Menendez Brothers Nearing Freedom? District Attorney Makes Huge Recommendation That Could Shake Things Up
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón has announced a recommendation for the re-sentencing of Erik and Lyle Menendez, notorious for the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. After nearly 35 years in prison and having been sentenced before the age of 26, the brothers could become eligible for parole if the court agrees to the re-sentencing. Gascón expressed his belief that they have “paid their debt to society,” although the final decision rests with a judge.
Support for this recommendation is mixed, with some viewing it as a strategic move ahead of Gascón’s election. Critics, including former prosecutor Nathan Hochman, have denounced it as a political tactic, citing its proximity to the upcoming November 5 election. There has also been a resurgence of discussions surrounding the motives behind the murders, with the original trials focusing on financial motives while newer evidence suggests the brothers may have acted in self-defense due to years of alleged sexual abuse by their father.
Family members of the Menendez brothers are also divided on the issue; some advocate for their release, arguing that their actions stemmed from childhood trauma, while others, including an uncle, insist that the brothers acted out of greed. This complex case has garnered renewed attention with recent media portrayals, including a Netflix drama and documentary concerning their story.
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón announced a recommendation Thursday that infamous murderers Erik and Lyle Menendez be re-sentenced.
The brothers have been imprisoned nearly 35 years after shooting their parents, Jose and Kitty, with shotguns in their Beverly Hills home, KABC-TV in Los Angeles reported.
Because the brothers were both sentenced under the age of 26 years old, re-sentencing would make the brothers eligible for parole immediately, Gascón said at a news conference.
“I believe they have paid their debt to society,” Los Angeles County DA George Gascon said Thursday in announcing that he would file to have Erik and Lyle Menendez be eligible for parole immediately. pic.twitter.com/duOnNvzqES
— KTLA (@KTLA) October 24, 2024
“I believe that they have paid their debt to society,” Gascón said. “The final decision will be made by the judge.”
Support for the controversial decision has been mixed.
Former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman, whom Gascón is running against for re-election, suggested in a statement that it’s nothing more than a political charade, considering the election being just days away.
D.A. George Gascon received the Menendez habeas corpus petition in May 2023 and request for resentencing in February 2024.
Yet, he has waited until days before the November 5 election, 30 points down in the polls with articles coming about how his failed policies have led to… pic.twitter.com/OPoM2wEfDL— Nathan Hochman (@NathanHochmanDA) October 24, 2024
“D.A. George Gascon received the Menendez habeas corpus petition in May 2023 and request for resentencing in February 2024,” Hochman wrote in a statement. “Yet, he has waited until days before the November 5 election, 30 points down in the polls with articles coming about how his failed policies have led to additional murders of innocent people, to release his recommendation for resentencing.”
A different point of view on the Menendez brothers’ grisly crimes has come to light recently, however.
During the first trials in 1993 and 1995, prosecutors said that the brothers’ motive was financial, due to the Menenedez’ spending spree after the murders, according to Deadline.
Their defense, however, maintained that they acted in self defense after years of alleged sexual abuse from their father, KABC-TV reported. Nevertheless, at their 1996 trial, the brothers were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole, much of the sexual abuse evidence being reportedly barred from the trial.
New evidence, which the Los Angeles D.A.’s office has had for almost a year, has resurfaced, seemingly corroborating the brothers’ claims of abuse.
Months before the murders, Erik Menendez had reportedly penned a letter to his cousin, detailing his father’s alleged sexual abuse, Deadline reported.
At a news conference last week, some of the brothers’ relatives pushed for their release, KABC-TV reported.
“Their actions, while tragic, were the desperate response of two boys trying to survive the unspeakable cruelty of their father,” said, Joan Andersen VanderMolen, Kitty Menendez’s sister. “As their aunt, I had no idea of the extent of the abuse they suffered.
“It’s time to give them the opportunity to live the rest of their lives free from the shadow of their past,” she said.
Their uncle, Milton Andersen, however, wants the brothers to stay behind bars. He believes they were acting on greed and that they were not sexually assaulted, KABC-TV reported.
The brothers had already gained renewed attention recently, due to the Netflix drama “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” and documentary “The Menendez Brothers.”
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