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The Menendez brother duo’s sentence was reduced, making them eligible for parole.
While both Erik and Lyle have admitted to the killings of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, they continue to justify their actions as self-defense after years of tolerating their father’s abuse.
Erik and Lyle Menendez have been resentenced to 50 years to life in prison for the murder of their parents in 1989, with a possibility of parole. The ruling means that the brothers could walk free from prison one day, nearly three decades after they were arrested and sentenced to life without parole. While both Erik and Lyle have admitted to the killings of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, they continue to justify their actions as self-defense after years of tolerating their father’s abuse.
With the case gaining momentum among the public and being widely discussed, the brothers’ defense received major support from family members, who even pleaded for their release in court. While awaiting an impending hearing to decide the fate of the brothers’ freedom, take a look at the timeline of the entire case and the trial.
Menendez Brothers Kill Their Parents
Lyle and Erik killed their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, on August 20, 1989, at their Beverly Hills residence. Their father, a Hollywood executive, was shot six times with a shotgun that the brothers purchased days before the attack, whereas their mother succumbed to injuries due to 10 shotgun shots. Lyle and Erik initially informed the police of their parents’ deaths, claiming that it could be linked to their father’s work.
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In the days after the double murder, the brothers were found spending lavishly, leaving investigators doubtful whether their greed for money resulted in the killings. In March of 1990, Lyle was arrested by police while Erik turned himself in after they confessed to their therapist. The brothers were accused of first-degree murder.
Menendez Brothers’ Trial
The brothers went on trial in July 1993 in a Los Angeles courtroom, each with a separate jury. While prosecutors argued that they killed their parents for financial gain, Lyle and Erik, while admitting to their crimes, argued that they acted out of self-defense after years of enduring emotional, psychological and sexual abuse from their father.
Both juries were deadlocked in 1994, resulting in a mistrial and a joint trial in 1995. At the time, the judge excluded apparent evidence of abuse from the defense. The brothers were found guilty, and they were convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder in 1996 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Netflix Drama’s Impact On The Case
The case came back into the limelight after Netflix arrived with a drama series about the brothers’ acts in September last year. The crime drama Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story gives a detailed account of what could have led the brothers to kill their parents, presenting the murders from different perspectives.
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While their family members have shown support, celebrities like Kim Kardashian also weighed in for their release.
Resentencing For Menendez Brothers
In October 2024, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon announced seeking to have the brothers resentenced to 50 years to life. As the legal process unfolded, multiple hearings were postponed.
During the latest hearing on May 13, their sentence was eventually reduced, making them eligible for parole. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic said, “I do believe they’ve done enough in the past 35 years that they should get that chance.”
The California parole board will now decide whether they are to be released from prison.
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