Bombshell note written by Erik Menendez shared,
then deleted, by LA DA links dad to sex abuse:
‘Every night … he might come in’
The Los Angeles district attorney publicly released a letter he cited as “new evidence” in the infamous Erik and Lyle Menendez case — as he mulls whether to review the brothers’ life sentences for murdering their parents.
DA George Gascón on Sunday posted — but later deleted — a screenshot of the letter Erik Menendez had written to his cousin more than three decades ago alleging he’d been abused by his father, CNN reported.
“I’ve been trying to avoid dad. Its still happening Andy but its worse for me now,” the handwritten letter stated. “I never know when its going to happen and its driving me crazy. Every night I stay up thinking he might come in.”
The brothers’ legal team have long argued the letter — which was filed last year in LA Superior Court as part of a petition to have their case reviewed — backs up Erik’s claims that he was sexually abused by his father as a kid.
The district attorney’s office had deleted the post as of Tuesday as it emerged that relatives of the Menendez brothers had been invited to attend a press conference scheduled for Wednesday.
The extended family is hopeful the DA will use the press conference to finally recommend that Erik, 53, and Lyle, 56, be resentenced after spending more than three decades behind bars for murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989.
The potential update comes weeks after Gascón first announced his office was reviewing new evidence of alleged molestation in the case to determine whether the brothers should continue serving life sentences without parole.
The letter, addressed to the brothers’ cousin Andy Cano, was written in December 1988 — months before the murders unfolded.
It was never introduced as evidence during their trial.
The brothers’ lawyers argued in the petition that if it had been shown in court, the jurors may have reached a different verdict.
The siblings have long claimed they killed their parents out of self-defense after enduring a lifetime of physical, emotional and sexual abuse from them.
Prosecutors, though, contended at the time there was no evidence of any molestation — and argued the sons were after their parents’ multimillion-dollar estate.
The brothers were ultimately convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.
Amsterdam fashion boss acquitted on 6 rape charges;
Guilty of sexually abusing 2 minors
The court in Amsterdam acquitted the former director of the Amsterdam fashion platform Moam, Martijn N. (36), of six charges of rape on young men and two rape attempts on Wednesday. The court did find N. guilty of two cases of indecent acts with minors and an assault. For that, it sentenced N. to 18 months in prison, of which eight months were conditionally suspended.
Good grief! Did he get a gold watch too?
The court had to judge the six reports of rape and the two attempts against the rules that applied before July 1 of this year, when the new Sexual Offences Act came into effect.
Until that date, the criteria for proving rape - such as violence, threats of violence, or coercion - were much stricter than they are now. According to the court, the evidence regarding this criteria was insufficient. The accusations date from 2011-2021.
N. was a prominent figure in the Amsterdam fashion world. He became the subject of controversy in 2021 after 28 men accused him of violent and sexually transgressive behavior in the NRC and Het Parool. The police arrested him in January 2022. He was allowed to await his trial in freedom. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) had filed nine charges against him.
The Public Prosecution Service had recommended eight years in prison for N. The Justice Department had also charged the man with attempted serious assault on a friend in Sweden. The Public Prosecution Service there had dismissed the case at the time. According to the court, that decision is irrevocable, which means that the prosecution for this act in the Netherlands is invalid.
The verdict hit hard with a group of complainants who were present at the verdict. Tears flowed outside the courtroom immediately after the verdict. The court stated in the introduction to the verdict that it did not want to "detract from the unpleasant experiences and their consequences" with regard to the complainants.
In the verdict, the court also pointed out to N. that what he did was not always punishable by law, "but it was certainly reprehensible". They criticized his "dominant and rough behavior" and the fact that he "only had an eye" on his own interests and the satisfaction of his own lusts.
The OM said the verdict was disappointing. "There is a big gap between our recommendation and the final decision," a spokesperson for the OM said after the verdict. "We will study the verdict to see whether or not we will appeal."
Both the suspect and the OM can file an appeal regarding the verdict, sentencing, or both. Under Dutch law, the appeal must be filed within 14 days
Reporting by ANP
"As we shared when the accusations were first made public in October 2023, we are appalled and disgusted by the alleged behavior of Mr. Jeffries, whose employment with Abercrombie & Fitch Co. ended nearly ten years ago," the company stated in an Instagram post. "Speaking up and coming forward is not easy, and our thoughts remain with those who have bravely raised their voices as part of the federal investigation.
"For close to a decade, we have successfully transformed our brands and culture into the values-driven organization we are today. We have zero tolerance for abuse, harassment or discrimination of any kind, and are committed to fully cooperating with law enforcement as the legal process continues."
Mike Jeffries leaves an office building after having an ankle monitor fitted in West Palm Beach, Florida, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (The Mega Agency)
A third defendant, James "Mrs. Cook" Jacobson, 71, was taken into custody in St. Paul, Minnesota, authorities said.
Jeffries appears walking with a security team to and from the courthouse, where he picked up an ankle monitor after posting the whopping bail total, pictures first obtained by the New York Post reveal.
Smith was being held without bail, according to authorities. Jacobson was released on $500,000.
Mike Jeffries in West Palm Beach, Florida, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (The Mega Agency)
He alleged that the suspects used a "casting couch" system to lure in and abuse their victims.
He said he believed there may be dozens more. Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI.
A close-up shows the ankle monitor which was fitted to Mike Jeffries, West Palm Beach, Florida, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (The Mega Agency)
The victims were allegedly subjected to humiliating sex acts and given drugs to force them into a state of arousal when they were "incapable" or "unwilling," according to the federal criminal complaint.
Jeffries led Abercrombie & Fitch from 1992 until 2014, when the chain was a preppy clothing mainstay known for its racy advertising, which sometimes included models wearing no clothes at all.
ABERCROMBIE & FITCH SPARKS OUTCRY WITH PADDED BIKINI TOPS FOR 8-YEAR-OLDS
"Despite the alleged efforts of Jeffrey, Smith and Jacobson to conceal their crimes, efforts that included threatening victims and requiring them to sign nondisclosure agreements, among other things, their plan failed," said James Dennehy, the FBI's assistant director in charge of the New York Field Office. "This case is yet another example of individuals using their wealth, power, or reputation to manipulate and control others for their own personal interests."
An Abercrombie & Fitch retail store in an American mall. (iStock)
"He used his role as CEO of Abercrombie to prey upon attractive young men who believed that Jeffries was going to hire them as an Abercrombie model — the pinnacle of the modeling industry for men during the relevant time period," the lawyers for the plaintiff in the civil case alleged in court filings.
Then-Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries attends the opening of a store on Fifth Avenue in New York City on Nov. 9, 2005. (Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic for Paul Wilmot Communications/Getty Images)
A motion to dismiss the civil case is pending. The legal team for Jeffries' prior accusers welcomed news of the arrests.
"We filed our lawsuit because this case is not only meritorious but is one of the most egregious abuses of power we had ever seen," said Brad Edwards, an attorney for the civil plaintiff. "This arrest is a huge step on the path to justice and accountability for the many young men who were exploited and abused by Jeffries and Smith, who used Abercrombie to pull off one of the most organized sex trafficking operations in United States history."
Additional victims were asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Roman Polanski lawsuit over alleged 1973 rape of minor
dismissed, says lawyer
French-Polish director Roman Polanski, who fled the United States decades ago after admitting to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old, will no longer face trial over an alleged assault of another minor after reaching a settlement, his lawyer said Tuesday.
The latest case against the director of "The Pianist," which concerned an alleged sexual attack in 1973, had been due in civil court in Los Angeles next August, but has now been withdrawn, Polanski's US attorney told AFP.
The case was "settled in the summer to the parties' mutual satisfaction and has now been formally dismissed," Alexander Rufus-Isaacs said in an email.
The suit, filed last year, claimed Polanski took a then-teenager -- named anonymously in filings as Jane Doe -- to dinner at a restaurant in Los Angeles in 1973.
He allegedly gave her tequila, and when she began to feel dizzy, drove her to his home, where he forced himself on her.
"She told him: 'please don't do this,'" the plaintiff's lawyer, Gloria Allred, told reporters in March.
"She alleges that he ignored her pleas. She also alleges that defendant Polanski removed plaintiff's clothes and he proceeded to sexually assault her, causing her tremendous physical, emotional pain and suffering."
The civil suit, which sought unspecified damages, was filed in June 2023, just before the expiration of a California law that allowed for an extended window for claims against the alleged perpetrators of sexual crimes.
Court papers filed in California in July said a "conditional" accord had been reached.
Allred said in an email late Tuesday that "a settlement of claims was agreed to by the parties to their mutual satisfaction."
Oscar-winner Polanski, now 91, is a divisive figure, with some in the movie world hailing his creative genius, while others insist he was always a sexual predator.
Polanski admitted to the statutory rape of 13-year-old Samantha Geimer in a plea bargain in 1977 to avoid a trial on more serious charges.
But he fled to France the following year, after serving 42 days in jail, when it appeared a judge was reconsidering his release.
Geimer has subsequently defended Polanski, and was photographed with him last year.
A French court in May acquitted Polanski of defaming British actor Charlotte Lewis after she accused him of raping her when she was a teenager.
The director has always denied wrongdoing.
(AFP)
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