On Tuesday, Judge Michael Jesic of the Los Angeles County Superior Court reduced the sentences of brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez from life imprisonment without parole to 50 years in prison.
Thanks to that resentencing, now both Menendez brothers are eligible for parole, according to California’s juvenile offender law, as they committed the crime when they were under 26 years old.
However, the state parole board still needs to decide whether to release them.
The brothers could also receive clemency from California Governor Gavin Newsom.
How was the Menendez brothers’ hearing?
The two brothers were not present in the room but were there through a live broadcast.
“I killed my parents. I make no excuses or justifications. The impact of my violent actions on my family...is immeasurable,” said Lyle Menendez.
On the other hand, Judge Jesic pointed out that “I’m not saying they should be released, it’s not up to me to decide” and added that "I believe they have done enough in the last 35 years to be given that opportunity."
Anamaria Baralt, cousin of the Menendez brothers, commented during the hearing that “in both branches of the family, we say that 35 years is enough.”
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who opposed the release, said in a brief press conference outside the court that “the Menendez brothers have never fully confessed to all the lies, cover-ups, and deception they have committed for over 30 years.”
The Menendez Brothers case
Erik and Lyle Menendez were sentenced in 1996 to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for shooting their father, José Menendez, an entertainment industry executive, and their mother, Kitty Menendez, at their Beverly Hills residence in 1989. Erik was 18 years old and Lyle was 21.
The defense argued that they acted in self-defense after years of suffering sexual abuse from their father and fearing for their lives. The prosecutors, on the other hand, alleged that the crimes were motivated by the million-dollar inheritance they would receive.
The case has captured public attention for decades, and recently became the focus of interest again thanks to the Netflix series “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” and a subsequent documentary “Los Hermanos Menendez.”