"New Evidence" That Wasn't Enough to Win the Menendez Brothers a New Trial | Crime Alert 6AM 10.01.25

Summary

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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: “New Evidence” That Wasn’t Enough to Win the Menendez Brothers a New Trial | Crime Alert 6AM 10.01.25
Air Date: October 1, 2025
Podcast Host: Nancy Grace

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Overview

In this Crime Alert episode, Nancy Grace covers breaking news about the Menendez brothers’ failed attempt to gain a new trial using newly uncovered evidence in their decades-old murder case. She explores why the court rejected their habeas corpus petition and what this means for their future parole opportunities. The episode also touches upon two additional crime stories: the arrest warrant for actor Tyrese Gibson after a dog mauling, and the sentencing of former American Idol contestant Benjamin Glaze for child sexual abuse material.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Menendez Brothers’ Petition Denied

[00:00 – 03:54]

• Summary:
  Lyle and Eric Menendez remain in jail after a Los Angeles judge rejected their lawyers’ bid for a new trial. Their petition argued that two pieces of recently uncovered evidence supported years-long allegations of sexual abuse by their father, Jose Menendez.

• The “New Evidence” Highlighted:

  • A 1998 letter from Eric Menendez to cousin Andy Cano referencing sexual abuse by their father.
  • A 2023 statement from former Menudo singer Roy Rosello alleging Jose Menendez raped him in 1983 (publicized in the docu-series “Menendez + Boys Betrayed”).

• Legal Rationale:
  Judge William C. Ryan found neither items compelling enough:

  “Neither piece of newly discovered evidence is particularly strong. The letter... contradicts in part the testimony of Eric and Cano and does not additionally inform the jury of petitioners alleged fear at the time of the murders.”
  — Judge Ryan [01:45]

  On the Menudo allegation:

  “It is not relevant to the petitioners’ state of mind at the time of the murders.”
  — Judge Ryan [02:13]

• Reaction from LA District Attorney:

  • District Attorney Nathan Hockman hailed the ruling as a definitive end to the brothers’ appeal.

    "...a full kibosh on the brothers’ attempt to overturn their convictions. This petition does not come close to meeting the factual or legal standard to warrant a new trial.”
    — Nathan Hockman [02:24]

  • He repeated:

    “Not never, but not yet. The brothers have never acknowledged their calculated plan to kill their parents nor their attempts to suborn perjury from friends to bolster their false self-defense narrative.”
    — Nathan Hockman [02:47]

• Parole and Incarceration Details:

  • The Menendez brothers were resentenced in May to 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole under youth offender laws.
  • Their next parole hearings are slated for 2028, with a possible move-up to early 2027 if behavior remains good.

• Notable Context:

  • Hearings drew a national audience and were described as having a “circus-like” atmosphere.
  • Political scrutiny was intense, with Governor Gavin Newsom's office directly observing proceedings.

• Prison Record:

  • The brothers’ accomplishments in prison include hospice work and participation in trauma programs.
  • Recent cell phone use violations and cited “antisocial personality traits” were among reasons for parole denial.

2. Tyrese Gibson Wanted After Dog Mauling

[05:02 – 06:40]

• Incident Recap:

  • Actor Tyrese Gibson’s cane corso dogs fatally attacked a neighbor’s small dog in Atlanta. Gibson’s four dogs had reportedly been running loose on multiple occasions.
  • After the attack, Gibson initially agreed to surrender the animals but later changed his mind; by the time authorities returned with a search warrant, he and the dogs were gone.
  • It was later revealed Gibson left for Dubai, stating he was “taking a mental health break.”
  • An arrest warrant for cruelty to animals is active.

• Memorable Moment:

  • Neighbor Harrison Parker describes the aftermath:

    "Henry was his first dog and his closest companion."
    — [06:10]

3. Former American Idol Contestant Sentenced for Child Sexual Abuse Material

[06:41 – 08:44]

• Case Details:

  • Benjamin Glaze, age 26, who gained attention in 2018 on American Idol when Katy Perry kissed him on TV, was sentenced to 25 years for possessing more than 700 images and videos of child sexual abuse.
  • His plea followed a tip from a mental health counselor and the results of a police search warrant.
  • Release conditions require him to register as a sex offender, undergo physiological testing, and submit to lifelong restrictions, including bans from pornography and adult businesses.

• Quote Revisited:

  • Glaze on the viral Katy Perry moment:

    “I am very honored and thankful to have been a part of American Idol. I do not think I was sexually harassed by Katy Perry.”
    — Benjamin Glaze [08:35]

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Notable Quotes

• “Neither piece of newly discovered evidence is particularly strong...does not additionally inform the jury of petitioners alleged fear at the time of the murders.”
  — Judge William C. Ryan [01:45]
• "A full kibosh on the brothers’ attempt to overturn their convictions... This petition does not come close to meeting the factual or legal standard to warrant a new trial."
  — District Attorney Nathan Hockman [02:24]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – 03:54: Menendez Brothers’ denied petition and court rationale
• 03:54 – 05:02: Segment break/advertisement (skipped)
• 05:02 – 06:40: Tyrese Gibson dog mauling update
• 06:41 – 08:44: Benjamin Glaze’s sentencing and recap of Idol moment

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Tone and Language

Nancy Grace’s reporting is brisk, direct, and unflinching, maintaining her trademark focus on justice and the legal minutiae of high-profile crime stories.

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For ongoing coverage and updates, visit crimeonline.com or listen daily to Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.

Transcript

[A]

CRIME alert. I'm Nancy Grace. Breaking crime news now. Lyle and Eric Menendez will not be getting out of jail. Lawyers for the brothers convicted of killing both parents, Jose and Kitty, filed a petition with the court citing two new pieces of evidence. They claim the evidence supports claims of sex abuse. LA Superior Court Judge William Ryan rejected the motion, saying the new evidence was not compelling enough to produce a reasonable doubt in the mind of of at least one girar. Lyle and Eric Menendez will be eligible to apply for parole again in three short years. Straight out to Drew Nelson for more.

[B]

Nancy Judge William C. Ryan ruled those two additional pieces of evidence were not strong enough to reopen the case. Judge Ryan denying Eric and Lyall Menendez's 2023 habeas corpus petition, closing off another path to freedom. Less than a month after both men were denied parole, their attorneys argued that those two items uncovered in recent years warranted a new trial. The first, a 1998 letter written by Eric to his cousin Andy Cano, describing sexual abuse by their father, Jose Menendez. The second was a statement from former Menudo singer Roy Rosello, who claimed Jose raped him in 1983, an allegation made public in the 2023 docu series Menendez Plus Boys Betrayed. Judge Ryan said neither item met the legal threshold to justify a retrial. He wrote, quote, neither piece of newly discovered evidence is particularly strong. He said the letter, quote, contradicts in part the testimony of Eric and Cano and quote, does not additionally inform the jury of petitioners alleged fear at the time of the murders. Judge Ryan added that the Menudo allegation corroborates the general allegation that Jose was sexually abusive of boys and young men. But it is not relevant to the petitioner's state of mind at the time of the murders. District District Attorney Nathan Hockman praised the ruling, calling it, quote, a full kibosh on the brothers attempt to overturn their convictions. Quote, this petition does not come close to meeting the factual or legal standard to warrant a new trial. Hockman also repeated his long held stance, quote, not never, but not yet. He said the brothers have, quote, never acknowledged their calculated plan to kill their parents nor their attempts to suborn perjury from friends to bolster their false self defense narrative. Legal experts called the habeas petition a long shot. Judge Ryan agreed, writing that the evidence, quote, would not have produced a reasonable doubt in the mind of at least one juror or supportive of an imperfect self defense instruction. The hearings drawing national attention as state officials, reporters and family members packed into what Calmatters called a circus like proceeding. Both hearings were live streamed and the release of Eric Menendez's hearing audio less than 24 hours later caused a public uproar. Their attorney protested that the California Department of Corrections had broken its own rules. The board acknowledged brothers accomplishments in prison, from hospice work to trauma programs, but cited recent cell phone use violations and what it described as, quote, antisocial personality traits as reasons for the three year denials. Although the brothers notoriety ensured the full sentencing review but brought immense political pressure and scrutiny to their parole bids, governor Gavin Newsom's representative personally attended the hearings, signaling how politically charged any decision to release them would be, pressure would have landed on Newsom to block their parole under Californ. Legal experts told Calmatters that people their age rarely reoffend, yet the optics of freeing two men who murdered their parents still weigh heavily. Eric and Lyle were re sentenced In.

[C]

May to 50 years to life, making.

[B]

Them immediately eligible for parole under youth offender laws. Their next parole hearings are scheduled for 2028, though with good behavior the wait could be reduced to early 2027.

[A]

Thanks Drew. More crime and justice news after this.

[D]

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[C]

Actor Tyrese Gibson is wanted in Fulton County, Georgia after police say his cane corso dogs mauled and killed a neighbor's small dog in the upscale Atlanta neighborhood of Buckhead. The attack happened on September 18th outside Gibson's mansion on Tuxedo Court. Police say four cane Corsos belonging to the Fast and Furious star were roaming freely when they killed a five year old Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Henry. The dog's owner, Harrison Parker, said he had let Henry outside for a few minutes that night and returned to find him dead in the driveway. A police report said Henry suffered broken ribs, puncture wounds and severe internal bleeding. Security footage showed Gibson's dog scratching at a door across the street minutes before the attack. Another neighbor called 911 that same night because she couldn't reach her car with the dog standing outside her door. Fulton county officials said Gibson's dogs had been reported running loose on five different occasions before the deadly mauling. He had already received warnings and was told he needed a permit since he owned more than 10 dogs. After the attack, Gibson agreed to surrender the animals but later changed his mind. When officers returned to his home on the 22nd with a search warrant, both Gibson and the dogs were gone. Gibson's attorney said the actor was not home when the attack happened and has since rehomed the dogs. In a statement, the lawyer said Gibson extends his deepest condolences to the family who lost their beloved dog and is cooperating fully with authorities. Police later learned Gibson had left the country. He had posted online that he was taking a mental health break in Dubai and would not return until November. Parker said Henry was his first dog and his closest companion. An arrest warrant for cruelty to animals remains active. A former American Idol contestant who once said Katy Perry gave him his first kiss is sentenced to 25 years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material. Benjamin Glaze, age 26, pleaded guilty in Tulsa County District Court after police found more than 700 images and videos of child sexual abuse on his phone. He will serve 15 years in prison and another 10 years suspended. Glaze must also register as a sex offender and face strict release conditions, including a test to measure sexual arousal and a lifetime ban on viewing pornography or entering adult businesses. The Tulsa Police Department said. The Investigation began in April 2024 after a mental health counselor told detectives that Glaze had confessed to child pornography addiction. Officers later executed a search warrant and seized his phone, uncovering hundreds of files showing the sexual abuse of minors. He was arrested that October and charged with aggravated possession of child sexual abuse material, court records show. Glaze admitted his guilt. In order to qualify for release after 15 years, he must take a penile plethysmograph test and enable screening to measure his responses to adult and child images. He is also barred from strip clubs and sex shops. He must wear appropriate clothing at all times and submit regular blood tests for sexually transmitted diseases. Glaze had his 15 minutes of fame in 2018 when he auditioned for American Idol, the then 19 year old told judges Katy Perry, Luth Bryan and Lionel Richie he had never kissed a girl. Perry then called him forward and kissed him on the lips after he leaned.

[B]

In for a cheek kiss.

[C]

The moment went viral and stirred public backlash. Glaze later told the New York Times he was, quote, a tad uncomfortable and wanted his first kiss to be special. Though he said he did not believe Perry had sexually harassed him, he later defended her online writing, quote, I am very honored and thankful to have been a part of American Idol. I do not think I was sexually harassed by Katy Perry. After the show, Glaze joined the Marines and later worked as a video editor.

[A]

Thanks, Drew. For the latest crime and justice news, go to crimeonline.com and please join us for our daily podcast, Crime Stories, where we do our best to find missing people, especially children, and help solve unsolved homicides with this crime Alert. I'm Nancy Grace.

[B]

This is an I Heart podcast.