Additional Coverage:
Menendez Brothers Recommended for Resentencing
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón has recommended that Lyle and Erik Menendez, who are serving life without parole for murdering their parents in 1989, be resentenced.
The brothers would receive a sentence of 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole immediately due to their age at the time of the crime. Gascón believes they have “paid their debt to society” after nearly 35 years behind bars.
The decision follows pressure from the brothers’ family, attorneys, and supporters, who claim they have reformed themselves in prison. They cite the brothers’ work with other inmates and their efforts to address trauma and abuse.
Gascón acknowledges that the brothers experienced “dysfunction and molestation” at home, but does not believe manslaughter is an appropriate charge due to the premeditation involved in the murders.
The brothers’ first trials ended in mistrials, and they were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996. The case gained renewed attention recently with the release of a Netflix drama and documentary about them.
Gascón’s office has reviewed new evidence, including allegations of abuse against the brothers’ father and a letter Erik Menendez wrote detailing the alleged abuse. Nearly two dozen of the brothers’ relatives have also publicly supported their resentencing.