Photo: VINCE BUCCI / AFP / Getty Images
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced that Lyle and Erik Menendez should be resentenced. The two brothers were sentenced to life without parole in 1996 for the murder of their parents, Jose and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez. District Attorney George Gascón said that he would ask a court to reduce their conviction to a single count of murder, which would make them eligible for parole.
Gascón said his office reviewed new evidence, including a letter that Erik Menendez wrote to a cousin about being sexually assaulted by his father prior to the murders and a signed declaration by a former member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, who alleges that he, too, was sexually assaulted by Jose Menendez.
Gascón said that his office, which was divided over whether the brothers should remain in prison or be released, also reviewed the records of their time in prison.
The case now goes to a judge, who will decide whether the brothers should have their sentence reduced.
The Menendez brothers have been serving their sentences at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. They were 21 and 18 years old, respectively, at the time of the murders in 1989. The brothers have never denied committing the crime, but their motivation for the crime has been a point of contention over the years. At their first trial, their attorney argued that they killed their parents in self-defense, alleging that they had suffered years of molestation at the hands of their father.
The jury was deadlocked on the charges, and a mistrial was declared. In a second trial, evidence about the alleged sexual abuse was excluded, and Lyle and Erik were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.
The case has gained renewed public interest due to a recent Netflix documentary and a social media movement. A group of family members supporting the brothers has also called for their release from state prison. However, critics argue that Gascón is leveraging media attention through the national case ahead of the November election. The next court date for the Menendez brothers is scheduled for November 26, 2024.