Joan Vandermolen is the maternal aunt of Lyle and Erik Menendez. She supported the brothers during both of their murder trials in 1993 and 1995.
History[]
Following the deaths of her sister and her brother-in-law, Joan arrived with her brothers Milton and Brian at the Hotel Bel Air on August 22, 1989. After entering the lobby, Joan is greeted by Jose’s sister, Marta Cano, who expresses her condolences to Joan for her loss, commenting that Kitty was a sweet person.
On the day of the memorial service on August 25, Joan arrives in a limo with Marta, Terry Baralt, Maria Menendez and Erik. She sits in the audience silently as Lyle gives a eulogy. (True Crime: Episode 1)
Many months later in March 1990, Joan is sitting in the gallery of the Van Nuys Courthouse watching the arraignment of her nephews who plead guilty to the charges of murder against them. Following the arraignment, Joan had returned to the Beverly Hills house. She’s standing in the family room of the house watching the news coverage with her brothers Milton and Brian, alongside Marta, Marta’s mother Maria, and Marta’s sister Terry and cousin Henry Llanio.
A little while later in the evening, Joan was watching the news coverage with members of the Andersen and Menendez families. Joan listens as it is reported that Lyle Menendez used his friend, Donovan Goodreau’s, drivers license, to purchase shotguns. When they’re done watching the news, Brian comments that everything changes as they now know that Lyle and Erik killed their parents, causing Joan to comment that there are things they still don’t know.
Later, Joan is at a hearing with the family listening from the gallery, as Leslie Abramson, Erik’s lawyer, cross examines Dr. Jerome Oziel and Judalon Smyth, Erik’s psychiatrist and Oziel’s lover respectively, about the brothers’s taped confession. (True Crime: Episode 3)
Sometime later, Joan is in her home discussing the Menendez family estate with her brothers. Brian states that since Jose died first, the estate passed to Kitty and after Kitty’s death, the estate would go to her immediate family which would be her brothers and sister. Milton tells Joan that the brothers should get nothing, and Joan comments that they haven’t been convicted of anything. Brian states that Lyle and Erik confessed and they need to file a lawsuit immediately so the money isn’t all wasted. Milton comments that the brothers need to pay for their sins, and Joan reminds her brothers that Lyle and Erik are their nephews and she believes that they’ve been terribly abused by their parents. Brian dismisses the abuse claims and says that they’re done dealing with Lyle and Erik. Joan subsequently kicks her brothers out of her house. After they leave, Joan’s daughter, Diane, tells her mother that while she stayed at the Menendez family home one summer, Lyle told her that his father was touching him inappropriately. (True Crime: Episode 4)
During the trial in 1993, Joan, for the most part, sits in the gallery with family members. One day during the trial, after her daughter Diane was finished testifying, Joan gave her a hug. (True Crime: Episode 5)
After the first trial resulted in a mistrial, Joan and Marta had a meeting with Leslie to tell her that they had run out of money and they couldn’t afford a second trial. They are told by Leslie that Lyle’s new attorney, Charles Gessler, as well as Leslie’s new co-attorney, Barry Levin, are court appointed and will be paid for by the state. She goes on to tell them that she’ll ask to be appointed as Erik’s attorney therefore the state will pay her instead of the Menendez family. (True Crime: Episode 7)
In the second trial between 1995 and 1996, Joan sits alongside family members watching the court proceedings from the gallery. Joan, alongside other family members, is shocked, when Lyle and Erik were both found guilty of first-degree murder.
After the trial ends, Marta and Joan are talking to Leslie and Barry about their children testifying for the defense during the penalty phase. Barry and Marta step out of the office while Joan remains with Leslie. After they stepped out of the room, Joan reveals to Leslie that when Kitty was a child she was molested by a family member. She opines that this event changed Kitty and she was never truly happy again.
During the penalty phase of the trial, Joan watches the court proceedings from the gallery with the rest of the family. She is relieved when her nephews are sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole instead of death. (True Crime: Episode 8)
Appearances[]
- Law & Order True Crime (1 season, 7 episodes):
- Season 1: "True Crime: Episode 1" • "True Crime: Episode 3" • "True Crime: Episode 4" • "True Crime: Episode 5" • "True Crime: Episode 6" • "True Crime: Episode 7" • "True Crime: Episode 8"