their dynamic, and understood them, yet it became much more vocal following the ordeal as she wanted them to know they weren’t alone. In fact, she once told NBC4 she has long forgiven her nephews for their actions because she wholeheartedly believes they were carried out in sheer fear for their lives, yet she hasn’t forgiven her sister at all.
“You need to pay attention to your kids,” Joan stated. “My sister could have protected her kids. That was her job.” From what we can tell, she maintains this stance even now and continues to wish for nothing more than for Lyle and Erik to somehow soon be released. As if that’s not enough, this former Technical Assistant at US West has recently also come forward with fellow extended family members to slam Netflix’s ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.’ This biographical crime drama was released worldwide on September 19, 2024, and a scathing statement regarding the same was released by them less than a week later on September 26.
Posted by Erik’s wife, Tammi Menendez, it read, in part: “We are virtually the entire extended family of Erik and Lyle Menéndez. We are 24 strong and today we want the world to know we support Erik and Lyle. We individually and collectively pray for their release after being imprisoned for 35 years. We know them, love them, and want them home with us.” The statement then blasts’ Monsters’ as “a phobic, gross, anachronistic, serial episodic nightmare” of mistruths before adding, “Our family has been victimized by this grotesque shockadrama. [Creator Ryan] Murphy claims he spent years researching the case but … never spoke to us.” In other words, Ventura, California-based Joan, as well as her family, continues to hope for what they believe to be true justice to soon be served.
Read More: Andy Cano: How Did Lyle and Erik Menendez’s Cousin Die?
