The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is set to announce a decision on Thursday regarding the potential resentencing of Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were sentenced to life without parole for the 1989 murders of their parents in Beverly Hills.
Are Menendez Brothers FINALLY Getting Free From Prison?
District Attorney George Gascón will hold a news conference at 1:30 p.m. PT (4:30 p.m. ET) to reveal his decision, amid increasing calls to reconsider the brothers’ sentences.
The Menendez brothers were convicted of first-degree murder for the killing of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, and have been serving life sentences without parole. Gascón’s decision could range from recommending a resentencing or a new trial to leaving the convictions and sentences unchanged.
Gascón disclosed earlier this month that his office had been reviewing the case for about a year, focusing on the brothers’ motives. During their highly publicized trial in 1993, the prosecution argued the murders were financially motivated, while the defense claimed the brothers acted in self-defense after suffering years of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse by their parents.
Although the brothers admitted to the killings, the prosecution questioned the abuse allegations. A mistrial was declared, and the second trial excluded what the defense called evidence of abuse.
When The Petition Was Challenged
In May 2023, appellate attorney Cliff Gardner filed a habeas petition challenging the convictions, citing a 1988 letter from Erik Menendez to a cousin that allegedly described abuse by his father as new evidence.
Additionally, Roy Rosselló, a former member of the boy band Menudo, has accused José Menendez of abusing him, which Gardner argues supports the brothers’ claims and justifies a conviction of first-degree manslaughter instead of murder. This would have led to shorter sentences, potentially allowing the brothers’ release years ago.
Recent Netflix documentaries have brought renewed focus to the case, accelerating Gascón’s review. Some family members have called for the brothers’ release, while Kitty Menendez’s brother, Milton Andersen, opposes resentencing, arguing that the so-called new evidence does not legally justify overturning the convictions, as the murders were premeditated and coldly executed.
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