Nearly 30 years after Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted of murdering their parents, their case is back in court — and this time, they may have a chance at freedom.
It began amid renewed public interest, sparked in part by Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. On October 24, 2024, former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón held a press conference addressing the potential resentencing of the Menendez brothers. Though Gascón was later replaced by Nathan Hochman, who opposed a new trial and attempted to reverse the motion supporting resentencing, the court proceedings remain underway.
News47.us has the latest update on Lyle and Erik’s resentencing below.
BREAKING: Los Angeles County DA recommends resentencing the Menendez brothers for the 1989 killings of their parents. https://t.co/5rQdUbS17D pic.twitter.com/xJcx3Wg2OB
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 24, 2024
During an October 24, 2024, press conference, former Los Angeles DA Gascón announced that he had “decided to move forward” with a review of Erik and Lyle Menendez’s case. He also formally recommended that the brothers be resentenced and made immediately eligible for parole.
Gascón explained that resentencing under California law does not necessarily revisit the original crime, but rather evaluates whether the inmate has been rehabilitated and can be safely released into the community.
“There was no excuse for murder,” Gascón said, referencing the 1989 killing of José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez. “Because even if you get abused, the right path is to call police, seek help.” Still, he acknowledged the desperation that many abuse victims experience, noting that some, particularly women, “who have been battered for years … sometimes will murder their abuser.”
