Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez a loving mother and caring wife had her head shot off her shoulders while she watched television!
Lyle and Erik Menendez, the EVIL Menendez Brothers scheme to get out of prison started the night they blew there mothers head right off her shoulders with high powered shot gun blast!
How to KILL your parents for millions of dollars, then use the inheritance to destroy an innocent man's reputation.
On August 20, 1989, José and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez had their lives taken at the hands of Joseph Lyle Menendez (Lyle) and Erik Galen Menendez (Erik), (“the Menendez brothers”) the two adult children of both victims. In the consolidated habeas corpus appeal before the UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT, Lyle and Erik Menendez received an extensive review of the criminal case.
At first, the Menendez brothers told police investigators that the Mafia had killed their parents, they abandoned that story after investigators obtained audio recorded admissions that they had murdered both parents. The Menendez brothers then fabricated a story of years of sexual abuse by murder victim Jose Menendez as the reason they both burst through the doors of the family den and fired thirteen to fifteen shotgun blasts at their parents while they sat on the couch watching television. Before the massacre was over, the Menendez brothers left the house and went to their car where Lyle reloaded. They both returned to the house, where Lyle fired one more shot. The final shot, which was apparently fired while his mother Kitty was still alive, was administered while the muzzle of the shotgun was in contact with her left cheek.
(Pictured above is Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez).
Multiple fabricated lies after fabricated lie, it begins with Lyle calling 911 and emotionally told the operator, “someone killed my parents.” He said that he had just come home and discovered their bodies. Erik could be heard screaming and crying in the background. Continuing the charade when the police arrived, Lyle and Erik ran from the home toward the officers, screaming. Lyle and Erik both falsely told officers that they were elsewhere at the time of the killings. Lyle went so far as to tell the officers he thought the killings might be “business-related,” meaning a Mafia hit.
While the police were attempting to solve the crime, Erik and Lyle were concerning themselves with the considerable wealth their parents had left behind. Jose’s life insurance left Lyle and Erik with more than $300,000 each, but other valuable assets remained undistributed. At the time of his death, Jose was earning over a million dollars a year, and his combined property and stock assets amounted to more than seven million dollars. The family found the 1981 will — now the only will — which left everything to Lyle and Erik. With the knowledge that they were to inherit millions, Lyle and Erik began shopping days after the murders. Lyle started by purchasing three Rolex watches and two money clips, as well as a new Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet. Erik bought a Jeep Wrangler, and both brothers bought houses, clothes, and businesses.
In one (of many) pre-trial attempts to escape punishment a witness testified she was asked to fabricate evidence, Lyle’s girlfriend, Jamie Pisarcik, testified that Lyle asked her to allege that Jose had raped her.
Prior to the murders the family retained the services of a psychologist for Erik to help pursue a criminal diversion program connected to two 1988 burglaries Erik had been charged with in Los Angeles County, California. The family located Dr. Jerome Oziel for this purpose. After the murders the Menendez brothers resumed meeting on a professional basis with Dr. Oziel. On their own, they met with Dr. Oziel during September, October, and November of 1989. During their 1989 sessions with Dr. Oziel, neither brother immediately confessed to their roles in their parents’ deaths. Eventually, however, the truth got the best of Erik. After several sessions, he called Dr. Oziel on October 30, 1989, and said that he urgently needed to speak with him. Dr. Oziel already suspected that Lyle and Erik had committed the crimes, so when Erik called, Dr. Oziel became concerned for his safety. He had his business associate and mistress, Judalon Smyth, eavesdrop on the conversation. As it turned out, Dr. Oziel was right about both the murders and his own safety. Erik met with Dr. Oziel the next day and confessed to the crimes in detail. When Lyle arrived at Dr. Oziel’s office, he was told of the confession, and he began yelling at Erik in Dr. Oziel’s presence: “I can’t believe you did this! I can’t believe you told him! I don’t even have a brother now! I could get rid of you for this! Now I hope you know what we are going to do. I hope you realize what we are going to have to do. We’ve got to kill him and anyone associated to him.” Dr. Oziel deeply concerned for his safety decided that the best way to protect himself was to continue to meet with the brothers and convince them that he was an ally. He began taping the sessions for his safety, threatening that the tapes would be released to the police if anything happened to him.
During Dr. Oziel’s December 11, 1989, session, Erik and Lyle talked about their relationships with their parents and about the pressures they felt growing up — the fact that they loved their parents but found their father too demanding, and that their mother, who had contemplated suicide, was unhappy. They spoke candidly about the murders, discussing in some detail their thoughts and plans leading up to them. Particularly incriminating were statements about the reasons for and plans to kill Jose and Kitty, none of which included claims of sexual assault on anyone including themselves. This tape session came to the attention of the police after Dr. Oziel’s relationship with his mistress Judalon Smyth ended. At that point, Smyth approached Beverly Hills police and told them what she knew about the murders. On March 8, 1989, a warrant was served at Dr. Oziel’s home, and all the taped sessions were recovered. This tape provided the prosecution with additional evidence that the murders had been committed in a deliberate, premeditated fashion. Not before or after the murders had Erik and Lyle ever made claims of sexual assault to Dr. Oziel.
On March 8, 1990, Lyle Menendez was arrested in Beverly Hills, California for the murder of his parents. On March 11, 1990, Erik Menendez was arrested for the murder of his parents at Los Angeles International Airport after returning home from Israel. They were charged in Los Angeles County Superior Court with two counts of murder while lying in wait and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. The 1993 trials were conducted together in the same courtroom, but with two separate juries. On January 13, 1994, Erik’s jury was declared hopelessly deadlocked and on January 28, 1994, Lyle’s jury was also deadlocked, ending his trial in a mistrial.
The Menendez brothers' defense was paid for largely out of their parents' estate-the money and assets left after José and Kitty Menendez were killed. The estate was initially estimated at roughly $14-14.5 million American dollars. About $755,000 was paid from the estate for Erik’s defense, including roughly $740,000 to high powered attorney Leslie Abramson and $15,000 to attorney Robert Shapiro. About $740,000 was paid from the estate to defend Lyle, primarily covering attorneys including Jill Lansing. Public funds from Los Angeles County paid a substantial cost for additional defense attorneys, investigators, and expert witnesses because it was a capital murder case. One 1994 report put taxpayer-paid attorneys' fees at about $500,000 at that point. By 1994, the estate’s $14-14.5 million-had been largely depleted by taxes, legal fees, court costs, and other expenses. So, José and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez essentially financed their killers high-powered team of lawyers and investigators.
After the March 1990 arrest, Robert Rand (“Rand”) (a self-described investigative journalist) was paid a substantial amount of money by the Menendez brothers directly and/or indirectly to create a fabricated story that the Menendez brothers had been sexually assaulted by their father. Mr. Rand immediately zeroed in on the Jose Menendez connection to the boy band Menudo. The first fabrication told a story of Robert Rand interviewing a former member of Menudo named Enrique Martin Morales p/k/a Ricky Martin (“Ricky”) at a hotel room in Mexico City, Mexico. That Ricky stated he was driven alone to Disneyland by Jose Menendez, that Jose pulled the vehicle to the side of the road, and sexually assaulted Ricky by putting his hands down Ricky’s pants. Robert Rand has repeated this completely fabricated lie over and over to anyone who would listen, including fabricating that the interview was recorded and exist on audio tape.
In April of 1991, Robert Rand paid Bolivar Arellano Beroles (“Bolivar”) a substantial amount of money to fabricate a story that ex-menudo members had been sexually assaulted by the Menudo promoter Edgardo Diaz Melendez. On May 1, 1991, Bolivar circulated a notarized press release fabricating a story of unnamed ex-menudo members being sexually assaulted by several men including Mr. Diaz.
(NOTE: Bolivar for many years was stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from unsuspecting fans of MENUDO, selling (but not limited to) illegal counterfeit copyright concert videos/films of MENUDO dubbed on generic VHS tapes.) -
On May 22, 1991, Robert Rand enlisted Juan Gonzalez a journalist at the New York Daily News to run a cover story titled “MENUDO SEX SHOCKER”, “Teen rock idols abused by their promoter, photog [Bolivar Arellano Beroles] charges” “SEE JUAN GONZALEZ COLUMN ON PAGE 5”. The front-page story in the New York Daily Newspaper had one source Bolivar. At that moment in time, no current or past contracted member of Menudo ever stated that they had ever been sexually assaulted by anyone involved with the group, including Edgardo Diaz Melendez.
(May 22, 1991, New York Daily News front page story).
In May1991, Robert Rand, contacted the Globe tabloid magazine to fabricate a story about Menudo. The full-page story was titled “MENUDO MONKEY BIZ” . . .“As many as 15 young boys, all members of Menudo over the past 13 years, have been sexually abused by the men entrusted with their care,” charges Bolivar Arellano,. . .”. Once again Rand uses Bolivar to legitimize the fabricated story, but this time he has also enlisted Maribel Negron (“Negron”) who is quoted in the article under the alias “Maria Martinez”. Negron says she is Roberto [Avellanet] mother, that he was a member of Menudo for nearly three years, that “The managers used bad language and shouted at the boys,” she says. “They were made to work very long hours, they were fed junk food and they didn’t get paid the money that was called for in their contracts. “When they went on a tour last Thanksgiving, their was no tutor to make sure they kept up with their schoolwork. And then two of the boys got busted for smoking marijuana.”. Ms. Negron says nothing about sexual assault towards her son Roberto, to this day no claim was ever made.
(Note: Rand would again influence the Globe publication in June of 1999 to run another fabricated story about Menudo and ex-member Ricky Martin connection with Jose Menendez).
(May 1991, Vol.38 Globe Publication).
On June 7, 1991, the Department of Justice for Puerto Rico released a press communication asking anyone, with any information regards allegations lodged in the media about Menudo to contact specific telephone numbers and specific investigators and/or prosecutors under file no: CF-91-052. Upon information and belief all fabricated claims had been fully investigated and closed as unfounded. It’s important to note that no one person or company has ever brought a civil action against Edgardo Diaz Melendez or his family’s corporate entities and/or Menudo related companies anywhere including the United States and Puerto Rico claiming sexual assault and/or other fabricated abuses.
On January 22, 1992, BOLIVAR ARELLANO BEROLES (“Bolivar”) was criminally convicted of Libel, which in criminal cases requires a decision by a Court of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. BOLIVAR WAS SENTENCED TO PAY A FINE OF $500.00 FOR EACH CHARGE OR ONE DAY IN JAIL FOR EVERY $5.00 WHICH HE FAILED TO PAY AND IMPRISONMENT FOR A PERIOD OF SIX HOURS WHICH TOOK PLACE ON, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1992, AT THE JUDICIAL CENTER OF SAN JUAN. AS A RESTITUTION PENALTY, THE JUDGE ORDERED BOLIVAR TO PUBLISH A NOTICE IN A LOCAL SAN JUAN NEWSPAPER IDENTIFYING HIMSELF BY HIS COMPLETE NAME WHEREIN IT IS STATED THAT HE HAS NO EVIDENCE AT ALL TO DEMONSTRATE THE TRUTH OF HIS DEFAMATORY ACCUSATIONS.
In May 1993, detectives with the Beverly Hills Police Department telephoned Darrin McGillis. In this call investigators sought assistance reaching Ricky Martin or other members of Menudo during the time the group was signed to RCA Records and Jose Menendez was vice-president of the label.
On September 16, 1994, by Court order McGillis embargoed a Menudo concert in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, with multiple court marshals, confiscating money from merchandise and ticket sales, sound equipment and boxes of pirated Menudo music owned by Darrin McGillis. Present was Edgardo Diaz, he approached Darrin McGillis and the lead marshal for the court to get a copy of the embargo order. This was the last time Darrin McGillis interacted with Edgardo Diaz, they have not spoken since this date.
In the November 1998 edition of Vibe Magazine former Menudo Member Miguel Ángel Cancel Vázquez stated: “these accusers are “talking a lot of b.s. My years with Menudo were not like that. They were beautiful, beautiful times.”
(Pictured is former Menudo Member Miguel Ángel Cancel Vázquez).
In May and June of 1999, Robert Rand enlisted the Globe tabloid magazine to run a fabricated front-page cover story that Ricky Martin was molested by Jose Menendez during a trip to Disneyland. Rand and the Globe publication convinced Darrin McGillis for monetary incentives to repeat hearsay and essentially give legitimacy to Robert Rands fabricated lie. As of this day the Globe story is used to give legitimacy to the fabricated story Rand as repeated over and over to anyone who will listen.
(June 22, 1999, Globe tabloid publication front page cover story).
On September 14, 2014, the seventh season of a Brazilian reality television show titled “A Fazenda 7” premiered, (“A Fazenda 7” was based off the American reality show on CBS television titled BIG BROTHER) a total of 17 contestants competed for the first prize of 2 million Brazilian reais (about $350,000.00 American Dollars). Roy Rossello competed in the program and in a misguided attempt to gain public votes and sympathy he fabricated a story of being sexually assaulted while a contracted member of MENUDO, Roy told the fabricated story to another contestant, and it aired on the TV program. Shortly thereafter Roy was eliminated from the show making it only to the third episode. He has since been interviewed multiple times over the years in print, audio and video, each interview contradicting the previous statements about Edgardo Diaz. This is the first and only time any member of Menudo has alleged being sexually assaulted by Edgardo Diaz Melendez.
From June 2020 to March 2021, Darrin McGillis was suffering serious medical complications, he finally had major life saving heart surgery on March 17, 2021. During the month of March 2021, Robert Rand was leaving multiple voice messages requesting a return telephone call. When McGillis was not responding fast enough Rand began leaving detailed voice messages offering to play the Ricky Martin audio tapes he has claimed to have of Ricky telling him that Jose Menendez had sexually assaulted him.
Rand Voice Mail March 13, 2021, at 03:21 PM, Asking McGillis to return his call so to review portions of his Ricky Martin audio taped interview. (27 second voice message) -
Rand Voice Mail March 16, 2021, at 01:34 AM, Says Dateline NBC offered him big money for his Ricky Martin audio taped interview. (one minute 13 second voice message) -
Rand Voice Mail August 03, 2021, at 11:05 PM, Says has a contract and money offer for a McGillis exclusive interview. (32 second voice message) -
On August 12, 2021, Robert Rand sent Darrin McGillis a contract offering ($15,000.00) for exclusive content regards to Menudo and the Edgardo Diaz. Verbally Robert Rand was asking Darrin McGillis to fabricate information in exchange for a higher guaranteed payout beyond $15-k. -
Rand Voice Mail December 07, 2021, at 12:37 AM, He says has a firm offer, that it is happening, wants to talk serious business for interview with Darrin McGillis. (38 second voice message) -
Rand Voice Mail February 07, 2022, at 09:35 AM, Rand states he signed a production deal and has money, had Darrin McGillis signed, money would already be in his account. (39 second voice message) -
On June 23, 2022, HBO MAX airs all four episodes of a documentary titled “Menudo: Forever Young” in Episode Three, Wilson Ramón Torres Zapata p/k/a "Rawy Torres", (Rawy, joined Menudo in 1989 replacing Ricky Martin) he explains in his own words why he and fellow bandmates resigned Menudo in April of 1991, none of which was for claims of sexual assault by the Edgardo Diaz or any other person associated with Menudo. (Rawy resigned in April of 1991, in a simultaneous walkout with Menudo membes Robert Avellanet, Jonathan Montenegro, and Edward Aguilera, none of whom ever claimed sexual assault by Edgardo Diaz.) -
“We were at Edgardo's [Diaz] house trying to reach a consensus. We were trying to reach an agreement, and Edgardo [Diaz] said to us, “You guys are shit.” “You guys aren't Menudo.” “I am Menudo.” When we left the meeting, we definitely said, “There is no truce, there is no solution.” “This will not improve; it's only going to get worse.” On Sunday, there was a meeting - between our parents. The purpose was to update them on everything that was happening, and the measures that we were going to take next. Because it was not only about leaving the group, it was about being legally supported. We made the decision together. We said to our parents and lawyers, “We want to get out of this.” In this press conference, we made it clear to everyone that we were no longer part of Menudo.
Four of the five members of the group, Menudo reported physical, mental, and emotional abuse.
I find it ridiculous to see that when a Menudo wants more money, he goes to the press and says he was treated badly. Edgardo [Diaz] tried to minimize or belittle the impact of four members leaving.
He [Edgardo Diaz] alleged that our reasons for leaving were purely economic. But we were leaving because of the abuse, physical, verbal, emotional, and for breach of contract.”
(Taken from video interview, HBO MAX Menudo: Forever Young, Episode 3.)
Behind the April and May 1991, scandal of fabricated lies was Robert Rand, Maribel Negron and Bolivar Arellano Beroles, each having their own agenda, Rand sole goal was a fabricated defense for the Menendez brothers, Maribel Negron attempting to blackmail Edgardo Diaz to renegotiate the contracted agreements seeking more financial benefits for group members. Still no contracted member of Menudo (current or past) was claiming sexual assault by Edgardo Diaz or anyone associated with the group. It’s not until as noted above Roy Rossello in a Brazilian TV show in 2014, make the first ever fabricated claim of sexual assault, all to gain votes and not get eliminated from the contest and for money.
On April 10, 2023, Roy Rossello filed in the California Superior Court a fabricated affidavit claiming he was sexually assaulted by Jose Menendez while in New York City on multiple occasions as part of the 1983 and 1994 version of Menudo. Robert Rand recruited and paid a substantial amount of money for Roy Rossello to sign and lie under oath to help the Menendez brothers get out of prison, thus continuing the fabricated lie that Jose Menendez was sexually assaulting Menudo members including Ricky Martin as noted above.
Important dates:
a. On June 18, 1983, months before Roy Rossello joined Menudo, the group was in New York City playing to a sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden.
b. In August 1983, Roy Rossello signed a contract to become a new member of Menudo, he enters into the group to replace outgoing member Miguel Cancel.
c. On August 9, 1983, world famous investigative reporter Geraldo Rivera, for the ABC TV show 20/20 arrives in Puerto Rico to begin production on a detailed broadcast of the worldwide success of Menudo, the Roy Rossello is included in the production and is interviewed as is out going Menudo member Miguel Cancel and Miguel’s mother.
d. On November 3, 1983, RCA records signed a contract with the owners of the brand name Menudo, Padosa America, Inc., formerly known as Padosa Productions, Inc. (Producciones Padosa, Inc.) to a six-year, 12 album recording contract.
e. On December 14, 1983, ABC Television aired the completed production of the Menudo success story at 10:00PM throughout the United States. Barbara Walters introduces the special by interviewing Geraldo Rivera and giving a glimpse at what’s about to air.
f. February 14, 1984, thru February 23, 1984, Menudo played ten sold out concerts at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
g. September 27, 1984, thru October 8, 1984, Menudo returned to sold out concerts at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
Roy Rossello has taken every opportunity to libel and slander Edgardo Diaz in the media since 2014, and in 2022 accepted one hundred thousand dollars payment to recite additional fabricated lies on NBC’s steaming station Peacock with the sole focus was Roy Rossello's fabricated lies that he was also sexually assaulted by Jose Menendez when Roy was part of the Menudo group. Roy Rossello is not a private citizen seeking justice for being wronged, this is a public person who now 43-years later and a payment of one hundred thousand dollars is fabricating lies for further future financial benefits. (Roy Rossello stated in the July 2, 2026, deposition that he brought the lawsuit against Edgardo Diaz to create content for another episode on NBC Peacock. Roy Rossello wants another huge payday, regardless of lying under oath, under penalty of perjury.) Roy has stood on every mountain top since getting paid and told his fabricated story to any news outlet that would listen. Roy Rossello is not seeking to be left alone by any stretch of the imagination; it is clearly the opposite.
As an example of how ridiculous Roy Rossello's claims are, under oath in his July 2, 2026, deposition, on, page 117, line 8 – 11:
BY MS. PABON: Q. Okay. What about the February 15th, 1984, following David Copperfield’s television special? What’s the specific location?
[Roy Rossello] A. In the bathroom also.
Roy Rossello wants every reasonable mind to conclude that while he and his other four band mates, TV production staff, record label representatives, hair and makeup, producers of the shows, the actual host of the shows, security for the studio, security for the band, children of staff members, etc., while a major recording artist is present in the television studio that Edgardo Diaz went unnoticed to the men’s bathroom and had a homosexual encounter with a teenage boy a member of this worldwide famous music group, Roy Rossello wants everyone to believe that this happened at all the major television programs the group appeared on in and around New York City, including the popular “Today Show” on NBC and the children’s program “Sesame Street”.
In the July 2, 2026, deposition Roy Rossello names multiple former members of Menudo as direct witnesses to him being sexually assaulted by Edgardo Diaz, even though these named members did not even know him personally, they had never met, and were not part of Menudo when Roy was a member. One disturbing fabricated lie and/or accusation is that he stated under oath Edgar “Anthony” Galindo who passed away by suicide, Roy fabricated the reason for his suicide as that of Anthony having been sexually assaulted by Edgardo Diaz, a complete fabricated lie.
Another important fact that is important to the public is why Roy Rossello left Menudo. The current public record is silent of the truth, but the deposition confirms from Roy Rossello's own mouth that he and his mother used cocaine while he was an active member of the group. Evidence now shows that Roy Rossello was fired from the Menudo group because he and his mother had a serious drug habit specifically cocaine. =
Now an inocent man's reputation is tarnished, the people of Puerto Rico cannot look at Menudo's history and success as a shining star, because two evil guys killed there parents for Money, and now Roy Rossello for one hundren thousand dollars tarnishes the Puerto Rican group Menudo "for money".
- (Pictured is Darrin McGillis and Edgardo Diaz) -
