LOS ANGELES –
Prosecutors in Los Angeles are reviewing new proof within the case of Erik and Lyle Menendez to find out whether or not they need to be serving life sentences for killing their dad and mom of their Beverly Hills mansion greater than 35 years in the past, the town’s district legal professional mentioned Thursday.
Los Angeles County District Lawyer George Gascon mentioned throughout a information convention that there isn’t a query Erik Menendez, 53, and his 56-year-old brother, Lyle Menendez, dedicated the murders, however his workplace will probably be reviewing new proof and can decide on whether or not a resentencing is warranted within the infamous case that captured nationwide consideration.
The brand new proof offered in a petition features a letter written by Erik Menendez that his attorneys say corroborates the allegations that he was sexually abused by his father.
The brothers have mentioned they killed their dad and mom out of self-defence after enduring a lifetime of bodily, emotional and sexual abuse from them. Their attorneys argue that due to society’s altering views on sexual abuse, that the brothers could not have been convicted of first-degree homicide and sentenced to life with out parole in the present day.
Bryan Freedman, the prolonged household’s legal professionals, mentioned they strongly help the brothers’ launch.
“She needs nothing greater than for them to be launched,” Freedman mentioned of Joan VanderMolen, the brothers’ aunt.
The brothers’ attorneys mentioned the household believed from the start they need to have been charged with manslaughter somewhat than homicide. Manslaughter was not an possibility for the jury through the second trial that finally led to the brothers’ homicide conviction, legal professional Mark Geragos mentioned.
Lyle Menendez, who was then 21, and Erik Menendez, then 18, admitted they fatally shot-gunned their leisure government father Jose Menendez and their mom, Kitty Menendez, in 1989 however mentioned they feared their dad and mom had been about to kill them to stop the disclosure of the daddy’s long-term sexual molestation of Erik.
Prosecutors on the time contended there was no proof of any molestation. They mentioned the sons had been after their dad and mom’ multimillion-dollar property.
Jurors rejected a dying sentence in favour of life with out parole.
Lawyer Cliff Gardner, who additionally represents the brothers, mentioned they’re happy by the district legal professional’s choice. The attorneys have requested for the court docket to vacate their conviction.
“Given in the present day’s very totally different understanding of how sexual and bodily abuse impacts kids — each girls and boys — and the outstanding new proof, we predict resentencing is the suitable consequence,” Gardner mentioned in an e-mail Thursday to The Related Press. “The brothers have served greater than 30 years in jail. That’s sufficient.”
The case has gained new consideration in latest weeks after Netflix started streaming the true-crime drama “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”
In an announcement on X posted by his spouse, Erik Menendez referred to as the present a “dishonest portrayal” of what occurred that has taken them again to a time when prosecutors “constructed a story on a perception system that males weren’t sexually abused, and that males expertise rape trauma otherwise from ladies.”
Gascon mentioned he believes that the subject of sexual assault would have been handled with extra sensitivity if the case had occurred in the present day.
“We’ve got not selected an consequence. We’re reviewing info,” Gascon mentioned.
He mentioned his workplace didn’t know the “validity” of what was offered on the trial.
Gascon, who’s looking for reelection, famous that greater than 300 folks have been resentenced throughout his time period, and solely 4 have gone on to commit a criminal offense once more.
A listening to was scheduled for Nov. 29.
Lyle Menendez not too long ago earned a sociology diploma from the College of California, Irvine, by means of a jail program. Geragos mentioned they’ve been mannequin prisoners regardless of believing they’d by no means be launched.
“I feel it is time,” Geragos mentioned. “The household thinks it is time.”
Actuality TV star and movie star character Kim Kardashian, who has advocated for felony justice reform, additionally weighed in, writing in a private essay shared with NBC Information that the outsized media consideration on the primary trial that was nationally televised denied them justice.
She famous with “their struggling and tales of abuse ridiculed in skits on `Saturday Evening Reside”‘ that they had been painted as “two boastful, wealthy children from Beverly Hills who killed their dad and mom out of greed. There was no room for empathy, not to mention sympathy.”
“Erik and Lyle had no likelihood of a good trial towards this backdrop,” Kardashian wrote.
