In Los Angeles, the district attorney has taken a firm stance against the potential resentencing of brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, who have been incarcerated for over three decades. Convicted in the murder of their parents in their Beverly Hills home in 1989, the brothers have long maintained that their actions were in self-defense following years of alleged abuse by their father.
Los Angeles County District Attorney recently expressed his disapproval on Monday, stating that the brothers have consistently misrepresented the reasons for their actions and have not taken full accountability for their crimes.
The infamous murder case took place on August 20, 1989, when Jose and Kitty Menendez were shot dead in their Beverly Hills mansion. Lyle Menendez was the one to alert authorities by calling 911, initially claiming that the killings were connected to Mafia activities or linked to his father’s business. In the aftermath, both brothers indulged in extravagant spending, purchasing luxury items such as Rolex watches, cars, and homes. Their admission of guilt came when Erik confessed to their psychologist, Jerome Oziel, which eventually led to their arrest and formal charges against them.
The trial of the Menendez brothers quickly garnered significant public interest, partly due to the national fascination with crime television following the O.J. Simpson trial. Their trial, one of the first to be almost entirely televised, generated a myriad of documentaries, TV specials, and dramatizations. This interest was recently renewed with the release of “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” on Netflix and the documentary “The Menendez Brothers” in 2024.
In court, Lyle and Erik Menendez faced separate juries in their 1993 trial. Prosecutors argued financial gain as their motive, while the defense claimed self-defense against prolonged abuse. The trial ended with a hung jury on multiple counts, including murder. At their second trial in 1995, a more stringent evidential procedure was followed, excluding crucial abuse testimony. Convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances, they received life sentences without parole by 1996.
Following their conviction, the Menendez brothers pursued numerous appeals, all denied by various courts, including the California Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Having exhausted their legal avenues, they seemed resigned to serve life sentences until new evidence surfaced in 2015.
This new evidence—a letter Erik Menendez wrote to his uncle—suggested abuse allegations were not considered in their trials. Roy Rossello, once a member of the pop group Menudo, has since accused Jose Menendez of sexual abuse, further corroborating the brothers’ claims. This prompted a new habeas corpus petition in May 2023.
On their journey towards freedom, the brothers seek a new trial based on the new evidence. A resentencing motion, initially filed by a previous district attorney, proposed reducing their sentence to make them eligible for parole. Additionally, they’ve sought clemency from Governor Gavin Newsom, who has asked the state parole board to assess their risk to public safety.
The current district attorney, however, opposes any resentencing, emphasizing the brothers’ lack of accountability and unchanged narrative surrounding the murders. He withdrew the previous motion for resentencing and opposed a new trial, arguing that their self-defense claims contradict established facts of premeditated murder.
Despite opposition, the brothers’ resentencing hearing is scheduled for March 20 and 21, overseen by a county judge. With prior district attorney support now withdrawn, prospects of resentencing remain uncertain. Instead, their most viable path to obtain freedom may be through clemency, though challenges persist.
Governor Newsom, who refrains from media portrayals of the case, intends to base his decision solely on factual evidence. The parole board continues its risk assessment, with final hearings set for June, whereupon findings will be shared with both the judge and the governor for further consideration.