Categories: US News

Menendez Brothers decision could be imminent as DA hints they could be freed 35 years after murders

TRIAL OF BROTHERS LYLE & ERIK MENENDEZ, PARRICIDES (Photo by Ted Soqui/Sygma via Getty Images)

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón has hinted at whether he will recommend the resentencing or even potential release of Erik and Lyle Menendez, who have been serving life sentences for the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. The DA’s decision is expected within days.

The brothers, who have spent decades in prison, are seeking a second look at their case, citing new evidence. Gascón recently commented that he doesn’t believe the Menendez brothers pose a danger to society, stating, “Based on everything that I know, I don’t believe that they are… quite frankly, they probably haven’t been for a very long time, if they ever were.”

Renewed Interest and Potential for Resentencing

Interest in the Menendez case has resurfaced with recent Netflix productions, including Monsters and The Menendez Brothers documentary. The new evidence being reviewed includes a 1988 letter from Erik to his cousin, which allegedly supports claims of abuse by their father, as well as allegations from Roy Rossello, a former member of Menudo, who stated that Jose Menendez sexually abused him in 1984.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 16: Joan Andersen VanderMolen, Kitty Menendez’ sister, speaks at a press conference outside the Criminal Courts Building on October 16, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Members of Menendez’s family held the news conference to call for the release of brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez from prison nearly thirty years after their conviction in 1996 for killing their parents in Beverly Hills. The district attorney’s office is looking at new evidence which supports the brothers’ claim they were sexually abused by their father. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Gascón has indicated that his office is divided on the issue, with some prosecutors disputing the brothers’ abuse claims while others acknowledge possible evidence of both molestation and rehabilitation. The DA could recommend a reduced sentence if it aligns with the interests of justice.

Family Support and Calls for Release

At a recent press conference, several family members, including Kitty Menendez’s sister, Joan Anderson VanderMolen, expressed their belief that the brothers were victims of their father’s abuse. VanderMolen described the murders as a “desperate response” to the abuse and called for the siblings’ release, stating that they had already paid a “heavy price.”

The final decision on resentencing will be made by a judge after Gascón delivers his recommendation later this week.

Herbert Bauernebel

Herbert Bauernebel has been reporting from New York since 1999 and currently works for Bild.de, OE24 TV, and US Live. He also runs the news portal AmerikaReport.de. Bauernebel has covered nearly all major US events of the past quarter-century, including 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Barack Obama’s election, Donald Trump’s surprise victory, the pandemic, last year’s election showdown, as well as natural disasters such as hurricanes and oil spills. He has also reported firsthand on international events, including the Asian tsunami, the Haiti earthquake, and the Fukushima disaster. He lives in Brooklyn with his family and holds degrees in communication and political science from the University of Vienna. Bauernebel is the author of a book about his experiences on 9/11, And the Air Was Full of Ash: 9/11 – The Day That Changed My Life.