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A California judge is set to hear arguments that could decide whether the Menendez brothers—Erik and Lyle Menendez—convicted of killing their parents more than three decades ago—should be resentenced. The brothers, who were 21 and 18 at the time of the 1989 murders, are currently serving life sentences without the possibility of parole.
If the court rules in their favor, they may become eligible for parole for the first time since their conviction, reigniting public debate over a case that has fascinated and divided Americans for years.
District Attorney Opposes Resentencing Bid
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman is firmly opposing the brothers’ request for resentencing. At a press conference ahead of the hearing, Hochman confirmed the proceedings would go ahead as planned and expressed confidence in his office’s legal position.
“If you don’t have the law or the facts, pound the protector, and that’s what the defence strategy has been,” Hochman said.
He added that the “facts are not favourable” to resentencing.
According to Hochman, the Menendez brothers have not fully taken responsibility for the murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez.
Defence Claims the Menendez Brothers Are Rehabilitated
The Menendez brothers’ attorney disputes Hochman’s claims, arguing that the pair has shown rehabilitation during their time behind bars. The defence insists that both Erik and Lyle have served more than three decades in prison and have made significant progress in that time.
The potential for resentencing comes amid shifting legal and cultural views on long-term incarceration and how the justice system handles cases involving claims of abuse.
Menendez Brothers Case Continues to Capture—National Attention
The double murder took place in August 1989 inside the Menendez family’s Beverly Hills mansion. Jose and Kitty Menendez were found dead—shot 13 times. Their sons, Erik and Lyle, told police they returned home to find their parents killed.
At first, investigators suspected a mob-related killing. But the brothers’ behavior in the aftermath—lavish spending and frequent partying—quickly raised suspicions.
The breakthrough came from an unexpected source: the brothers’ psychologist. Erik had confessed to the murders during therapy sessions. When the psychologist’s girlfriend reported this to authorities, recorded tapes of the sessions became pivotal evidence in court.
Claims of Abuse and Two Dramatic Trials
The Menendez brothers were formally charged in March 1990. During their first trial in 1993, the brothers admitted to the killings but claimed they acted in self-defence. They testified that their father had subjected them to years of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, and said their mother had enabled it.
That trial ended in a mistrial.
A second trial followed in 1996, resulting in both brothers being convicted of first-degree murder. The court sentenced them to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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