Will the Menendez Brothers Walk Free?
There's a chance the Menendez brothers will walk free. In 1995, Lyle and Erik Menendez received a sentence of life in prison for killing their parents, Jose and Kitty. Recently, Ryan Murphy adapted their story for Netflix, which brought new eyes to the case. Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story details the abuse the boys endured, and in turn, has led people to question if their sentence is just.
Now, the discourse has spread to the courtroom. Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón announced that he supports the brothers' resentencing to life in prison with the possibility of a parole. On Thursday, Gascón old reporters, “I believe that they have paid their debt to society.” Next, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge will consider the recommendation. Then, it will go to a parole board—depending on what they decide, the brothers could be eligible for parole and leave prison.
This is a major shift in opinion, seeing that the Menendez brothers were tried twice in the ‘90s. The first trial was held in 1993. After days of deliberation, the jury couldn’t decide between manslaughter and first-degree murder, which led to a mistrial. During the court proceedings, the Menendez brothers said their father, Jose, molested them. Their mother, Kitty, allegedly took part in the abuse as well. Lyle and Erik claimed that they killed their parents in self-defence, but the prosecution argued against that. In 1995, the Menendez brothers were tried again and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Lyle was initially sent to Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California, but in 2018, he was transferred to Erik’s facility in San Diego County. Lyle told DailyMailTV that he was happy they reunited. “It was just a remarkable moment,” he said. “It was just something I wasn’t sure was ever going to happen.” Both brothers are married and seemingly acclimated to life behind bars.Even so, the brother’s family has advocated for their release. Gascón said he spoke with Lyle and Erik’s relatives, who say new evidence supports the abuse allegations.
In an interview with CNN, Gascón further explained his decision. “I will never excuse murder, and those were brutal, premeditated murders,” he said. “They were appropriately sentenced at the time when they were tried. They got life without the possibility of parole. I just think that given the current state of the law and given our assessment of their behaviour in prison, they deserve the opportunity to be re-evaluated and perhaps reintegrated into the community.”
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