Erik Menendez has a message for his mom, Kitty, 35 years after murdering her.
The inmate, currently residing at San Diego's Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, and his older brother, Lyle, murdered their parents, Kitty and Josè Menendez at their Beverly Hills home in 1989 and were convicted in 1996, receiving life in prison for first-degree murder.
In the new Netflix documentary, The Menendez Brothers, Erik speaks out from behind bars, unveiling what he would say to his mother if he could "go back and talk to her."
"One of the misconceptions is that I did not love my father or love my mother. That is the farthest thing from the truth. I miss my mother tremendously. I wish that I could go back and talk to her and give her a hug and tell her I love her and I wanted her to love me and be happy with me and be happy that I was her son and feel that joy and that connection. And I just want that."
Menendez, now 53, revealed that his relationship with his father, whom he accused of sexually abusing him and his brother for decades, was much more complicated.
"It's more difficult with my father. To me as a boy, he was more than just a man. He was like the modern version of an ancient Greek god. He was different than any man I had ever met. And I simply idolized him. I wanted to be like him. But he was rarely a dad."
Erik went on to reveal that his father's love was conditional and that, in order to earn it, he had to go through an immense amount of pain.
For more details about the murder, conviction, and how Gen Z feels about the trial, read: Will The Menendez Brothers Be Released From Prison? Lyle & Erik Speak Out.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused call 1-800-656-4673 or visit rainn.org for help.