The Menendez brothers, Lyle and Erik, could soon be eligible for parole after Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced plans to recommend their resentencing for the 1989 murder of their parents.
The case has recently regained public attention, partly due to the Netflix crime drama ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ and a documentary on Peacock.These productions have highlighted new evidence, including a letter written by Erik Menendez before the murders, alleging ongoing sexual abuse by his father.
As per the news agency AP, the brothers were 21 and 18 at the time when they were sentenced to life without parole for the murders. Gascón cited new evidence supporting the brothers’ long-standing claims of sexual abuse by their father, Jose Menendez, as a driving factor in his decision.
“I believe they have paid their debt to society,” Gascón said during a press conference. He explained that while the violent killings were inexcusable, the circumstances surrounding the abuse needed consideration.
The district attorney’s office will recommend a sentence of 50 years to life, which would make the brothers immediately eligible for parole since they were under 26 at the time of the crime.
Despite the fresh evidence, not all members of the family support the release and some prosecutors within Gascón’s office oppose the resentencing recommendation.
Kitty’s sibling, Milton Andersen, thinks his nephews should stay in jail. In a recent statement, 90-year-old Andersen mentioned hiring a lawyer to contest the brothers’ release.
The Menendez brothers admitted to fatally shooting their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, at their Beverly Hills home. Their defence claimed the murders were a result of years of abuse by their father, which had reached a breaking point when they feared their parents would kill them to prevent the abuse from becoming public.
Prosecutors at the time argued the killings were financially motivated, seeking to inherit their parents’ multimillion-dollar estate.
Gascón’s decision comes amid growing support for the brothers’ release, including from family members such as their cousin Karen Vander Molen, who praised the district attorney’s “compassionate” decision.
“This is about truth, justice and healing. It is time for Lyle and Erik to come home,” she said. Some legal experts, however, anticipate a long legal process before any decision on the brothers’ release is made.
Furthermore, Roy Rossello, a former member of the 1980s pop group Menudo, alleged he too had been abused by Jose Menendez, adding credibility to the brothers’ claims.
A hearing on the matter is expected to take place soon.
What was the case?
In 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez shot and killed their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion.
The brothers claimed they acted out of fear for their lives after years of sexual abuse by their father. Prosecutors argued the crime was financially motivated, leading to their sentencing to life without parole.
New evidence has since emerged, renewing public interest and supporting their claims of abuse, potentially affecting their sentences.
