They are one step closer to freedom.
Lyle and Eric Menendez will spend more than 30 years in prison for the gruesome 1989 shotgun shooting of their parents, Jose and Kitty. The case captivated the nation and spawned a hit Netflix series more than 30 years later.
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón denounced the brothers Thursday at a press conference packed with more than 300 journalists from around the world, announcing that he would recommend to the court that the killer brothers be eligible for parole. .
The final decision will be left to the judge, but Gascón said the men, now in their 50s, are on a “journey of redemption and rehabilitation” and have “paid their debt to society” during their time in prison. Ta. And everything they did to improve the lives of others while in prison.
Gascón revealed that there was disagreement within his office over whether to give the brothers a chance to express their outrage over the infamous murder, which he called a “horrific act.”
“There were people in the office who strongly believed that the Menedez brothers should remain in prison for the rest of their lives and who did not believe that they were sexually abused,” he said, adding that some people in the office believed that the Menedez brothers should remain in prison for the rest of their lives and did not believe that they had been sexually abused. He even hinted that he might appear in court. I oppose the recommendation for re-sentencing.
“There are people in the agency who believe they should be released immediately and who were actually sexually abused,” he added.
“There is no excuse for murder. We are in no way saying that what we are doing here is to excuse their actions. Even if you have been abused, call the police and ask for help.” Because asking is the right way.”
However, he acknowledged that people who have been abused can sometimes become “desperate” and eventually “kill their abuser in desperation.”
If the judge agrees with Gascón’s recommendation, convicting the Menendez brothers of murder would mean that the new sentence, eligible for parole, would be changed to 25 years for each murder, or 50 years to life in prison. means.
However, because they were convicted before the age of 26, they would be immediately eligible for parole under California’s Youth Offenders Act if they reoffend.
After Gascón’s remarks, Kitty’s sister Joanne Vandermolen took to the microphone and praised the DA’s office for taking the “brave and considerate step” in recommending a counter-prosecution.
“This decision is not just a legal matter. It is a recognition of the abuse my cousins suffered… I know this was not an easy decision, but it was the right one. This is the truth, It’s about justice and healing.”
Reporters bombarded Gascón with questions about his re-election, including accusations that he used the spectacle for political gain, which he denied and said his office had issued similar recommendations to 300 people. “We will continue to do so in the future.”
Before today’s press conference was announced, the brothers had a court date scheduled for Nov. 26, but it was not immediately known if that had changed.
A name everyone knows, a late night joke
The Menendez brothers’ case has received renewed attention after new evidence unearthed that the brothers were allegedly subjected to serial sexual abuse by their father, with family members and celebrity supporters leading the charge. The brothers’ liberation movement began.
The brothers were sentenced to life in prison without parole in 1996 for a brutal murder in a Beverly Hills mansion, a highly publicized trial that made Eric and Lyle, then 21 and 18 respectively, celebrities. It became a late-night punch line. .
Since then, their case has largely stayed out of the spotlight, but recently after the release of Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez, a hit Netflix series about the double murder produced by Ryan Murphy. , once again attracting public attention. ”
And last month, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced that his office was reviewing the brothers’ case on a “highest level” in light of new evidence that the brothers were routinely sexually abused as children. The company announced that it would be reconsidering the issue for more than 20 years.
A key piece of evidence was a bombshell note Eric allegedly wrote to his late cousin Andy Cano several months before the murder. The note stated that she lived in fear due to her father’s alleged abuse.
“I’ve been trying to avoid my dad. It’s still happening, Andy, but it’s even worse for me now,” the handwritten letter read in part.
“I don’t know when it’s going to happen and it drives me crazy. I wake up every night thinking he might walk in.”
Roy Rosselló, a former member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, also came forward and claimed that he was sexually abused by Jose Menendez when he was 14 years old.
Earlier this month, more than 20 members of Jose and Kitty’s families held a press conference in Los Angeles to voice the men’s outrage, saying the sexual abuse was not properly considered in the trial.
The first trial ended in a hung jury, but in the second trial, in which the two were convicted of first-degree murder, the judge ruled that there was no evidence that the boys had been sexually abused. handed down a judgment.
Families criticized this, claiming that the only reason such evidence was excluded was because sexual abuse of men and boys was not taken as seriously at the time.
Vandermolen, the brothers’ aunt, said society has changed dramatically since the men went on trial, and no court would discount a credible allegation of sexual abuse just because the defendant is a man. , he pointed out.
“No jury today would pass such a harsh sentence without considering their trauma. Lyle and Eric paid a high price. They were discarded by a system that failed to recognize their pain. Despite everything I’ve been through, I’ve grown, changed, and become a better person.”
Mark Geragos, a well-known celebrity attorney representing the brothers, enthusiastically echoed that sentiment.
“If they were the Menendez sisters, they wouldn’t have been detained. We have evolved and it’s time to release them.”
Geragos also praised the men for being exemplary inmates during their long time at the mansion, with Eric and Lyle, now 53 and 56, earning degrees and starting the program. and praised his efforts to stay productive and improve himself by providing guidance to young inmates.
The lawyer, whose longtime client list includes Michael Jackson, Chris Brown, Colin Kaepernick and Jussie Smollett, brought the case to Gascón himself as he prepares to file a tough lawsuit. He also denied suggestions from some critics that he was using it as a means to increase his name recognition. Bid for re-election next month.
The campaign to free the brothers was supported by a fanzine of celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Rosie O’Donnell.
