Menendez brothers may be released after prosecutor calls for renewed condemnation

Date published: 25/10/2024 – 01:12

3 minutes

The couple was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the shotgun murders at the family’s lavish Beverly Hills home, following a blockbuster case that swept the United States and made headlines around the world.

At the time, prosecutors alleged that the duo planned to kill Jose and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez in order to accelerate their $14 million inheritance.

But supporters said they were victims of constant sexual and physical abuse and had broken away after years of suffering at the hands of a cruel father.

“After reviewing all the allegations very carefully… I believe it is appropriate under the law to re-indicate, and I will propose that to the court tomorrow,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon told reporters Thursday.

Gascon said his recommendation would be for the brothers to be punished for the murder, which carries a sentence of 50 years to life in prison.

“Since they were under the age of 26 at the time of these crimes, they will be eligible for immediate parole.”

Gascón, who faces a tough re-election fight in November, said that while he did not condone the violent killings carried out by the Menendez brothers, who were 19 and 21 at the time, he did believe there were certain circumstances.

“If you are being harassed, the right way is to call the police, get help. But I also understand how helpless people can be sometimes.”

‘Merciful’

Erik Menendez, now 53, and Lyle Menendez, now 56, have spent nearly 35 years in prison since their convictions.

Their cousin Karen Vander Molen welcomed Gascon’s “compassionate” announcement.

“We know this is not an easy decision, but it is the right decision,” he said.

“This is about truth, justice, and healing. It’s time for Lyle and Erik to come home.”

He said the verdict “gives us all hope that eventually the truth will be heard and that Erik and Lyle can begin to heal from the horrors of their past.”

It will be the judge’s responsibility to make the final decision on Gascon’s recommendation, which he acknowledged was not unanimously accepted even within his own department.

Although it is not yet clear when a hearing on the matter might be held, Gascon said his office will file court documents on Friday.

Legal experts told the local press that the brothers would not be released from prison anytime soon and that there was a long legal process ahead of us.

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Their first trial, which began in 1993, was one of the first murder trials to be televised in the United States and made daily headlines around the world. The trial ended in a mistrial due to a deadlocked jury, but they were found guilty at the second trial.

Last year, attorneys filed a court petition laying out new evidence they said showed Jose Menendez’s history of sexual abuse.

Among the new evidence was a letter Erik wrote to his cousin months before the murders: “I was trying to escape from my father. This still happens… I stay up every night thinking he might break in.”

Roy Rossello, a former member of the 1980s boy band Menudo, said in a documentary series released last year that he was drugged and raped by Jose Menendez in the 1980s.

Earlier this month, Gascón told reporters he “had a moral and ethical obligation to review what was presented to us.”

His comments come two weeks after the release of the Netflix crime drama “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.” The streaming giant also released a documentary film called “The Menendez Brothers” last week.

Gascon said the Netflix show led to numerous calls to his office about the case.

© 2024 AFP