Two siblings convicted of murdering their parents, and who gained notoriety through Netflix documentaries, may be released from prison earlier after serving 34 years.
Lyle Menendez, 56, alongside his 53-year-old brother Erik, is currently sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for the fatal shotgun attacks on their mother and father – Jose and Kitty Menendez – occurring in 1989.
They were incarcerated following a trial conducted in 1996, when Lyle was 21 and Erik was 18.
(L-R) Lyle and Erik Menendez. Pic: AP
On Thursday, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon recommended a resentencing for the brothers, suggesting a modification from their life sentences to a term of 50 years to life.
This adjustment would allow them to become eligible for parole immediately, given they were under the age of 26 at the time of the offenses, according to Mr. Gascon.
Read more: The actual case behind the Netflix series
LA District Attorney George Gascon. Pic: Reuters
“According to the law, a resentencing is warranted. I will propose this to a court tomorrow,” stated the district attorney during a press briefing.
“I am of the opinion that they have sufficiently fulfilled their obligations to society.”
Prosecutors must now seek judicial endorsement for this case, with the ultimate ruling resting with the presiding judge.
The siblings in 2023. Pics: Richard J Donovan Correctional Facility
This development follows Mr. Gascon’s announcement that his office would be examining new evidence purporting to support assertions that Erik suffered sexual abuse at the hands of his father, a former music executive.
Both brothers assert they acted in self-defense after suffering a lifetime of physical, psychological, and sexual mistreatment from their parents.
The defense team contends that due to evolving societal perceptions regarding sexual abuse, if the case were tried in contemporary times, the siblings might not have faced first-degree murder convictions or life sentences without the possibility of parole.
George Gascon shakes hands with Joan Andersen VanderMolen, sister of Kitty Menendez. Pic: Reuters
In contrast, prosecutors maintained at that time that there was no substantiated evidence of any molestation and argued the siblings were motivated by a desire to acquire their parents’ multimillion-dollar inheritance.
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A number of extended family members have joined forces to demand the release of the brothers and established a “new coalition” named Justice for Erik and Lyle.
After the announcement of the recommendation on Thursday, Anamaria Baralt, a niece of Jose, remarked: “Today brings a sense of hope for our family.
Pic: AP
“This development instills hope that the truth will ultimately surface and that Lyle and Erik may begin the healing process from their traumatic history.”
Another family member, thought to be a niece of Kitty, commented: “This ruling transcends a mere legal issue; it acknowledges the suffering my cousins have faced.
“We are thankful to the district attorney for prioritizing justice over politics. We recognize the difficulty of this choice, yet it is the correct one.
“It’s time for Lyle and Erik to return home.”
However, not all members of the Menendez family endorse the resentencing. Milton Andersen, the 90-year-old brother of Kitty, has submitted a legal brief requesting the court uphold the brothers’ original sentencing.
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The Menendez case has regained attention following the release of “Monsters,” a Netflix series depicting their narrative, alongside a recent documentary.
