Andy Cano's Testimony & Letter from Erik

 TW: crude language, mentions of child sexual abuse 

 

Andy Cano is the cousin of Lyle and Erik Menendez. Andy is the youngest son of Marta Cano, who is the sister of Jose Menendez, the father of the brothers. Erik and Andy became good friends, despite the age difference of Erik being twelve years old and Andy being ten years old.

 

Andy lived in Puerto Rico and eventually with his mother and his siblings moved back to New Jersey. Erik and Andy became good friends, despite the age difference of Erik being twelve years old and Andy being ten years old.

 

One day, Andy and Erik were playing, and Erik began a conversation with Andy. Erik asked Andy if his father had ever given him massages and Andy not understanding what Erik was trying to tell him. Andy responded with he wouldn’t know because his father was not around because Andy’s mother and father were divorced.

 

Then, Erik tells Andy that his father was “massaging his dick”. The young boys further discussed whether this was normal behavior for a father and son. Erik told Andy to promise him to never reveal this to anybody. However, Andy wanted to know if this was normal behavior and wanted to ask his mother if that was normal behavior, but Erik told him to never reveal it and to keep it a secret between them.

Andy Cano Testimony

In 2003, Andy Cano died of an accidental drug overdose, his mother claims that she thinks it wasn’t accidental and that he intentionally committed suicide because of the guilt of not telling anybody about the abuse sooner.

In 2018, 15 years after Andy’s death, Marta Cano was going through some of Andy’s old belongings and came across a letter from Erik to Andy in December of 1988, which is months before the murders.

 

The 3-page letter reads as follow:

“Hello Andy,

 

How are you doing? I hope better then I am. It’s been a long time since we’ve been in touch! Too long. I wish he could have seen each other after during Thanksgiving. We almost did, we were all set to go and then my parents decided not to at the last minute. Mom said the flights were too expensive. She said we could wait til Christmas. But now they’ve decided that I’m playing the Fiesta Bowl and that is not worth it just to fly out for a few days. I was all excited to see you and some highschool buddies but I’m have to wait a little I guess.

 

Mom and Dad had a company party here and dad hired people to decorate the whole house and bought a hole tree that they brought down from Santa Barbara (Actually they had to bring 3 since mom didn’t like the way the first looked. They were pissed!) They also decorated the tree. Where’s the Christmas spirit in that!! I remember when Lyle and I used to decorate it. Times change huh? At least I got to put up my own stocking and for Rudy and Velvet, who are fine by the way.

 

Mom isn’t doing too good. Its like she’s here physically, but mentally she’s just gone, if you know what I mean. She freaks out over nothing. I feel bad for her. I don’t know why she puts up with dad’s shit.

 

At times I wish I could talk to her about things, you know? Some day…Especially dad and I but the way she worships him and tells him everything, I’m so afraid she’ll tell him whatever I say. I just can’t risk it.

 

Lyle got in a huge fight with her over why we couldn’t spend Christmas with the rest of the family and mom freaked out and said if he wanted to go he could go alone. I just don’t know why she wants to hurt him like that. Lyle wanted to stay but dad wouldn’t let him. So now I’m stuck here alone. I’ve been trying to avoid dad. Its still happening Andy but its worse for me now. I can’t explain it. He so overweight that I can’t stand to see him. I never know when when its going to happen and its driving me crazy. Every night I stay up thinking he might come in. I need to put it out of my mind. I know what you said before but I’m afraid. You just don’t know dad like I do. He’s crazy! He’s warned me a hundred times about telling anyone. Especially Lyle, Am I a serious whimpus? I don’t know I’ll make it through this. I can handle it, Andy. I need to stop thinking about it.

 

Anyway I hope your doing good. Hows your new girlfriend Allison? She sounds pretty great, when do I get to meet her? I can see why you don’t want to leave Puerto Rico! haha I hear your playing a lot of soccer. That’s great, I love soccer to bad I had to quit. How many tap ups can you do?! I’m glad to see that schools easy for you. Sounds a little to easy though. Are you learning? Next years the important year 11th grade transcripts are what colleges look at. I’m doing, I’m doing okay so far with school. My tennis gets in the way some but next year is an important year. I think I do really do well in tennis dad will ease of some just in time for me to start college at Brown or Berkeley Anyway I’m playing great. We really like our new coach Mark. He beat Lyle 6-0 the first set they played! It was so bad Lyle even had to laugh,

 

Well I’m going to go buddy. It getting late and I don’t feel well. Keep in touch! Hopefully I’ll see you soon until then God bless you and…

 

Merry Christmas!!

 

I miss you

Love 

E”                 

Erik's letter to his cousin Andy

We see here that with the contents of the letter reading “I’ve been trying to avoid dad. Its still happening Andy but its worse for me now. I can’t explain it. He so overweight that I can’t stand to see him. I never know when when its going to happen and its driving me crazy. Every night I stay up thinking he might come in. I need to put it out of my mind. I know what you said before but I’m afraid. You just don’t know dad like I do. He’s crazy! He’s warned me a hundred times about telling anyone. Especially Lyle, Am I a serious whimpus? I don’t know I’ll make it through this. I can handle it, Andy. I need to stop thinking about it.” that the sexual abuse was still going on and that Andy had previous knowledge of this information, which he claimed on the witness stand in trial. It also shows that the sexual abuse was still going on well into Erik's teen years. 

 

The letter also reads “Mom isn’t doing too good. Its like she’s here physically, but mentally she’s just gone, if you know what I mean. She freaks out over nothing. I feel bad for her. I don’t know why she puts up with dad’s shit. At times I wish I could talk to her about things, you know? Some day…Especially dad and I but the way she worships him and tells him everything, I’m so afraid she’ll tell him whatever I say. I just can’t risk it.” It shows that Erik didn’t want to disclose the abuse to his mother in fear that she would tell the father.