The extended family of Erik and Lyle Menendez is calling for the release of the brothers, who have been serving life sentences for the murder of their parents. A news conference set for Wednesday in downtown Los Angeles is intended to highlight the family’s push for justice. The gathering follows the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s decision to review new evidence in the case. Billed as “a powerful show of unity,” more than a dozen family members, including the brothers’ aunt, will travel to Los Angeles to advocate for their release. This demonstration of support comes less than two weeks after District Attorney George Gascón announced his office was taking another look at the notorious case.
Brothers convicted of killing parents in 1989
Erik Menendez, 53, and his older brother Lyle, 56, have spent over 35 years behind bars without the possibility of parole after being convicted of fatally shooting their parents, entertainment executive Jose Menendez and his wife Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. The brothers admitted to the murders but claimed they acted in self-defense, fearing their parents would kill them to cover up years of sexual abuse by their father.
The brothers’ attorney, Bryan Freedman, confirmed that the family is united in supporting their release. Notably, comedian Rosie O’Donnell will also stand with the family at the press conference. “She wishes nothing more than for them to be released,” Freedman said, referring to Joan VanderMolen, the brothers’ aunt and sister to Kitty Menendez
New evidence prompts a review of the case
District Attorney Gascón emphasized that while the brothers’ involvement in the 1989 murders is not disputed, new evidence has prompted a review to determine if a resentencing is warranted. The Menendez case, which captivated national attention decades ago, is being revisited in light of evolving societal views on sexual abuse and its long-term impacts. Attorneys for the Menendez brothers have long contended that they should have faced manslaughter charges instead of first-degree murder. During the second trial, jurors were not given manslaughter as a sentencing option, leading to the brothers’ murder convictions.
The case has gained renewed attention following the release of Netflix’s true-crime drama Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. The emergence of a letter written by Erik Menendez has been a key development, as his attorneys argue it supports his allegations of sexual abuse by their father. A hearing to review the new evidence is scheduled for November 29. Prosecutors at the time of the original trial dismissed the claims of abuse, maintaining that the murders were motivated by the brothers’ desire to inherit their parents’ multimillion-dollar estate.
Changing perspectives on abuse
The Menendez brothers maintain that the killings were acts of self-defense after a lifetime of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Their legal team argues that, with today’s evolving understanding of abuse, the brothers might not have been convicted of first-degree murder. During their 1996 trial, jurors rejected the death penalty, instead sentencing Erik and Lyle Menendez to life in prison without parole.