The Menendez brothers, who were convicted of murdering their wealthy parents in California, United States, in 1989, were finally released from prison after being imprisoned for more than thirty years. Lyle and Erik Menendez killed their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home more than 35 years ago.

Although they did not deny the murders, there was debate about their motives for committing the crime. Now, the Los Angeles County District Attorney has recommended ending the brothers’ lives without the possibility of parole sentences and asked a judge to resentence them.

Let’s take a closer look.

Who are the Menendez brothers?

Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez are the children of music executive Jose and former beauty queen Mary Louise, who goes by the name Kitty.

Lyle was a star tennis player and his younger brother was a nationally ranked junior tennis player. After the family moved from Princeton, New Jersey, to Los Angeles, California, Erik, then a teenager, became involved in burglaries in 1988.

Their move to California had occurred just a few years before the murders.

Lyle attended Princeton University but received a one-year suspension for plagiarism.

Accordingly Vanity FairTwo weeks before the murders, Erik entered the 1989 Men’s Junior National Championships and reached the second round of Men’s 18 singles.

1989 murder of the Menendez couple

On August 20, 1989, Jose and Kitty Menendez were shot multiple times in the family room of their Beverly Hills mansion.

Lyle Menendez, then 21, called 911 and shouted, “Someone killed my family.” He and his brother Erik, who was 18 at the time, told investigators they went out to watch a movie but had to return to get Erik’s ID.

That’s when they discovered their parents’ bodies. Jose was working at a movie studio at the time, and investigators initially suspected the murders were connected to his business dealings. CBS News.

But a tip led them to solve the crime and find the real culprits.

Due to the burglaries in 1988, Erik escaped from prison and was sent to psychologist Dr. He was receiving court-ordered therapy with Jerome Oziel.

Dr. Oziel’s girlfriend, Judalon Smyth, told police that the brothers confessed to killing their parents during therapy and that an audio recording of these confessions was available.

Lyle Menendez was arrested by Beverly Hills Police on March 8, 1990, outside the mansion where his parents were murdered.

Two days later, Erik, who was in Israel for a tennis tournament, returned to the United States and turned himself in at Los Angeles International Airport.

Murder trial of Menendez brothers

There was great public interest
Menendez brothers‘ case. His high-profile cases were among the first to be televised in the United States.

The first trial began on July 20, 1993, with separate juries for each brother. The broadcast of the court hearings on cable television triggered a national obsession with the case. Biography.com.

The brothers confessed to killing their parents. But they argued that they should not be convicted because they acted in self-defense. The brothers took the stand and testified about the sexual, physical and psychological abuse their father had subjected them to for years.

Lyle told the court his father sexually abused him when he was only six and that it stopped when he was eight. She also said that she was sexually abused by both her mother and father. CBS News.

Erik said he was abused by his father between the ages of 6 and 18. He revealed that just a few days before the murder, he finally revealed his secret to his brother, Lyle.

They said their mother knew about the abuse but never stopped it. New York Times (NYT).

According to their statements, Lyle soon confronted his father about sexually assaulting Erik, and as the situation worsened, they believed their parents would kill them to keep the family secret.

They said that on the night of the crime, they believed their parents were going to kill them, so they shot them.

Prosecutors rejected the claim of self-defense. They claimed that the reason was money and that the brothers wanted to inherit a multimillion-dollar fortune. In the months between the murders and their arrest, the duo had bought Rolex watches, a Porsche car, real estate and invested in business.

Both juries said they were split on whether to find the brothers guilty of murder or manslaughter. This led to a mistrial.

At the second trial, which began in October 1995, there was a single jury for each brother. The judge prohibited defense lawyers from using the “abuse excuse” to exclude evidence of sexual abuse.

In 1996, the brothers were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Freedom for the Menendez brothers?

There has been renewed interest in the case in recent years, especially during the pandemic, when TikTok videos created a support network for the siblings.

Netflix series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, The documentary about the Menendez case, which was released last month, has sparked new interest in the case.

American celebrity Kim Kardashian came to the brothers’ defense in a recent essay, arguing that the case was more complicated than it seemed and that Erik and Lyle “chose what they thought was the only way out at the time – an unimaginable escape route.” their living nightmare”.

After spending decades behind bars, the Menendez brothers now have a chance at freedom.

On Thursday, October 24, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón called for their resentencing. He recommended resentencing the pair, a step that would likely lead to their release from prison.

“After reviewing all the allegations very carefully… I have come to a point where I believe it is appropriate to re-ignore according to the law, and I will propose this to the court tomorrow,” Gascón said.

“I believe they have paid their debt to society, and the system provides a means for their cases to be reviewed by the parole board, and if the board agrees with my assessment … they will be released accordingly,” he said. Hall of Justice in Los Angeles.

The decision to reheat will be made by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge. The hearing may be held within the next month Associated Press (AP).

LA County district attorney He said he would ask for the brothers to be sentenced to 50 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Gascón’s decision came after defense lawyers said last year they had discovered new evidence that the brothers were abused by their father.

Lyle and Erik Menendez will be eligible for immediate parole under California law because they were under 26 at the time of the murders, according to the district attorney.

“I believe the siblings suffered tremendous dysfunction and abuse at home,” Gascón said.

The district attorney also noted the brothers’ behavior in prison. The brothers earned their college degrees in prison, served as hospice aides to sick inmates, and led Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and meditation groups for inmates.

If the judge agrees to resentencing, the brothers will have to appear before the parole board.

If the board greenlights their release, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s approval will be required. However, the process can take weeks and there is no guarantee of publication.

Gascón’s angry advice was welcomed by Lyle and Erik Menendez’s family.

A cousin of the Menendez brothers who spoke at Thursday’s conference called it a “day of hope” for the family.

But not all agree.

Kitty’s brother, Milton Andersen, hired a lawyer to object to the brothers’ release. he said new York They said last year that Lyle and Erik “didn’t deserve to walk this earth after killing my sister and brother-in-law.”

With input from agencies