Menendez brothers move one step closer to possible parole

On Friday, April 11, a Los Angeles judge authorised a resentencing hearing for Lyle and Erik Menendez, delivering a blow to prosecutors who have resisted any effort to lessen the brothers’ life sentences for the 1989 fatal shooting of their parents.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman attempted to halt the resentencing process, arguing that it could lead to the brothers becoming eligible for parole after serving more than 35 years. Despite this, Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic dismissed Hochman’s request to withdraw an earlier motion for resentencing, clearing the way for the hearing to proceed on April 17 and 18.

"Today is a good day. Justice won over politics," said the attorney, Mark Geragos, following the hearing.

The Menendez brothers were convicted in 1996 of first-degree murder for the fatal shooting of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in the family’s Beverly Hills home on August 20, 1989. The case drew widespread national attention in the 1990s due to the brothers' privileged upbringing as sons of a successful music industry executive. 

Interest in the case was recently renewed by a Netflix documentary series, which presented evidence bolstering the brothers' claims that they endured abuse from their parents. That development led Gascon to push for a lesser charge and consider the possibility of their release.

In the early stages of the investigation, the brothers denied involvement and staged the scene to look like an organized crime hit. They later admitted to the killings, explaining that they acted in fear after years of abuse. Their first trial ended in a hung jury, but a second trial resulted in convictions and life sentences without parole.

Over the years, some members of the Menendez family—including the sisters of Jose and Kitty—have expressed support for the brothers’ release. One notable exception was Kitty Menendez’s brother, Milton Anderson, a vocal opponent of their release who rejected the abuse claims; he passed away recently.

Separately, California Governor Gavin Newsom has asked the state parole board to assess whether the brothers would pose a risk to public safety if released, as he holds the power to commute their sentences.

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