Along with Terry, many of Lyle and Erik’s relatives—including Kitty’s sister Joan Anderson VanderMolen and José’s niece Anamaria Baralt—have shown their support in their quest for release. And they’ve further stood behind the brothers—who were 21 and 18 respectively at the time of the murders—as they’ve spoken about the sexual abuse they allegedly endured at the hands of their father.

“The truth is, Lyle and Erik were veiled by the very people who should have protected them, by their parents, by the system, by society at large,” Joan, 93, said during a press conference at the time. “When they stood trial, the whole world wasn’t ready to believe that the boys could be raped, or that young men could be victims of sexual violence. Today, we know better. We know that abuse has long lasting effects, and victims of trauma sometimes act in ways that are very difficult to understand.”