Possible Release Date for Menendez Brothers | US News
The Menendez brothers, who were convicted of killing their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989, are awaiting a decision on their potential release from prison until next year.
Lyle Menendez, 56, and his 53-year-old brother Erik are currently serving life sentences without parole for the murders of their father and mother – Jose and Kitty Menendez.
Since they were first charged with the murders, the brothers have claimed they were victims of abuse by their parents.
A Netflix series called Monsters, which aired in September and focused on the brothers, has sparked renewed interest in their case and calls for their release – including from their own family.
In light of these developments, the brothers’ lawyers have requested a review of their sentencing by Los Angeles prosecutors, potentially opening the door for their release.
A scheduled resentencing hearing on 11 December this year was postponed until 30 January by LA County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic, meaning the brothers will spend at least one more Christmas behind bars.
What is the argument for the brothers’ release, is there new evidence, and why has the decision been delayed?
An old defense with new evidence
At the ages of 21 and 18 when their parents were killed, the Menendez brothers confessed to the murders before being convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in 1996.
They claim that the killings were acts of self-defense after enduring years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, including allegations of being molested by their father.
Prosecutors at the time disputed the claims of abuse, suggesting that the brothers were motivated by greed for their parents’ estate.
The jury in their first trial in 1993 reached a deadlock, but they were found guilty in their second trial and sentenced to life without parole.
Erik Menendez, left, and his brother, Lyle, sit in the courtroom in 1992. Pic: AP
The defense team now argues that given the changing societal views on sexual abuse, the brothers might not have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole in present times.
They suggest that the brothers should have been charged with manslaughter rather than murder, but this option was not available to the jury during the second trial.
New evidence, including a letter written by Erik Menendez to his cousin months before the murders, has also been uncovered by their defense team. The letter alludes to possible abuse by their father.
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