35 years ago, the Menendez brothers, Lyle and Erik, were accused, arrested, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murders of their parents José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez. However, in recent news, the brothers might have an opportunity to be released.
An article written by Cindy VonQuednow and Dalia Faheild at CNN titled “What’s next for the Menendez brothers as DA recommends their resentencing decades after their parents’ killing” talks about how Los Angeles County attorney, George Gascón, filed a motion recommending a judge resentence the brothers, a decision that was made after a review that came after defense attorneys said in 2023 they had new evidence that pointed to abuse from their father. Gascón says,” I will never excuse murder, and those were brutal, premeditated murders…They were appropriately sentenced at the time when they were tried. They got life without the possibility of parole. I just think that given the current state of the law and given our assessment of their behavior in prison, they deserve the opportunity to be reevaluated and perhaps reintegrated back into the community.” What led to the DA’s decision was that although he believes that the brothers were rightly sentenced at the time of the murders, he believes that the brothers had been sexually abused before the killings and that they’ve served enough time behind bars.
Another article written by Emma Vardy, Samantha Granville, and Christal Hayes at BBC titled “Menendez brothers should be freed on parole, says top prosecutor” it talks about the case itself and if they will be able to walk free. Back in August 1989, José and “Kitty” Menendez were found dead in their Beverly Hills mansion after the police had been called by their sons Erik and Lyle. At first, the brutality of the murders led police to believe that it had been a mob hit but soon after, the brothers began to act suspicious- going on lavish spending sprees, gambling, partying, and buying expensive jewelry. A confession to their psychologist was their undoing. The doctor’s girlfriend audio-recorded them making an admission and reported it to the authorities. In March of the next year, the brothers were charged by the police. Finally, in 1993, they admitted to the murders of their parents but argued that it had been out of self-defense. The reason they needed self-defense? Years of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse- namely by their father, José, who was a film executive in Hollywood. Family members even testified about the abuse, but none said that they had seen the sexual abuse first-hand. However, prosecutors didn’t believe this. They believed that the reason Erik and Lyle killed their parents was for money- specifically $14 million making the brothers look like spoiled brats who believed they could get away with anything. The first trial ended in a mistrial, but the second trial in 1995 ended in the brothers being convicted of first-degree murder.
One last article titled “Menendez Brothers Resentencing is Backed up by the DA. What’s Next?” written by Anna Kaplan, talks about what the resentencing decision was and when they could be resentenced. District attorney, George Gascón, who said he supported the brother’s resentencing filed a 57-page document overnight outlining his reasoning for suggesting a new sentencing for the brothers. Gascón says “I want to underline there were horrible acts, there is no excuse for murder… but I also understand how sometimes people get desperate.” He stated. “I think that often for cultural reasons, we don’t believe victims of sexual assault.” During their first trial in 1993, defense attorneys for the brothers argued that it was their father’s abuse that led them to fear for their lives and both brothers testified about the abuse in the trial, which ended in two hung juries in 1994. When the brothers were re-tried in 1995, a judge ruled that evidence regarding allegations of their father’s abuse was inadmissible, and the brothers were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1996. However, in May of 2023, attorneys for the Menendez brothers filed a habeas petition asking for their conviction to be overturned after finding new evidence that was not available during the original trial. Recently, NBC News senior legal correspondent Laura Jarrett said “It’s a lengthy process, and it’s going to begin now that they have filed this with the judge…the judge is probably going set a hearing within the next month or so, and even then if the judge agrees that they should be resentenced, it’s not up to even that.”
As of writing this article, there is no final verdict for the Menendez brothers’ possible resentencing. If there are any updates to this case, we will be sure to update this post.
