DA Recommends Resentencing for Menendez Brothers

Los Angeles County District Lawyer George Gascón will advisable that Erik and Lyle Menendez, who’re serving life sentences for the shotgun murders of their dad and mom Jose and Kitty greater than 30 years in the past, be resentenced.

Gascón introduced on Thursday, Oct. 24, that his workplace will ask Los Angeles Superior Court docket choose to resentence Lyle, 56, and Erik, 53.

The announcement got here shortly after almost two dozen relations of the brothers referred to as for his or her launch from jail. Members of the Menendez household joined Gascón for the announcement on the Corridor of Justice in downtown L.A.

Nevertheless, it’s as much as the choose to make a closing willpower if the lads needs to be resentenced, which may presumably result in their launch after a long time in jail. The choose is anticipated to make that willpower inside 30 days.

The case gained momentum in Might 2023 when attorneys for the brothers filed a habeas corpus petition with the Los Angeles County Superior Court docket, citing new proof within the case.

The brand new proof cited have been sexual abuse allegations by Roy Rosselló, a former member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, towards Jose, whom he claims raped him within the Nineteen Eighties, in addition to a newly found letter Erik wrote to his now-deceased cousin Andy Cano describing his father’s alleged sexual abuse months earlier than the killings.

Gascón advised reporters at a Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 press convention that his workplace had “an ethical and an moral obligation to assessment” the proof within the petition to determine if the brothers, who claimed they have been sexually molested by their father Jose, needs to be resentenced or if a brand new listening to of the case is “applicable.”

Gascón added, “If there was proof that was not offered to the court docket at the moment, and had that proof been offered, maybe a jury would have come to a special conclusion.”

On the time, he mentioned his workplace was “retaining an open thoughts” about their bid for launch.

Wish to sustain with the newest crime protection? Join PEOPLE’s free True Crime e-newsletter for breaking crime information, ongoing trial protection and particulars of intriguing unsolved circumstances.

Extra lately, in an episode of IMPACT x Nightline titled “Menendez Brothers: Monsters or Victims?” streaming on Hulu on Thursday, Oct. 17, Gascón mentioned he believed the brothers shouldn’t be in jail for the remainder of their lives.

“Given the totality of the circumstances, I don’t assume they should be in jail till they die,” Gascón advised co-anchor Juju Chang.

Referencing Gascón, Los Angeles protection legal professional Neama Rahmani advised PEOPLE, “He is in the midst of a extremely contested election. Social media help for the Menendez brothers is thru the roof. There are lots of people that assume that victims ought to have the appropriate to face as much as their abusers. Now, there’s different individuals who assume that this in vigilante justice, and that is past the pale, however they’ve lots of help.”

Lyle was 21 and Erik was 18 after they fatally shot their dad and mom utilizing 12-gauge shotguns within the den of their Beverly Hills, Calif., residence on Aug. 20, 1989.

Jose, who was the chief working officer of RCA Data, was hit a number of instances, together with level clean within the head. Kitty, 47, was shot 15 instances, together with as soon as within the face. The killings, in accordance with the brothers, got here after years of sexual abuse by Jose — abuse which they claimed was ignored by their mother, a former pageant queen.

Nevertheless, prosecutors on the time mentioned the 2 brothers’ motive was greed and cited their lavish spending spree after the slayings.

In 1996, three years after their first trial led to a impasse, the siblings have been convicted of the first-degree murders and subsequently sentenced to life in jail with out the opportunity of parole.

Should you or somebody you recognize has been a sufferer of sexual abuse, textual content “STRENGTH” to the Disaster Textual content Line at 741-741 to be related to an authorized disaster counselor.