The Menendez brothers could soon be released from prison, a possibility that did not exist when they exhausted all their appeals more than a decade ago.

Joseph Menendez, who goes by his middle name Lyle, and his younger brother Erik Menendez have been in California prisons since 1996, serving life sentences without the possibility of parole for their murders of parents in 1989.

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón took a major step this week toward reducing their sentences, and if the court approves, they could be immediately eligible for parole.

The brothers claim they shot their father, former RCA Records executive Jose Menendez, in self-defense, arguing they thought he was going to kill them after warning him they planned to report him as an attacker sex on children. They also killed their mother, Mary “Kitty” Menendez, who was sitting next to Jose eating ice cream in their Beverly Hills living room when they opened fire.

MENENDEZ BROTHERS ATTORNEY ANNOUNCES STRENGTHENING DECISION

Lyle Menendez, left, and his brother Erik Menendez pictured in their latest photos, taken October 10, 2024. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)

Their first trial ended in failure, with the jurors unable to agree on their fate. After a second trial in the mid-1990s, in which some of their testimony about the alleged sexual abuse was excluded, jurors agreed with prosecutors that their motive was greed.

New evidence that could corroborate their allegations of sexual abuse has not yet been reviewed in court, but the allegations have prompted Gascón to seek sentence reductions for the brothers, he told reporters Thursday.

WATCH: Los Angeles DA to recommend reduced sentences for Menendez brothers

TIMELINE OF THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS MURDER CASE

The DA formally requested in court Friday that the sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole be reduced to 50 years to life in prison.

Here’s what happens next:

• The judge will accept Gascón’s recommendation or reject it, depending on whether he believes the brothers have been rehabilitated or whether their release is in the interests of justice.
• If he agreed to pronounce a new sentence, he would not be bound by the one presented to him and could choose something different.
• If the judge reduces the sentence, the brothers could become eligible for parole because they were under 26 at the time of the crime and have already served more than 25 years.
• State corrections officials say the parole board would then have six months to schedule parole hearings.
• If the parole board agrees that they should be released, the case then goes to Governor Gavin Newsomwho has the last word.

An undated photo of the Menendez family as they appear on a screen during a panel at CrimeCon 2024 in Nashville on June 2. Brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted of fatally shooting their parents in 1989. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)

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If they make it, the next logical step is to figure out how to make a living. Although state law prohibits them from collecting any inheritance they may have received from their victims, they already have some prospects.

“The Menendez murders stand on Mount Rushmore among the most high-profile, almost legendary – if that’s even an apt description – murders in American history, on a par with the JFK assassination, the Manson murders /Mansfield and Robert Durst,” said Doug Eldridge. , celebrity brand expert and founder of Achilles PR.

“There is name recognition across at least two generations and it would even attract younger audiences who are not familiar with the story but are interested in the genre.”

He told Fox News Digital that they could immediately land a documentary deal with a streaming giant like Netflix for their first paycheck.

The brothers might be better off financially and emotionally if they control the narrative themselves and take ownership of every project they do, a pop culture expert said. Pérez Hiltonwho said he would jump at the chance to question either brother if they came out.

The Menendez brothers – Erik, left, and Lyle – on the steps of their Beverly Hills home in November 1989. (Ronald L. Soble/Los Angeles Times)

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Hilton also predicted that at least one of them might end up divorced after signing up for social media, which didn’t exist when they went to prison in the summer of 1996. Both are married while behind bars.

“Imagine, all of a sudden, you were locked up in prison for over 34 years. You married someone because you never thought you’d get out. Then, all of a sudden, you are free,” Hilton said. told Fox News Digital. “You’re on social media. You quickly learn how to use social media and, even in prison, women were sending them letters. That’s how they met their wives. … Their DMs are going to be flooded.”

Lyle Menendez, left, and Erik Menendez sit with defense attorney Leslie Abramson, right, in Beverly Hills Municipal Court during a hearing on November 26, 1990. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Lyle Menendez has already publicly given an indication of what he plans to do if released.

Menendez’s older brother said he was studying for a master’s degree and working on how he could reenter society when he called. a live interview with attorney Mark Geragos at CrimeCon 2024 in Nashville.

“Well, I hope that… I’ve had these discussions with the corrections officers responsible for getting formerly incarcerated people back into prisons to do a good job, and they are quite open and would like me continues to work on this idea of ​​transforming prison yards to create living environments and communities that produce better neighbors,” Lyle said.

Joan Andersen VanderMolen, sister of Kitty Menendez, speaks as family members of Erik and Lyle Menendez, the Beverly Hills brothers convicted of murdering their parents, hold a news conference at Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles on October 16, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Blake)

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While incarcerated, he worked on therapy groups with other inmates and plans to continue his advocacy work for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, he added.

“I have had discussions with Rosie O’Donnell “It was about creating a foundation where we could go and try to speak to forums for these groups and help in that space,” Lyle added. “It’s an area I spend a lot of time in.”