A Los Angeles judge Friday reduced the life sentences of Erik and Lyle Menendez, giving the brothers hope for freedom after serving 35 years in prison for murdering their parents in 1989, according to AP.
L.A. County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic moved to reduce the Menendez brothers’ original sentences of life without parole to 50 years to life. Because they were under the age of 26 at the time of their crime, they now have a shot at parole under California’s Youthful Offender law. However, the brothers must still receive the nod from the state parole board before they are released.
Of the ruling, Judge Jesic said, “I’m not saying they should be released, it’s not for me to decide. I do believe they’ve done enough in the past 35 years, that they should get that chance.”
AP reports the Menendez brothers showed no overtly emotional response during their court appearance, which was broadcast over a live stream.
The Menendez brothers were sentenced to life in prison in 1996, seven years after they committed the double murder of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. At the time of the killings, Erik Menendez was only 18, and Lyle Menendez was 21. The pair became household names in the early ’90s through their highly publicized trial, which was broadcast nationwide. Erik Menendez’s legal counsel, led by attorney Leslie Abramson, cited self-defense against the brothers’ abusive father and complacent mother as the reason for the killings. Pam Bozanich, as part of the prosecution, insisted the motive was financial gain, reinforced by the brothers’ excessive spending of their inheritance following the murders.
Public interest in the case was reignited upon the release of Ryan Murphy’s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” in September 2024, which gave audiences a deeper, although not entirely accurate, look at the case through a highly dramatized retelling. The show quickly reached No. 1 on Netflix’s top 10 charts, racking up 19.5 million views in its first full week of availability.
From Variety US