Menendez re-sentencing: Brothers who murdered parents could be released
24 October 2024 • 10:59pm
Two brothers who murdered their parents could be released following decades in prison after being recommended for re-sentencing.
Lyle and Erik Menendez were given two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole when they were convicted of shooting their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989.
However, the court did not consider their claim of suffering sexual abuse at the hands of their father, and new evidence appearing to back up that allegation has prompted a public outcry about the case.
George Gascón, the Los Angeles County district attorney, said on Thursday that he would recommend that the brothers be re-sentenced for murder with the possibility of parole, paving the way for their immediate release.
“Because of their age under the law, since they were under 26 years of age at the time that these crimes occurred, they will be eligible for parole immediately,” he told a press conference.
The final decision will be made by a judge, who will rule on whether to accept the district attorney’s recommendation.
Mr Gascón said he believed the brothers’ claims that they were molested by their parents, adding: “Our own implicit and sometimes explicit bias around sexual abuse and sexual assault often leads us to severe injustices.”
He said the pair had undergone a “journey of redemption and a journey of rehabilitation” during their 35 years in prison.
“While I disagree of the way they handled their abuse, we hope that they... get re-integrated into our community that they continue to do public good,” he said.
The prosecutor told reporters that he did not believe it would have been appropriate to charge them with manslaughter given the level of premeditation involved in the killings. Erik and Lyle Menendez “clearly” committed murder, he said.
Interest in the brothers’ case has been revived by a recent Netflix documentary and drama series, and their cause has been taken up by celebrities including Kim Kardashian.
Their supporters claim they acted in self-defence because their father, Jose, had sexually abused them for years while their mother, Kitty, turned a blind eye.