Los Angeles prosecutors are poised to reveal their decision on whether to pursue a resentencing for Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were found guilty of murdering their parents in 1989 and are currently serving life sentences without the possibility of parole.
District Attorney George Gascón has acknowledged that the brothers confessed to their involvement in the murders, which took place in Beverly Hills. However, they maintain that their actions were driven by self-defense following years of abuse inflicted by their father.
Gascón expressed that revisiting the case is warranted due to a growing societal awareness and compassion for victims of sexual abuse.
The Menendez brothers received their convictions and sentences in 1996.
Recently, the case has gained renewed public attention thanks to a docuseries and a true-crime drama produced by Netflix.
The following is a timeline outlining key events in the case:
– **August 1989**: Jose Menendez, a Los Angeles RCA Records executive, and his wife Kitty are fatally shot in their Beverly Hills home.
– **March 1990**: Lyle Menendez, who was 21 at the time, is arrested, while his 18-year-old brother Erik turns himself in shortly thereafter. They face first-degree murder charges.
– **July 1993**: The trial for the Menendez brothers begins, each appearing before a different jury. Prosecutors argue that the boys murdered their parents for financial benefit; however, the defense does not contest that the brothers committed the act but claims it was in self-defense following prolonged emotional and sexual abuse by their father.
– **January 1994**: Both juries are unable to reach a verdict, resulting in a deadlock.
– **October 1995**: A retrial commences with a single jury. During this trial, significant defense evidence relating to the alleged sexual abuse is ruled inadmissible.
– **March 1996**: Jurors find both brothers guilty of first-degree murder.
– **July 1996**: Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole is imposed on the Menendez brothers.
– **May 2023**: The brothers’ legal team petitions for a reconsideration of their conviction and sentencing, presenting new information from a former member of the boy band Menudo, who claims he was raped by Jose Menendez at age 14. Additionally, they provide a letter Erik wrote detailing his father’s abuse before the murders.
– **September 2024**: Netflix launches the drama series “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” which delves into the events surrounding the killings.
– **October 4, 2024**: Gascón announces that his office is evaluating new evidence related to the case.
– **October 16, 2024**: Family members of the Menendez brothers hold a press conference urging their release, arguing that the jurors who rendered their life sentences were part of a culture unprepared to address the possibility of sexual abuse against boys.
– **October 24, 2024**: Prosecutors arrange a press conference to disclose their decision regarding the recommendation for resentencing.
