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Tag: Erik Menendez

  • Menendez brothers resentenced to 50 years to life, opening the door for possible parole, judge rules

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    A judge resentenced Erik and Lyle Menendez to 50 years to life in prison for the 1989 murders of their parents, ruling Tuesday the brothers will be eligible for parole. The brothers have been serving life without parole for the killings.The stunning decision came at the end of the first day of what was scheduled to be a two-day hearing about resentencing for the brothers, who were convicted of first-degree murder for the killings in the living room of the family’s Beverly Hills home.Judge Michael Jesic said during the resentencing that a horrific crime was committed, but he was equally shocked by the letters from prison and corrections officers, saying it’s remarkable what the brothers have done.While they are immediately eligible for parole, Jesic said he is not suggesting they should be released, but “one day they should get that chance.”The state parole board and governor must still decide whether to grant parole. A hearing with the board is already scheduled for June 13 as part of a separate bid by the brothers.They’re also seeking clemency from the governor, which could allow for their immediate release, and they have filed a habeas petition for a new trial.“It’s now up to the parole board and the governor of California,” Jesic said. CNN has reached out to the governor’s office and the state parole board for comment on the ruling.The parole board could either deny their request or recommend to the governor that they be granted parole. If the board recommends parole be granted, the decision will go to Gov. Gavin Newsom.In California, the governor has “executive authority to affirm, reverse, or modify any Board decision to grant or deny parole to a convicted murderer,” according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He’ll have 120 days to do that.In 2022, Newsom used that authority to deny parole for Sirhan Sirhan, the man convicted of assassinating Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, after the board recommended Sirhan for parole.Last fall, former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón recommended resentencing for the brothers, but his successor, Nathan Hochman, has fought against it.“The decision to resentence Erik and Lyle Menendez was a monumental one that has significant implications for the families involved, the community, and the principles of justice,” Hochman said in a statement Tuesday evening. “Our office’s motions to withdraw the resentencing motion filed by the previous administration ensured that the Court was presented with all the facts before making such a consequential decision.”The hearing moved much more quickly than expected. Jesic had given no indication about when or in what form he would rule, acknowledging the complicated nature of the case in which the family members are victims who also support the defense. It was even thought a decision wouldn’t come before the end of proceedings Wednesday, he said.Brothers take ‘full responsibility’ for the murdersThe high-stakes hearing began Tuesday with arguments about whether Erik and Lyle Menendez should be resentenced in the first place.The brothers appeared remotely from prison before the judge made the decision, and both took “full responsibility” for the murders.“I committed an atrocious act against two people who had every right to live, my mom and dad,” Erik said, adding that he “created a crushing sadness” for his family and there was “no excuse” for his behavior.“I will never stop trying to make a difference whether I am inside or outside of prison,” he said.Lyle also admitted to killing his parents, saying he “was immature” and “filled with rage.”“Had I trusted others to help me, I wouldn’t have committed these crimes,” he said. “I didn’t think anyone would believe me about my sexual abuse.”If he was let out of prison, he would “continue to serve sexual abuse victims,” he said.After court, defense attorney Mark Geragos said, “I just know that on a day like today, that redemption is possible.”“The fact is, the Menendez brothers have done remarkable work, and today is a great day after 35 years,” he said. “They are a real family, real people who have lived through unimaginable horrors, and I’m hopeful and glad that we’re one, one huge step closer to bringing the boys home.”The brothers were hoping the judge would reduce that sentence to life with parole; Geragos said earlier Tuesday he hoped the judge would go even further and reduce the charge to voluntary manslaughter, with a sentence of time served.Family members and close supporters testifyFamily members who have long supported the brothers were in court Tuesday, with several taking the stand to plead for the brothers’ release.“We just want this to end,” cousin Anamaria Baralt testified.Relatives say the brothers have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, and that the severity of the sentence should be revisited because of an evolving understanding of childhood sexual abuse. The brothers have maintained they carried out the murders in self-defense after years of abuse by their father, and continued to say that Tuesday.Diane Hernandez, another cousin who testified Tuesday, lived with the Menendez family in their Beverly Hills home and viewed herself as an older sister to the boys. On the stand, she described how Jose Menendez intimidated and terrorized the house, and testified about his “hallway rule” that when he was with the brothers, no one else could be.“Please be merciful,” Hernandez told the judge. The brothers, she said, “are remarkable human beings at this point.”Hochman, the current Los Angeles County district attorney, had said he was not opposed to resentencing, but doesn’t feel it’s justified yet. The brothers, he says, have “fabricated” their claims of abuse and self-defense and must admit it first.“The Menendezes have had numerous chances to come clean with all their actions and if and when they do, they’ll be ready for resentencing,” Hochman told CNN earlier Tuesday.Prosecutors pressed family members on whether they were aware of the brothers having lied to them over the years.“Were you aware the brothers lied to the family, to law enforcement and to the media?” Seth Carmack asked Tamara Goodell, another cousin. She said she was, but that the brothers never spoke about it to her one way or another and they talk about the murders with her only to say sorry.Baralt was also asked whether the brothers had ever admitted to lying and trying to manipulate the case. She said Lyle had recently admitted asking a girlfriend to lie about his father’s abuse.Retired Judge Jonathan Colby, who knew the brothers through a prison program, also testified they were great inmates, calling them “peacemakers” in prison. Anare Brown, who met the brothers while he was in prison, said they have remorse and insight, and have helped “dozens” of people they were imprisoned with.Another factor Hochman cited in opposing resentencing is the recent finding the brothers would pose a “moderate” risk of violence if released. That came in a pair of comprehensive risk assessments conducted by the state parole board.Both brothers had committed cell phone violations while in prison, he said – Lyle in November 2024 and Erik in January 2025.Prosecutor Habib Balian asked Baralt on Tuesday about the cell phones, and she acknowledged some of her conversations with Lyle had taken place on an illegal burner phone he had in prison.Efforts toward releaseUnlike a new trial, which would focus on the facts of the case, resentencing allowed the judge to consider a variety of factors, including the brothers’ rehabilitative efforts.The brothers have founded a long list of prison programs, with Erik starting at least five, including a support group for disabled and elderly inmates. Lyle founded a massive beautification program, raising more than $250,000 to install greenery to help prison life to resemble the outside world.Besides authority to change parole board decisions, Newsom also has the power to commute the brothers’ sentences, which would immediately free them – but he has so far refrained from doing so. The “comprehensive risk assessments” the judge requested ahead of the resentencing hearing were commissioned by the state’s Board of Parole after Newsom asked them to investigate whether the brothers would pose an “unreasonable risk” to the public if released.Attorneys for the Menendez brothers are also pursuing a new trial, formally known as a habeas corpus petition. Attorneys claim to have new evidence against the brothers’ father, including a 1988 letter from Erik Menendez to a relative referencing the alleged abuse.

    LOS ANGELES —

    A judge resentenced Erik and Lyle Menendez to 50 years to life in prison for the 1989 murders of their parents, ruling Tuesday the brothers will be eligible for parole. The brothers have been serving life without parole for the killings.

    The stunning decision came at the end of the first day of what was scheduled to be a two-day hearing about resentencing for the brothers, who were convicted of first-degree murder for the killings in the living room of the family’s Beverly Hills home.

    Judge Michael Jesic said during the resentencing that a horrific crime was committed, but he was equally shocked by the letters from prison and corrections officers, saying it’s remarkable what the brothers have done.

    While they are immediately eligible for parole, Jesic said he is not suggesting they should be released, but “one day they should get that chance.”

    The state parole board and governor must still decide whether to grant parole. A hearing with the board is already scheduled for June 13 as part of a separate bid by the brothers.

    They’re also seeking clemency from the governor, which could allow for their immediate release, and they have filed a habeas petition for a new trial.

    “It’s now up to the parole board and the governor of California,” Jesic said. CNN has reached out to the governor’s office and the state parole board for comment on the ruling.

    The parole board could either deny their request or recommend to the governor that they be granted parole. If the board recommends parole be granted, the decision will go to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

    In California, the governor has “executive authority to affirm, reverse, or modify any Board decision to grant or deny parole to a convicted murderer,” according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He’ll have 120 days to do that.

    In 2022, Newsom used that authority to deny parole for Sirhan Sirhan, the man convicted of assassinating Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, after the board recommended Sirhan for parole.

    Last fall, former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón recommended resentencing for the brothers, but his successor, Nathan Hochman, has fought against it.

    “The decision to resentence Erik and Lyle Menendez was a monumental one that has significant implications for the families involved, the community, and the principles of justice,” Hochman said in a statement Tuesday evening. “Our office’s motions to withdraw the resentencing motion filed by the previous administration ensured that the Court was presented with all the facts before making such a consequential decision.”

    The hearing moved much more quickly than expected. Jesic had given no indication about when or in what form he would rule, acknowledging the complicated nature of the case in which the family members are victims who also support the defense. It was even thought a decision wouldn’t come before the end of proceedings Wednesday, he said.

    Brothers take ‘full responsibility’ for the murders

    The high-stakes hearing began Tuesday with arguments about whether Erik and Lyle Menendez should be resentenced in the first place.

    The brothers appeared remotely from prison before the judge made the decision, and both took “full responsibility” for the murders.

    “I committed an atrocious act against two people who had every right to live, my mom and dad,” Erik said, adding that he “created a crushing sadness” for his family and there was “no excuse” for his behavior.

    “I will never stop trying to make a difference whether I am inside or outside of prison,” he said.

    Lyle also admitted to killing his parents, saying he “was immature” and “filled with rage.”

    “Had I trusted others to help me, I wouldn’t have committed these crimes,” he said. “I didn’t think anyone would believe me about my sexual abuse.”

    If he was let out of prison, he would “continue to serve sexual abuse victims,” he said.

    After court, defense attorney Mark Geragos said, “I just know that on a day like today, that redemption is possible.”

    “The fact is, the Menendez brothers have done remarkable work, and today is a great day after 35 years,” he said. “They are a real family, real people who have lived through unimaginable horrors, and I’m hopeful and glad that we’re one, one huge step closer to bringing the boys home.”

    The brothers were hoping the judge would reduce that sentence to life with parole; Geragos said earlier Tuesday he hoped the judge would go even further and reduce the charge to voluntary manslaughter, with a sentence of time served.

    Family members and close supporters testify

    Family members who have long supported the brothers were in court Tuesday, with several taking the stand to plead for the brothers’ release.

    “We just want this to end,” cousin Anamaria Baralt testified.

    Relatives say the brothers have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, and that the severity of the sentence should be revisited because of an evolving understanding of childhood sexual abuse. The brothers have maintained they carried out the murders in self-defense after years of abuse by their father, and continued to say that Tuesday.

    Diane Hernandez, another cousin who testified Tuesday, lived with the Menendez family in their Beverly Hills home and viewed herself as an older sister to the boys. On the stand, she described how Jose Menendez intimidated and terrorized the house, and testified about his “hallway rule” that when he was with the brothers, no one else could be.

    “Please be merciful,” Hernandez told the judge. The brothers, she said, “are remarkable human beings at this point.”

    Hochman, the current Los Angeles County district attorney, had said he was not opposed to resentencing, but doesn’t feel it’s justified yet. The brothers, he says, have “fabricated” their claims of abuse and self-defense and must admit it first.

    “The Menendezes have had numerous chances to come clean with all their actions and if and when they do, they’ll be ready for resentencing,” Hochman told CNN earlier Tuesday.

    Prosecutors pressed family members on whether they were aware of the brothers having lied to them over the years.

    “Were you aware the brothers lied to the family, to law enforcement and to the media?” Seth Carmack asked Tamara Goodell, another cousin. She said she was, but that the brothers never spoke about it to her one way or another and they talk about the murders with her only to say sorry.

    Baralt was also asked whether the brothers had ever admitted to lying and trying to manipulate the case. She said Lyle had recently admitted asking a girlfriend to lie about his father’s abuse.

    Retired Judge Jonathan Colby, who knew the brothers through a prison program, also testified they were great inmates, calling them “peacemakers” in prison. Anare Brown, who met the brothers while he was in prison, said they have remorse and insight, and have helped “dozens” of people they were imprisoned with.

    Another factor Hochman cited in opposing resentencing is the recent finding the brothers would pose a “moderate” risk of violence if released. That came in a pair of comprehensive risk assessments conducted by the state parole board.

    Both brothers had committed cell phone violations while in prison, he said – Lyle in November 2024 and Erik in January 2025.

    Prosecutor Habib Balian asked Baralt on Tuesday about the cell phones, and she acknowledged some of her conversations with Lyle had taken place on an illegal burner phone he had in prison.

    Efforts toward release

    Unlike a new trial, which would focus on the facts of the case, resentencing allowed the judge to consider a variety of factors, including the brothers’ rehabilitative efforts.

    The brothers have founded a long list of prison programs, with Erik starting at least five, including a support group for disabled and elderly inmates. Lyle founded a massive beautification program, raising more than $250,000 to install greenery to help prison life to resemble the outside world.

    Besides authority to change parole board decisions, Newsom also has the power to commute the brothers’ sentences, which would immediately free them – but he has so far refrained from doing so. The “comprehensive risk assessments” the judge requested ahead of the resentencing hearing were commissioned by the state’s Board of Parole after Newsom asked them to investigate whether the brothers would pose an “unreasonable risk” to the public if released.

    Attorneys for the Menendez brothers are also pursuing a new trial, formally known as a habeas corpus petition. Attorneys claim to have new evidence against the brothers’ father, including a 1988 letter from Erik Menendez to a relative referencing the alleged abuse.

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  • Mark Sanchez, Former NFL Star, Stabbed in Incident That Results in His Arrest

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    Mark Sanchez, the former NFL star quarterback, is recovering in an Indianapolis hospital after being stabbed in the chest in an incident that resulted in his arrest.

    Fox Sports released a statement on X Saturday confirming the news, writing, “Mark Sanchez was injured in Indianapolis on Saturday and is currently recovering in the hospital in stable condition. We are deeply grateful to the medical team for their exceptional care and support.”

    It went on, “Our thoughts and prayers are with Mark, and we ask that everyone please respect his and his family’s privacy during this time.”

    According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan PD, the incident occurred near Senate Avenue and West Washington Street on October 4 around 12:30 a.m. Police believe it was an argument between Sanchez and an unnamed 69-year-old man, who also required medical attention.

    Fox59/CBS4 is reporting that Sanchez was allegedly the aggressor, and that he was placed under arrest at the hospital.

    Sanchez was charged with battery with injury, unlawful entry of a motor vehicle, and public intoxication — all misdemeanors.

    The same outlet reports, “The second individual involved in the incident reportedly told police he was making a food delivery when Sanchez told him to leave and that he couldn’t park in the alley. The victim claimed Sanchez became aggressive and used pepper spray. This is when the individual claimed to stab Sanchez in self-defense.”

    Sanchez, 38, was a quarterback for 10 seasons, playing with the New York Jets, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys, the Chicago Bears, and the Washington Redskins.

    After retiring in 2019, he has worked with Fox and ESPN doing gay-day coverage.

    Sanchez is married to “Shameless” actress Perry Mattfield. The two exchanged vows in May 2023.

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  • Erik Menendez Denied Freedom in His First Appeal to the California Parole Board  – LAmag

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    Photo: Courtesy California Parole Board Pool

    Erik Menendez was denied parole during his first hearing in front of the state agency on Thursday, a disappointment to his extended family that came 36 years and one day after he and his older brother Lyle killed their parents in a spurt of violence in Beverly Hills.

    “Today is the day all of my victims learned my parents were dead,” he said. “So today is the anniversary of their trauma journey,” Erik Menendez, 54, said of his extended family, many of whom were in attendance as he addressed members of the Parole Board Thursday for nearly ten hours at the hearing where more than a dozen relatives testified in favor of his release, along with his older brother Lyle. Erik participated in the hearing via video from the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. 

    The younger Menendez brother was grilled for hours, asked about why he killed his mother, Kitty, when it was his father whom he had accused of barbaric sexual abuse that had started when he was a young child. Menendez said he shot his mother because she had “betrayed him” by not stopping the abuse. “I saw my mother and my father as one person after I learned that she knew, so when I was running into the den, I was in a state of terror, of panic, of rage,” he said. State Parole Board Commissioner Robert Barton heard evidence of Menendez’s rehabilitative efforts behind bars, his unflinching remorse, and noted the lack of family members pushing for him to stay behind bars. He was also sympathetic to what he says he suffered at the hands of his father. “We recognize and understand that many sexual assault victims find it hard to come forward, especially when the perpetrators are family members,” Barton said.

    Still, he wanted to know why Erik, who was 18 at the time of the crimes, didn’t just leave the home or go to the police. By the end of the long, grueling day of testimony, Barton denied Erik his freedom, saying: “You have two options: one is to have a pity party … and then you become a self-fulfilling prophecy, probably not getting granted [parole] next time. Or you can take to heart what we discussed. I hope that the people that are out there supporting you continue to motivate you.” The board said he can next be eligible for parole in three years.

    The decision was disappointing to the brothers’ family, who issued a statement: “While we respect the decision, today’s outcome was of course disappointing and not what we hoped for. But our belief in Erik remains unwavering and we know he will take the Board’s recommendation in stride. His remorse, growth, and the positive impact he’s had on others speak for themselves. We will continue to stand by him and hold to the hope he is able to return home soon,” they wrote. “Tomorrow, we turn our attention to Lyle’s hearing. And while it is undoubtedly difficult, we remain cautiously optimistic and hopeful that the commissioner will see in Lyle what so many others have: a man who has taken responsibility, transformed his life, and is ready to come home.”

    The hearing was covered by a single pool reporter from the Los Angeles Times, who provided updates to other media outlets. James Queally wrote that the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation allowed him as the sole reporter to watch the hearing on a projector screen in a room inside the agency’s headquarters, just outside Sacramento.

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    Michele McPhee

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  • Erik Menendez denied parole after 35 years in prison for parents’ murder

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    (Reuters) -Erik Menendez, who along with his brother Lyle has served 35 years of a life prison term for the 1989 shotgun murders of their parents in their Beverly Hills, California, home, was denied parole on Thursday, the California Board of Parole Hearings said.

    (Reporting by Jasper Ward)

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  • Board denies parole for Erik Menendez despite reduced sentence for his parents’ 1989 murders

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    Erik Menendez was denied parole Thursday after serving decades in prison for murdering his parents with his older brother in 1989.A panel of California commissioners denied Menendez parole for three years, after which he will be eligible again, in a case that continues to fascinate the public. A parole hearing for his brother Lyle Menendez, who is being held at the same prison in San Diego, is scheduled for Friday morning.The two commissioners determined that Menendez should not be freed after an all-day hearing during which they questioned him about why he committed the crime and violated prison rules.The brothers became eligible for parole after a judge reduced their sentences in May from life without parole to 50 years to life.The parole hearings marked the closest they’ve been to winning freedom from prison since their convictions almost 30 years ago for murdering their parents.The brothers were sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for fatally shooting their father, Jose Menendez, and mother, Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. While defense attorneys argued that the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said the brothers sought a multimillion-dollar inheritance.A judge reduced their sentences in May, and they became immediately eligible for parole.Erik Menendez made his case to two parole commissioners, offering his most detailed account in years of how he was raised, why he made the choices he did, and how he transformed in prison. He noted the hearing fell almost exactly 36 years after he killed his parents — on Aug. 20, 1989.”Today is August 21st. Today is the day that all of my victims learned my parents were dead. So today is the anniversary of their trauma journey,” he said, referring to his family members.The state corrections department chose a single reporter to watch the videoconference and share details with the rest of the press.Erik Menendez’s prison recordMenendez, gray-haired and spectacled, sat in front of a computer screen wearing a blue T-shirt over a white long-sleeve shirt in a photo shared by officials.The panel of commissioners scrutinized every rules violation and fight on his lengthy prison record, including allegations that he worked with a prison gang, bought drugs, used cellphones and helped with a tax scam.He told commissioners that since he had no hope of ever getting out then, he prioritized protecting himself over following the rules. Then last fall, LA prosecutors asked a judge to resentence him and his brother — opening the door to parole.”In November of 2024, now the consequences mattered,” Menendez said. “Now the consequences meant I was destroying my life.”A particular sticking point for the commissioners was his use of cellphones.”What I got in terms of the phone and my connection with the outside world was far greater than the consequences of me getting caught with the phone,” Menendez said.The board also brought up his earliest encounters with the law, when he committed two burglaries in high school.”I was not raised with a moral foundation,” he said. “I was raised to lie, to cheat, to steal in the sense, an abstract way.”The panel asked about details like why he used a fake ID to purchase the guns he and Lyle Menendez used to kill their parents, who acted first and why they killed their mother if their father was the main abuser.Commissioner Robert Barton asked: “You do see that there were other choices at that point?””When I look back at the person I was then and what I believed about the world and my parents, running away was inconceivable,” Menendez said. “Running away meant death.”His transformation behind barsErik Menendez’s parole attorney, Heidi Rummel, emphasized 2013 as the turning point for her client.”He found his faith. He became accountable to his higher power. He found sobriety and made a promise to his mother on her birthday,” Rummel said. “Has he been perfect since 2013? No. But he has been remarkable.”Commissioner Rachel Stern also applauded him for starting a group to take care of older and disabled inmates.Since the brothers reunited, they have been “serious accountability partners” for each other. At the same time, he said he’s become better at setting boundaries with Lyle Menendez, and they tend to do different programming.More than a dozen of their relatives, who have advocated for the brothers’ release for months, delivered emotional statements at Thursday’s hearing via videoconference.”Seeing my crimes through my family’s eyes has been a huge part of my evolution and my growth,” Menendez said. “Just seeing the pain and the suffering. Understanding the magnitude of what I’ve done, the generational impact.”His aunt Teresita Menendez-Baralt, who is Jose Menendez’s sister, said she has fully forgiven him. She noted that she is dying from Stage 4 cancer and wishes to welcome him into her home.”Erik carries himself with kindness, integrity and strength that comes from patience and grace,” she said.One relative promised to the parole board that she would house him in Colorado, where he can spend time with his family and enjoying nature.The board brushed off prosecutor’s questionsLA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said ahead of the parole hearings that he opposes parole for the brothers because of their lack of insight, comparing them to Sirhan Sirhan, who assassinated presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom denied him parole in January 2022 because of his “deficient insight.”During the hearing, LA prosecutor Habib Balian asked Menendez about his and his brothers’ attempts to ask witnesses to lie in court on their behalf, and if the brothers staged the killings as a mafia hit. Commissioners largely dismissed the questions, saying they were not retrying the case.In closing statements, Balian questioned whether Menendez was “truly reformed” or saying what commissioners wanted to hear.”When one continues to diminish their responsibility for a crime and continues to make the same false excuses that they’ve made for 30-plus years, one is still that same dangerous person that they were when they shotgunned their parents,” Balian said.What happens nextLyle Menendez is set to appear over videoconference Friday for his parole hearing from the same prison in San Diego.The case has captured the attention of true crime enthusiasts for decades and spawned documentaries, television specials and dramatizations. The Netflix drama ” Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story ” and a documentary released in 2024 have been credited for bringing new attention to the brothers.Greater recognition of the brothers as victims of sexual abuse has also helped mobilize support for their release. Some supporters have flown to Los Angeles to hold rallies and attend court hearings.

    LOS ANGELES —

    Erik Menendez was denied parole Thursday after serving decades in prison for murdering his parents with his older brother in 1989.

    A panel of California commissioners denied Menendez parole for three years, after which he will be eligible again, in a case that continues to fascinate the public. A parole hearing for his brother Lyle Menendez, who is being held at the same prison in San Diego, is scheduled for Friday morning.

    The two commissioners determined that Menendez should not be freed after an all-day hearing during which they questioned him about why he committed the crime and violated prison rules.

    The brothers became eligible for parole after a judge reduced their sentences in May from life without parole to 50 years to life.

    The parole hearings marked the closest they’ve been to winning freedom from prison since their convictions almost 30 years ago for murdering their parents.

    The brothers were sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for fatally shooting their father, Jose Menendez, and mother, Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. While defense attorneys argued that the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said the brothers sought a multimillion-dollar inheritance.

    A judge reduced their sentences in May, and they became immediately eligible for parole.

    Erik Menendez made his case to two parole commissioners, offering his most detailed account in years of how he was raised, why he made the choices he did, and how he transformed in prison. He noted the hearing fell almost exactly 36 years after he killed his parents — on Aug. 20, 1989.

    “Today is August 21st. Today is the day that all of my victims learned my parents were dead. So today is the anniversary of their trauma journey,” he said, referring to his family members.

    The state corrections department chose a single reporter to watch the videoconference and share details with the rest of the press.

    Erik Menendez’s prison record

    Menendez, gray-haired and spectacled, sat in front of a computer screen wearing a blue T-shirt over a white long-sleeve shirt in a photo shared by officials.

    The panel of commissioners scrutinized every rules violation and fight on his lengthy prison record, including allegations that he worked with a prison gang, bought drugs, used cellphones and helped with a tax scam.

    He told commissioners that since he had no hope of ever getting out then, he prioritized protecting himself over following the rules. Then last fall, LA prosecutors asked a judge to resentence him and his brother — opening the door to parole.

    “In November of 2024, now the consequences mattered,” Menendez said. “Now the consequences meant I was destroying my life.”

    A particular sticking point for the commissioners was his use of cellphones.

    “What I got in terms of the phone and my connection with the outside world was far greater than the consequences of me getting caught with the phone,” Menendez said.

    The board also brought up his earliest encounters with the law, when he committed two burglaries in high school.

    “I was not raised with a moral foundation,” he said. “I was raised to lie, to cheat, to steal in the sense, an abstract way.”

    The panel asked about details like why he used a fake ID to purchase the guns he and Lyle Menendez used to kill their parents, who acted first and why they killed their mother if their father was the main abuser.

    Commissioner Robert Barton asked: “You do see that there were other choices at that point?”

    “When I look back at the person I was then and what I believed about the world and my parents, running away was inconceivable,” Menendez said. “Running away meant death.”

    His transformation behind bars

    Erik Menendez’s parole attorney, Heidi Rummel, emphasized 2013 as the turning point for her client.

    “He found his faith. He became accountable to his higher power. He found sobriety and made a promise to his mother on her birthday,” Rummel said. “Has he been perfect since 2013? No. But he has been remarkable.”

    Commissioner Rachel Stern also applauded him for starting a group to take care of older and disabled inmates.

    Since the brothers reunited, they have been “serious accountability partners” for each other. At the same time, he said he’s become better at setting boundaries with Lyle Menendez, and they tend to do different programming.

    More than a dozen of their relatives, who have advocated for the brothers’ release for months, delivered emotional statements at Thursday’s hearing via videoconference.

    “Seeing my crimes through my family’s eyes has been a huge part of my evolution and my growth,” Menendez said. “Just seeing the pain and the suffering. Understanding the magnitude of what I’ve done, the generational impact.”

    His aunt Teresita Menendez-Baralt, who is Jose Menendez’s sister, said she has fully forgiven him. She noted that she is dying from Stage 4 cancer and wishes to welcome him into her home.

    “Erik carries himself with kindness, integrity and strength that comes from patience and grace,” she said.

    One relative promised to the parole board that she would house him in Colorado, where he can spend time with his family and enjoying nature.

    The board brushed off prosecutor’s questions

    LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said ahead of the parole hearings that he opposes parole for the brothers because of their lack of insight, comparing them to Sirhan Sirhan, who assassinated presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom denied him parole in January 2022 because of his “deficient insight.”

    During the hearing, LA prosecutor Habib Balian asked Menendez about his and his brothers’ attempts to ask witnesses to lie in court on their behalf, and if the brothers staged the killings as a mafia hit. Commissioners largely dismissed the questions, saying they were not retrying the case.

    In closing statements, Balian questioned whether Menendez was “truly reformed” or saying what commissioners wanted to hear.

    “When one continues to diminish their responsibility for a crime and continues to make the same false excuses that they’ve made for 30-plus years, one is still that same dangerous person that they were when they shotgunned their parents,” Balian said.

    What happens next

    Lyle Menendez is set to appear over videoconference Friday for his parole hearing from the same prison in San Diego.

    The case has captured the attention of true crime enthusiasts for decades and spawned documentaries, television specials and dramatizations. The Netflix drama ” Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story ” and a documentary released in 2024 have been credited for bringing new attention to the brothers.

    Greater recognition of the brothers as victims of sexual abuse has also helped mobilize support for their release. Some supporters have flown to Los Angeles to hold rallies and attend court hearings.

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  • Erik Menendez to remain in prison after decision by California Parole Board

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    SACRAMENTO — Erik Menendez will not be released, the California Parole Board decided in a highly anticipated and lengthy hearing Thursday, curtailing for now the contentious push by he and his older sibling to be freed after the 1989 killing of their parents in their Beverly Hills home.

    The hearing came after years of legal efforts by Menendez and his brother to be set free despite being convicted of life without the possibility of parole in 1995. Their jury trial, and accounts of an abusive upbringing in the upscale Beverly Hills home, inspired several documentaries and television series that drew renewed attention to their case and allegations of sexual abuse against their father.

    The hearing — the first time Erik Menendez, 54, has faced the Parole Board — offered a never-before-seen glimpse into his life behind bars over more than three decades. A separate hearing for Lyle, 57, is set for Friday.

    The hearing, Erik Menendez noted, was 36 years and a day after his family realized his parents were dead. The killing occurred on Aug. 20, 1989.

    “Today is the day all of my victims learned my parents were dead,” he said. “So today is the anniversary of their trauma journey.”

    After a nearly 10-hour hearing, the board decided to deny parole to Menendez for three years. He could petition for an earlier hearing.

    “This is a tragic case,” Parole Commissioner Robert Barton said after issuing the decision. “I agree that not only two but four people were lost in this family.”

    Relatives, friends and advocates have described the Menendez brothers as “model inmates,” but during the hearing Thursday members of the Parole Board raised concerns about drug and alcohol use, fights with other inmates, instances in which Erik Menendez was found with a contraband cellphone, and allegations that he helped a prison gang in a tax fraud scam in 2013.

    More than a dozen relatives testified in favor of release for Menendez, with many of them saying they had forgiven him and his brother for the killing. Although amazed by the family’s support, Barton said Menendez should not be released on parole.

    “Two things can be true,” Barton said. “They can love and forgive you, and you can still be found unsuitable for parole.”

    In a statement, a spokesperson for relatives of the two siblings said they were disappointed.

    “Our belief in Erik remains unwavering and we know he will take the Board’s recommendation in stride,” the family said in a statement. “His remorse, growth, and the positive impact he’s had on others speak for themselves. We will continue to stand by him and hold to the hope he is able to return home soon.”

    They said they remained “cautiously optimistic” for Lyle Menendez, whose hearing was set for Friday.

    Erik Menendez testified he obtained cellphones despite risking discipline because he didn’t believe there was a chance of him ever being released. He took the gamble, he said, because the “connection with the outside world was far greater than the consequences of me getting caught with the phone.”

    He associated with a gang, he said, for protection.

    That all changed in 2024, he said, when he realized there was a chance of parole at some point.

    “In November of 2024, now the consequences mattered,” he told the board. “Now the consequences meant I was destroying my life.”

    The crime that put Menendez and his brother in prison began when the siblings drove to San Diego, bought shotguns with cash using someone else’s identification, then returned home and opened fire in the family living room while their parents were watching television.

    Investigators have said the gruesome crime scene looked like the site of a gangland execution. Jose Menendez was shot five times, including once in the back of the head, and evidence showed Kitty Menendez crawled on the floor, wounded, before the brothers reloaded and fired a final, fatal blast.

    The brothers called 911, with Lyle screaming that “someone killed my parents,” according to court records. But while they appeared as grieving orphans, Erik and Lyle also began spending large sums of money in the months after the killings. Lyle bought a Porsche and a restaurant while Erik purchased a Jeep and retained a private tennis instructor with the intentions of turning pro. The two were infamously seen sitting courtside at an NBA game between the murders and their capture.

    Prosecutors argued the brothers killed their parents out of greed to get access to their multimillion-dollar inheritance. Jose was planning to disinherit the brothers because he considered them failures, according to court filings. The brutality of the crimes and the juxtaposition of such violence against the family’s Beverly Hills image turned the case into an international media circus, only rivaled at the time by the O.J. Simpson trial.

    Although mobs of reporters also circled the brothers’ resentencing hearings in Van Nuys this year, Thursday’s parole hearing was a much more solemn and quiet affair. With the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation tightly controlling media access, a Times journalist was the only member of the public allowed to view the hearing on a projector screen in a room inside the agency’s headquarters just outside Sacramento.

    The parole hearing is not meant to relitigate details of the case or the brothers’ roles in the killings, but members of the board questioned Erik Menendez on Thursday on details of the grisly murders, which the brothers and supporters in their family said were committed because they had suffered sexual abuse at the hands of their father.

    “In my mind, leaving meant death,” Menendez told the board when asked why he didn’t leave the house or go to the police. “My absolute belief that I could not get away. Maybe it sounds completely irrational and unreasonable today.”

    Menendez said he and his brother purchased the shotguns because they believed that their parents might try to kill them, or that his father would go to his room to rape him.

    “That was going to happen,” he said. “One way or another. If he was alive, that was going to happen.”

    Asked why the two killed their mother as well, Menendez said that the decision was made after learning she was aware of the abuse, and that the siblings saw no daylight between the two.

    “Step by step, my mom had shown she was united with my dad,” he said at the hearing. “On that night I saw them as one person. Had she not been in the room, maybe it would have been different.”

    He said the moment he found out his mother was aware of the alleged abuse was “devastating.”

    “When mom told me … that she had known all of those years. It was the most devastating moment in my entire life,” he said. “It changed everything for me. I had been protecting her by not telling her.”

    Asked whether he believed his mother was also a victim of his father’s abuse, Menendez said, “Definitely.”

    “He was beating her because I failed,” he said.

    After denying parole, Barton pointed to their decision to kill their mother, calling it “devoid of human compassion.”

    “The killing of your mother especially showed a lack of empathy and reason,” Barton said. “I can’t put myself in your place. I don’t know that I’ve ever had rage to that level, ever. But that is still concerning, especially since it seems she was also a victim herself of domestic violence.”

    Menendez was visibly overcome with emotion when discussing details of the murders, although he did not appear to cry.

    After the murders, Menendez said, the spending sprees between he and his brother, including buying a Rolex, were an “incredibly callous act.”

    “I was torn between hatred of myself over what I did and wishing that I could undo it and trying to live out my life, making teenager decisions,” he said.

    Menendez eventually confessed to the killings in discussions with a therapist, and L.A. County sheriff’s deputies found a letter in Lyle Menendez’s jail cell admitting to the murders. After jurors hung in their first trial, Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996.

    L.A. County Deputy Dist. Atty. Habib Balian opposed parole for Erik Menendez during the hearing, arguing he lied to the Parole Board and had minimized his role in the killings during the hearing.

    “When one continues to diminish their responsibility for a crime and continues to make the same false excuses that they’ve made for 30-plus years, one is still that same dangerous person that they were when they shotgunned their parents,” Balian said. “Is he truly reformed, or is he just saying what wants to be heard?”

    Menendez, Balian argued to the board, was still a risk to society and should not be released.

    Interest in the brothers’ case was revived in recent years following a popular Netflix series, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.” The show aired after a Peacock docuseries, “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed,” uncovered additional evidence of Jose Menendez’s alleged sexual abuse of his children and others, including Roy Rosselló, a member of the boy band Menudo.

    The new evidence was part of the brothers’ most recent legal appeal in the case. More than 20 of the brothers’ relatives formed a coalition pushing for their freedom, arguing they had spent enough time imprisoned for a pair of killings that were motivated by years of horrific abuse.

    Last year, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón petitioned a judge to resentence Erik and Lyle Menendez to 50 years to life in prison, making them eligible for parole. After he defeated Gascón in the November election, new Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman quickly moved to oppose the resentencing petition, going as far as to transfer the prosecutors who authored it and asking a judge to disregard Gascón’s filing.

    L.A. County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic denied that request. After finding prosecutors failed to prove the brothers were a danger to the public, Jesic granted the resentencing petition in May, clearing the path for Thursday’s parole hearing.

    Fellow inmates and rehabilitation officials have described the two as “mentors,” spearheading programs and projects for inmates.

    The two have created programs to deal with anger management, meditation and assisting inmates in hospice care and to improve conditions inside prison.

    Lyle Menendez spearheaded a Rehabilitation Through Beautification project at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility to work on upgrades and create green space in the prison, along with painting a 1,000-foot mural. Erik Menendez has worked with other inmates to do the artwork for the project.

    But members of the board questioned Erik Menendez on various incidents, including a fight in 1997.

    Menendez said another inmate hit him first, but admitted that he “acted aggressively” as well. In another fight, Menendez said, he “fought back” in self-defense.

    Members of the board also questioned Menendez on multiple incidents in which he was found with contraband, including art supplies, candles, spray cans, and cellphones that Menendez said he would pay about $1,000 to obtain.

    He used some of the art supplies to decorate his cell, he said.

    Menendez said he also gave other inmates access to the phone, because “if it was someone that I trusted or someone that I knew had a phone, I didn’t want to tell him no.”

    He said he used the phones to speak with his wife, watch YouTube videos and pornography.

    “I really became addicted to the phones,” he said.

    During the hearing, Barton said he was concerned about the number of support letters that refer to Menendez as a model inmate, saying it could minimize the impact of cellphones in the prison.

    Menendez said it wasn’t until later that he realized the larger impact that cellphones could have, despite how prevalent they could be in prison.

    “I knew of 50, 60 people that had phones,” he said. “I just justified it by saying if I don’t buy it someone else is going to buy it. The phones were going to be sold, and I longed for that connection.”

    But in January, he said, he had an in-depth talk with a lieutenant and took a criminal thinking class that made him reassess.

    “The damage of using a phone is as corrosive to a prison environment as drugs are,” he said. “In the sense that someone must bring them in, they must be paid for, it corrupts staff … phones can be used to elicit more criminal activity.”

    Members of the board spent a significant amount of time questioning Menendez on the use of contraband phones, and pointed to them as part of their reasoning in denying parole.

    “Your institutional misconduct showed a lack of self-awareness,” Barton said. “You’ve got a great support network. But you didn’t go to them before you committed these murders. And you didn’t go to them, before you used the cellphone.”

    Dmitry Gorin, a former prosecutor, said Menendez’s decision to break the rules while in prison affected his chances at winning release, even though he was young when he was convicted.

    “If you’re not going to comply with the rules in prison, you’re not going to comply out in society — that’s what they’re saying here,” Gorin said. “The big picture here is without serious medical issues or being elderly, I don’t know anyone who killed two people who has been paroled.”

    Nancy Tetreault, an attorney for former Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten, said that despite public support for parole, Menendez was considered moderate risk in the comprehensive risk assessment. To have a better chance at release, he would have to be considered low risk, she said.

    “That’s very hard to overcome,” she said.

    The two brothers were involved in classes, but also would need to be more involved in rehabilitative programs for a favorable decision, Tetreault said.

    “Yes, they have a lot of classes and things like that that I was reading the classes they’ve put together, like meditation, for insight, that they’re leaving it, but they need to, they need to start programming,” she said.

    Menendez admitted to drinking alcohol and briefly using heroin at one point in prison, which he said he tried because he was “miserable” and feeling hopeless.

    “If I could numb my sadness with alcohol, I was going to do it,” he said. “I was looking to ease that sadness within me.”

    Members of the board also asked Menendez about his connection to a prison gang and a tax fraud scam in 2013, but did not discuss details of the scheme.

    Menendez said part of the reason he associated with members of the gang, known as 25s or Dos Cinco, was fear of his safety.

    “When the 25ers came and asked for help, I thought this was a great opportunity to align myself with them and to survive,” Menendez said, adding that he thought he needed to keep himself safe because he had no hopes of being paroled at the time. “I was in tremendous fear.”

    The gang was in charge of the prison yard, he said, and a member approached him about the scheme, although Menendez said he did not personally control the checks. The gang also supplied him with marijuana, he said.

    Much changed after 2013, Menendez said, and he curbed his use of drugs and alcohol. At one point, members of the gang also believed he had become an informant.

    “I did not like who I was in 2013,” Menendez said. “From 2013 on, I was living for a different purpose. My purpose in life was to be a good person.”

    In Oct. 14, 2023, his mother’s birthday, he committed to stop using drugs, he told the board.

    Deputy Parole Commissioner Rachel Stern asked Menendez about his work with hospice inmates, including a World War II veteran convicted of an unspecified sexual violence crime that Menendez helped with getting his meals and bedding.

    Menendez said he saw his work with the inmate as a way to make amends for his father.

    Menendez apologized to his family during the hearing, noting their support.

    “I just want my family to understand that I am so unimaginably sorry for what I have put them through,” he said. “I know they have been here for me and they’re here for me today, but I want them to know that this should be about them. It’s about them and if I ever get the chance at freedom I want the healing to be about them.”

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    James Queally, Salvador Hernandez, Richard Winton

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  • LA County district attorney sends letters requesting clemency for Menendez brothers

    LA County district attorney sends letters requesting clemency for Menendez brothers

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    Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón “strongly supports” Erik and Lyle Menendez’s bid for clemency and has written letters on behalf of each brother to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, he announced Wednesday.The letters, published by Gascón’s office, describe the 1989 murders by the Menendez brothers of their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, as well as “credible allegations” that Erik and Lyle were each “the victim of sexual and physical abuse at the hands of (their) father.”The brothers’ 34 years spent in custody and “dedication to rehabilitation” make them “exemplary” candidates for clemency, Gascón wrote. The district attorney adds that his office has communicated with several family members of Kitty and Jose Menendez and all family members except one, Kitty Menendez’s brother, support commutation.CNN has reached out to the brothers’ attorney, Mark Geragos, to confirm a formal clemency request has been sent to the governor’s office. Newsom’s office declined to comment on the case, saying “pending clemency applications are confidential and we’re not able to discuss individual cases.”If approved by the governor, the Menendez brothers could see their sentence – life in prison without the possibility of parole – reduced, or they could be released immediately.“I strongly support clemency for Erik and Lyle Menendez,” Gascón said in a statement Wednesday. “They have respectively served 34 years and have continued their educations and worked to create new programs to support the rehabilitation of fellow inmates.”Gascon’s announcement comes days after the district attorney filed a motion recommending a judge resentence the siblings –– from life in prison without parole to life in prison with parole.Under California law, the brothers would be immediately eligible for parole because they were 26 or younger when they committed their crimes.A hearing for the resentencing request has been set for Dec. 11, according to a court official and Holly Baird, a spokesperson for the brothers’ lawyer Mark Geragos.“They were appropriately sentenced at the time when they were tried,” Gascón said in an earlier interview with CNN. “I just think that given the current state of the law and given our assessment of their behavior in prison, they deserve the opportunity to be reevaluated and perhaps reintegrated into the community.”

    LOS ANGELES —

    Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón “strongly supports” Erik and Lyle Menendez’s bid for clemency and has written letters on behalf of each brother to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, he announced Wednesday.

    The letters, published by Gascón’s office, describe the 1989 murders by the Menendez brothers of their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, as well as “credible allegations” that Erik and Lyle were each “the victim of sexual and physical abuse at the hands of (their) father.”

    The brothers’ 34 years spent in custody and “dedication to rehabilitation” make them “exemplary” candidates for clemency, Gascón wrote. The district attorney adds that his office has communicated with several family members of Kitty and Jose Menendez and all family members except one, Kitty Menendez’s brother, support commutation.

    CNN has reached out to the brothers’ attorney, Mark Geragos, to confirm a formal clemency request has been sent to the governor’s office. Newsom’s office declined to comment on the case, saying “pending clemency applications are confidential and we’re not able to discuss individual cases.”

    If approved by the governor, the Menendez brothers could see their sentence – life in prison without the possibility of parole – reduced, or they could be released immediately.

    “I strongly support clemency for Erik and Lyle Menendez,” Gascón said in a statement Wednesday. “They have respectively served 34 years and have continued their educations and worked to create new programs to support the rehabilitation of fellow inmates.”

    Gascon’s announcement comes days after the district attorney filed a motion recommending a judge resentence the siblings –– from life in prison without parole to life in prison with parole.

    Under California law, the brothers would be immediately eligible for parole because they were 26 or younger when they committed their crimes.

    A hearing for the resentencing request has been set for Dec. 11, according to a court official and Holly Baird, a spokesperson for the brothers’ lawyer Mark Geragos.

    “They were appropriately sentenced at the time when they were tried,” Gascón said in an earlier interview with CNN. “I just think that given the current state of the law and given our assessment of their behavior in prison, they deserve the opportunity to be reevaluated and perhaps reintegrated into the community.”

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  • Erik and Lyle Menendez are a step closer to leaving prison, but freedom won’t come quickly

    Erik and Lyle Menendez are a step closer to leaving prison, but freedom won’t come quickly

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    Erik and Lyle Menendez still have a long way to go before they can walk out of prison, even though the Los Angeles County district attorney has recommended their life-without-parole sentences be thrown out and the brothers be resentenced and immediately eligible for parole.The brothers, convicted in the 1989 killings of their parents at the family’s Beverly Hills mansion, will need to get a judge to go along with the recommendation Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón made Thursday and then a parole board must approve their release. The final stop is with Gov. Gavin Newsom, who could reject the board’s decision.It’s an uncertain process likely to stretch out over months.Lyle Menendez, then 21, and Erik Menendez, then 18, admitted they fatally shot their entertainment executive father, Jose Menendez, and their mother, Kitty Menendez. The brothers said they feared their parents were about to kill them to stop people from finding out that Jose Menendez had sexually abused Erik Menendez for years.Prosecutors at the time contended that there was no evidence of molestation. The brothers’ first trial ended in a hung jury, and prosecutors secured a conviction in the second after much of the evidence of abuse was disallowed from the trial. The district attorney’s office also said back then that the brothers were after their parents’ multimillion-dollar estate.Now, the DA and relatives say the world better understands the role of trauma in sexual abuse cases.Critics accuse DA of playing politicsMeanwhile, Gascón faces fights over his resentencing recommendation: His opponent in his bid for reelection next month, as well as some of his own prosecutors, have called the latest development in the case politically motivated and the result of a recent Netflix documentary about the notorious crime.Michele Hanisee, president of the Association of Los Angeles Deputy District Attorneys, on Wednesday said Gascón’s decision smacks of “opportunism” to get headlines.“Throughout his disastrous tenure as DA, Gascón has consistently prioritized celebrity cases over the rights of crime victims, showing more interest in being in the spotlight than in upholding justice,” Hanisee said in a statement.But the district attorney said he made the final decision only an hour before Thursday’s news conference and it was separate from politics.Since their sentencing in 1996, the brothers have been model prisoners, Gascón and their attorney say, and committed themselves to rehabilitation and redemption.“I came to a place where I believe, under the law, resentencing is appropriate,” Gascón said during the news conference.What comes next?Gascón’s office filed paperwork Thursday that recommends the brothers — now 54 and 56 years old — receive a new sentence of 50 years to life. Because they were under 26 years old at the time of the crimes, they would be eligible for parole immediately.“I believe that they have paid their debt to society,” the DA said.A hearing before a judge could come within the next month or so. If the judge agrees to the resentencing, the state parole board will hold its own proceeding to determine whether they should go free. If the board recommends parole, Newsom would have 150 days to review the case. The governor could green-light parole, or overrule the board and deny their release.Despite Gascón’s goal of freeing the brothers, Laurie Levenson, a professor of criminal law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, warned that the judge would not likely be a “rubber stamp” due to dissent within the DA’s office.“That puts the judge actually in a very challenging position,” Levenson said, noting she had not heard of any cases until recently where the head of the office disagreed with other lawyers involved in the case. Ultimately, Gascón chose the “safest route” for his decision — leaving it up to the court and parole board, she said.Mark Geragos, an attorney for the brothers, has said he’s hopeful the brothers could be freed by Thanksgiving. Levenson called that deadline “awfully hopeful.”Family largely unites to call for brothers’ freedomThe brothers’ extended family has pleaded for their release. Several family members have said that in today’s world — which is more aware of the impact of sexual abuse — the brothers would not have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.Anamaria Baralt, a niece of Jose Menendez, said the district attorney’s “brave and necessary” decision means “Lyle and Erik can finally begin to heal from the trauma of their past.”Not all Menendez family members support resentencing. Attorneys for Milton Andersen, the 90-year-old brother of Kitty Menendez, filed a legal brief seeking to keep the brothers’ original punishment.“They shot their mother, Kitty, reloading to ensure her death,” Andersen’s attorneys said in a statement Thursday. “The evidence remains overwhelmingly clear: the jury’s verdict was just, and the punishment fits the heinous crime.”DA’s challenger weighs inThe LA district attorney is in the middle of a tough reelection fight against former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman, who has blamed Gascón’s progressive reform policies for recent high-profile killings and increased retail crime.Gascón said Thursday that his office has recommended resentencing for some 300 offenders, including people behind bars for murder.Hochman questioned the timing of the Gascón’s announcement, coming less than two weeks before the election and calling it a “desperate political move.”He said he is unable to form his own opinion on the case without access to confidential records and relevant witnesses.“If I become DA and the case is still pending at that time, I will conduct a review consistent with how I would review any case,” Hochman said.Geragos said the DA took the case seriously before there was any talk of him losing reelection.New attention to caseThe case has gained new traction in recent weeks after Netflix began streaming the true-crime drama “ Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”Roy Rossello, a former member of the Latin pop group Menudo, also recently came forward saying he was drugged and raped by Jose Menendez when he was a teen in the 1980s.Rossello spoke about his abuse in the 2023 Peacock docuseries “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed.” His allegations are part of the evidence listed in the petition filed last year by the Menendez brothers’ attorney in seeking a review of their case.Menudo was signed under RCA Records, which Jose Menendez headed at the time.

    LOS ANGELES —

    Erik and Lyle Menendez still have a long way to go before they can walk out of prison, even though the Los Angeles County district attorney has recommended their life-without-parole sentences be thrown out and the brothers be resentenced and immediately eligible for parole.

    The brothers, convicted in the 1989 killings of their parents at the family’s Beverly Hills mansion, will need to get a judge to go along with the recommendation Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón made Thursday and then a parole board must approve their release. The final stop is with Gov. Gavin Newsom, who could reject the board’s decision.

    It’s an uncertain process likely to stretch out over months.

    Lyle Menendez, then 21, and Erik Menendez, then 18, admitted they fatally shot their entertainment executive father, Jose Menendez, and their mother, Kitty Menendez. The brothers said they feared their parents were about to kill them to stop people from finding out that Jose Menendez had sexually abused Erik Menendez for years.

    Prosecutors at the time contended that there was no evidence of molestation. The brothers’ first trial ended in a hung jury, and prosecutors secured a conviction in the second after much of the evidence of abuse was disallowed from the trial. The district attorney’s office also said back then that the brothers were after their parents’ multimillion-dollar estate.

    Now, the DA and relatives say the world better understands the role of trauma in sexual abuse cases.

    Critics accuse DA of playing politics

    Meanwhile, Gascón faces fights over his resentencing recommendation: His opponent in his bid for reelection next month, as well as some of his own prosecutors, have called the latest development in the case politically motivated and the result of a recent Netflix documentary about the notorious crime.

    Michele Hanisee, president of the Association of Los Angeles Deputy District Attorneys, on Wednesday said Gascón’s decision smacks of “opportunism” to get headlines.

    “Throughout his disastrous tenure as DA, Gascón has consistently prioritized celebrity cases over the rights of crime victims, showing more interest in being in the spotlight than in upholding justice,” Hanisee said in a statement.

    But the district attorney said he made the final decision only an hour before Thursday’s news conference and it was separate from politics.

    Since their sentencing in 1996, the brothers have been model prisoners, Gascón and their attorney say, and committed themselves to rehabilitation and redemption.

    “I came to a place where I believe, under the law, resentencing is appropriate,” Gascón said during the news conference.

    What comes next?

    Gascón’s office filed paperwork Thursday that recommends the brothers — now 54 and 56 years old — receive a new sentence of 50 years to life. Because they were under 26 years old at the time of the crimes, they would be eligible for parole immediately.

    “I believe that they have paid their debt to society,” the DA said.

    A hearing before a judge could come within the next month or so. If the judge agrees to the resentencing, the state parole board will hold its own proceeding to determine whether they should go free. If the board recommends parole, Newsom would have 150 days to review the case. The governor could green-light parole, or overrule the board and deny their release.

    Despite Gascón’s goal of freeing the brothers, Laurie Levenson, a professor of criminal law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, warned that the judge would not likely be a “rubber stamp” due to dissent within the DA’s office.

    “That puts the judge actually in a very challenging position,” Levenson said, noting she had not heard of any cases until recently where the head of the office disagreed with other lawyers involved in the case. Ultimately, Gascón chose the “safest route” for his decision — leaving it up to the court and parole board, she said.

    Mark Geragos, an attorney for the brothers, has said he’s hopeful the brothers could be freed by Thanksgiving. Levenson called that deadline “awfully hopeful.”

    Family largely unites to call for brothers’ freedom

    The brothers’ extended family has pleaded for their release. Several family members have said that in today’s world — which is more aware of the impact of sexual abuse — the brothers would not have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.

    Anamaria Baralt, a niece of Jose Menendez, said the district attorney’s “brave and necessary” decision means “Lyle and Erik can finally begin to heal from the trauma of their past.”

    Not all Menendez family members support resentencing. Attorneys for Milton Andersen, the 90-year-old brother of Kitty Menendez, filed a legal brief seeking to keep the brothers’ original punishment.

    “They shot their mother, Kitty, reloading to ensure her death,” Andersen’s attorneys said in a statement Thursday. “The evidence remains overwhelmingly clear: the jury’s verdict was just, and the punishment fits the heinous crime.”

    DA’s challenger weighs in

    The LA district attorney is in the middle of a tough reelection fight against former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman, who has blamed Gascón’s progressive reform policies for recent high-profile killings and increased retail crime.

    Gascón said Thursday that his office has recommended resentencing for some 300 offenders, including people behind bars for murder.

    Hochman questioned the timing of the Gascón’s announcement, coming less than two weeks before the election and calling it a “desperate political move.”

    He said he is unable to form his own opinion on the case without access to confidential records and relevant witnesses.

    “If I become DA and the case is still pending at that time, I will conduct a review consistent with how I would review any case,” Hochman said.

    Geragos said the DA took the case seriously before there was any talk of him losing reelection.

    New attention to case

    The case has gained new traction in recent weeks after Netflix began streaming the true-crime drama “ Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”

    Roy Rossello, a former member of the Latin pop group Menudo, also recently came forward saying he was drugged and raped by Jose Menendez when he was a teen in the 1980s.

    Rossello spoke about his abuse in the 2023 Peacock docuseries “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed.” His allegations are part of the evidence listed in the petition filed last year by the Menendez brothers’ attorney in seeking a review of their case.

    Menudo was signed under RCA Records, which Jose Menendez headed at the time.

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  • The Truth Behind Claims the Menendez Brothers Were in an Incestuous Relationship

    The Truth Behind Claims the Menendez Brothers Were in an Incestuous Relationship

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    Viewers of Monsters: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Story are criticizing how Ryan Murphy portrayed the brothers’ relationship with each other. The show recounts what went on before and after the gruesome murder of their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez.

    Erik and Lyle claimed they were sexually and emotionally abused by their father Jose which caused them to murder their parents. The brothers testified that their father had begun molesting them at a young age and that their mother had known about it.

    Related: Lyle Menendez Was More Concerned About His Hair Than the Outcome of His Parents’ Murder Trial—But Was It Real?

    In episode 2 of the Netflix series, Lyle (Nicholas Chavez) plants a kiss on his brother Erik’s (Cooper Koch) lips. The brothers are very open as they are usually touching and feeling each other, but many viewers thought it was too much for the narrative and strayed away from the actual problem of sexual abuse. “The Menendez brothers were victims of sexual abuse who finally retaliated against their abusers and this disgusting piece of trash has turned their story into an incestuous fanfic. Hell is not hot enough for Ryan Murphy,” one person wrote in a viral post on X. But was their incestuous factual?

    Were the Menendez Brothers lovers in real life?

    There’s no proof that the Menendez Brothers were lovers. During the trial, one juror theorized that the motive for their parents’ murder was because they were in love with each other. Robert Rand recalled in his book The Menendez Murders: The Shocking Untold Story of the Menendez Family and the Killings that Stunned the Nation that the jury had asked to read back “all testimony or allusions to Erik’s homosexuality.” However, the theory was thrown out and the trial ended in a hung jury.

    Trial expert Robert Rand said that he doesn’t “believe that Erik and Lyle Menendez were ever lovers.” He told The Hollywood Reporter. “I think that’s a fantasy that was in the mind of Dominick Dunne [the reporter portrayed in the series by Nathan Lane]. Rumors were going around the trial that maybe there was some sort of weird relationship between Erik and Lyle themselves. But I believe the only physical contact they might have had is what Lyle testified, that when Lyle was 8 years old, he took Erik out in the woods and played with him with a toothbrush — which is what [their father] José had done with him. And so I certainly wouldn’t call that a sexual relationship of any sort. It’s a response to trauma.”

    Is Erik Menendez Gay?

    Erik Menendez’s sexuality largely played out in the first trial. Prosecutor Lester Kuriyama repeatedly tried to bring up the issue of Erik’s sexuality, but Judge Weissberg refused to allow it. During his closing argument, he argued to the jury that Jose had not forced Erik into homosexual acts, but was in fact furious that Erik was gay.

    However, Erik told Barabra Walters in 1996 that he is not gay. “The prosecutor brought that up because I was sexually molested. He felt in his own thinking that I was sodomized by my father, I must have enjoyed it,” he told the reporter. “A lot of gay people feel connected to me.”

    Erik Menendez is currently married to Tammi Ruth Saccoman. The two wed at Folsom State Prison in a prison waiting room. Meanwhile, Lyle was married Anna Erikkson from 1996 to 2001. He is currently married to Rebecca Sneed.

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    Lea Veloso

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  • Erik Menendez Calls Ryan Murphy’s ‘Monsters’ A “Dishonest Portrayal”

    Erik Menendez Calls Ryan Murphy’s ‘Monsters’ A “Dishonest Portrayal”

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    The reviews are in for Ryan Murphy‘s latest true crime outing, and one critic is certainly not pleased.

    After Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story debuted Thursday on Netflix, Erik Menéndez called out the series’ “naive and inaccurate” depiction of his and brother Lyle’s 1989 murder of their parents José and Mary Louise ‘Kitty’ Menéndez.

    “I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant likes rampant in the show,” said Erik in a statement shared on Lyle’s Facebook page. “I can only believe they were done so on purpose. It is with a heavy heart that I say, I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent.

    “It is sad for me to know that Netflix’s dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime have taken the painful truths several steps backward — back through time to an era when the prosecution built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused, and that males experienced rape trauma differently than women. Those awful lies have been disrupted and exposed by countless brave victims over the last two decades who have broken through their personal shame and bravely spoken out,” he continued. “So now Murphy shapes his horrible narrative through vile and appalling character portrayals of Lyle and of me and disheartening slander.”

    Erik added in part, “Is the truth not enough?”

    Nicholas Chavez as Lyle Menéndez, Chloë Sevigny as Kitty Menéndez, Javier Bardem as José Menéndez and Cooper Koch as Erik Menéndez in Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story

    Courtesy of Netflix

    After José was shot six times and Kitty 10 times on Aug. 20, 1989, police initially investigated several mob leads. The brothers were arrested in March 1990 after Erik confessed to his psychologist, and they alleged in trial that they killed their parents out of fear for their lives after a lifetime of abuse, including sexual abuse from their father.

    Although Erik and Lyle were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, their attorney Mark Geragos told People he’s “cautiously optimistic” that new family testimonies will help get the case reduced to voluntary manslaughter,

    According to the show’s official Netflix logline, Monsters “dives into the historic case that took the world by storm, paved the way for audiences’ modern-day fascination with true crime, and in return asks those audiences: Who are the real monsters?”

    Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch star as Lyle and Erik Menéndez, with Javier Bardem stars as José, Chloë Sevigny as Kitty, Nathan Lane as Dominick Dunne and Ari Graynor as Leslie Abramson.

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    Glenn Garner

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