Entertainment

Menendez brothers set to be resentenced for murder of parents after case featured by Netflix

Menendez brothers set to be resentenced for murder of parents after case featured by Netflix

Two brothers who were convicted of killing their parents and featured in Netflix shows could be freed early after 34 years behind bars.

Lyle Menendez, 56, and his 53-year-old brother Erik are serving life in prison without parole for the shotgun murders of their father and mother – Jose and Kitty Menendez – in 1989.

They were jailed after a trial in 1996 when Lyle was 21 and Erik was 18.

Image:
(L-R) Lyle and Erik Menendez. Pic: AP

On Thursday, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon recommended that the pair be resentenced – replacing their life sentence with a sentence of 50 years to life.

This would mean the brothers would be eligible for parole immediately because they were under 26 years old at the time of the murders, Mr Gascon said.

Read more: The real case behind the Netflix drama

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon speaks during a news conference to announce a decision in the case of brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez, who have spent 34 years in prison for the shotgun murder of their parents, at his office in Los Angeles, California, U.S., October 24, 2024. REUTERS/Mike Blake
Image:
LA District Attorney George Gascon. Pic: Reuters

“Under the law, resentencing is appropriate. I’m going to recommend that to a court tomorrow,” the district attorney told a news conference.

“I believe they have paid their debt to society.”

Prosecutors must now seek court approval on the case, with the final decision falling to the judge.

Joseph Lyle Menéndez and Erik Galen Menéndez. Pics: Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility
Image:
The brothers in 2023. Pics: Richard J Donovan Correctional Facility

It comes after Mr Gascon said his office would be reviewing new evidence that allegedly corroborates claims that Erik was sexually abused by his father, who was a music executive.

Both the brothers claim they killed their parents in self-defence after enduring a lifetime of physical, emotional and sexual abuse from them.

Their lawyers argue that because of society’s changing views on sexual abuse, if tried today the brothers may not have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon shakes hands with Joan Andersen VanderMolen, sister of Kitty Menendez, at the end of a news conference on a decision in the case of brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez, who have spent 34 years in prison for the shotgun murder of their parents, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., October 24, 2024. REUTERS/Mike Blake
Image:
George Gascon shakes hands with Joan Andersen VanderMolen, sister of Kitty Menendez. Pic: Reuters

But prosecutors contended at the time there was no evidence of any molestation and said the brothers were after their parents’ multimillion-dollar estate.

Read more from Sky News:
PM paves the way for possible tax rises
Harris is braced for Trump election chaos

Multiple extended family members have united to call for the brothers’ release and have formed a “new coalition” called Justice for Erik and Lyle.

Speaking after the recommendation was announced on Thursday, Anamaria Baralt, a niece of Jose, said: “Today is a day filled with hope for our family.

Lyle, left, and Erik Menendez leave courtroom in Santa Monica, Calif., Aug. 6, 1990, after a judge ruled that conversations between the two brothers and their psychologist after their parents were slain are not privileged and can be used as evidence in their murder case. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
Image:
Pic: AP

“This step gives us all hope that the truth will finally be heard and Lyle and Erik can begin to heal from the trauma of their past.”

Another relative, believed to be a niece of Kitty, added: “This decision is not just a legal matter, it is a recognition of the abuse my cousins endured.

“We are grateful to the district attorney for putting justice over politics. We know this wasn’t an easy decision but it is the right one.

“It is time for Lyle and Erik to come home.”

Not all Menendez family members support resentencing. Milton Andersen, the 90-year-old brother of Kitty, has filed a legal brief asking the court to keep the brothers’ original punishment.

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

The Menendez case was thrust back into the limelight after Monsters, a Netflix drama telling of their story, and a documentary were recently released.