The chances of Lyle and Erik Menendez being granted freedom are once again uncertain after the Los Angeles County District Attorney who recommended their resentencing was voted out by the voters.
George Gascón, known for his progressive approach, had suggested that the brothers, who are now in their 50s, should be eligible for parole after serving over 30 years in prison for killing their parents in 1989.
However, Nathan Hochman, a former federal prosecutor who defeated Gascón in the election, expressed the need to review the case thoroughly before making any decisions.
He stated, “Before I can make any decision about the Menendez brothers’ case, I will need to become thoroughly familiar with the relevant facts, the evidence, and the law. I will have to review the confidential prison files for each brother, the transcripts from both trials, and speak to the prosecutors, law enforcement, defense counsel, and the victims’ family members.”
Hochman, who won the election by opposing Gascón’s criminal justice reforms, will assume office on Dec. 2, just before the scheduled hearing to consider Gascón’s request for the Menendez brothers.
He added, “If for some reason I need additional time, I will ask the court for that time.”
Gascón had revealed that his office had been reevaluating the case of the brothers for over a year due to new evidence of sexual abuse they suffered from their father.
The final decision on resentencing the Menendez brothers will be up to a judge, but Gascón believed they had shown redemption and rehabilitation during their time in prison.
If the recommendation is accepted, their new sentences would change to 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole under California’s youthful offender law due to being convicted under the age of 26.
The Menendez brothers killed their parents with a shotgun in 1989 and were sentenced to life without parole in 1996 after a highly publicized trial.
Their defense argued they acted in self-defense following years of abuse, while prosecutors claimed they were after their parents’ fortune. The case resulted in convictions for both brothers on two counts of first-degree murder.
The new Netflix series, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” has reignited interest in the case and the brothers’ story.
