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The Menendez brothers, who were convicted of killing their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989, will soon find out if they can be released from prison. Lyle Menendez, 56, and his 53-year-old brother Erik are serving life in prison without parole for the shotgun murders of their father and mother - Jose and Kitty Menendez. The brothers have maintained their parents abused them since they were first charged with the murders.
A Netflix drama series about the brothers called Monsters, which aired in September, thrust them back into the spotlight and led to renewed calls for their release - including from their family . The brothers' lawyers asked Los Angeles prosecutors to review their sentencing, potentially paving the way for their release. A decision was expected in a resentencing hearing scheduled for 11 December last year, but it has been pushed back a number of times.
But what is the case for the brothers' freedom, is there new evidence - and why has the decision been delayed? More from US Trump fights trade war on multiple fronts as Canada and EU retaliate What are Donald Trump's tariffs - and how will they affect the UK? Ukraine war: Zelenskyy warns partners not to let Putin 'deceive' them on ceasefire An old defence with new evidence The Menendez brothers, who were 21 and 18 at the time their parents died, admitted shooting them before they were found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder in 1996. But they claim they killed them in self-defence after enduring physical, emotional and sexual abuse over many years, including being molested by their father. Prosecutors at the time contended there was no evidence of any sexual abuse.
They said the brothers were after their parents' multimillion-dollar estate. The jury in their first trial in 1993 was deadlocked before the jury in their second trial found them guilty, rejecting a death sentence in favour of life without parole. But their lawyers argue that because of society's changing views on sexual abuse, the brothers may not have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole today.
They say they should have been charged with manslaughter rather than murder, but this was not an option for the jury during the second trial. The brothers' defence team has also uncovered a letter that Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin which is dated months before the murders, which they say alludes to him being abused by his father. Read more: Kim Kardashian visits Lyle and Erik Menendez in jail Netflix series star 'stands with' Menendez brothers Monsters creator reacts after family label drama 'grotesque' LA district attorney (DA) George Gascon briefly shared the letter to his Instagram page before deleting the post.
In the handwritten letter, Erik wrote: "I've been trying to avoid dad...
every night, I stay up thinking he might come in." He also said he was "afraid" and that he needed to "put it out of my mind" and "stop thinking about it". Roy Rossello, a former member of the band Menudo, also spoke out in the Peacock documentary series Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed, alleging he was sexually assaulted by Jose Menendez as a teenager in the 1980s.
The band was signed under RCA Record at the time, where Jose Menendez was chief operating officer, and Mr Rossello claims he drugged and raped him. How can they be freed? Former LA district attorney George Gascon asked LA County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic to review their convictions before he left the role in December. He recommended giving them a revised sentence of 50 years to life, which would make them immediately eligible for youth parole because they were less than 26 years old when they killed their parents.
The judge has been asked to look at whether the pair have been rehabilitated, based on their behaviour in prison. A document filed by the lawyers highlights some of their achievements while behind bars, including both attaining several degrees and contributing to the community. It lists a prison "beautification programme" Lyle Menendez started called GreenSpace as one example, and adds that both brothers have received low-risk assessment scores, with Lyle apparently not being involved in a single fight during his time in jail.
The lawyers have also submitted the letter Erik wrote to his cousin as new evidence, saying it was not seen by the jury when the brothers were sentenced in 1996 and could have influenced their decision. Roy Rossello has also provided a signed declaration of his alleged rape by Jose Menendez to the brothers' lawyers, which they say is further proof of his supposed abusive nature. In a news conference, Mr Gascon clarified that the review was not to determine whether or not the brothers killed their parents, saying it was "factual" and "well established" they had.
He also said more than 300 people had been resentenced during his term as district attorney and only four had gone on to reoffend. Why has the hearing been delayed? Judge Jesic said it was partially because he needed time to review 17 boxes of documents relating to the case and was "not ready to go forward". But it's also because the DA who recommended the review, Mr Gascon, has been replaced by Nathan Hochman, who took office on 2 December.
The judge said the delay was also to give Mr Hochman enough time to review and weigh in on the case. The new DA, a Republican-turned-independent, has differing views to his predecessor Mr Gascon, a Democrat known for his particularly progressive views. The trial was set for the end of January, but it was pushed back again to March due to the California wildfires.
Big changes since resentencing trial was set LA's previous DA Gascon called for the resentencing because he believed the brothers had been rehabilitated in prison, and felt their trial would have been treated differently with today's understanding of how sexual and physical abuse affects children. This gave the Menendez brothers hope, because when prosecutors support resentencing, there is "somewhat of a presumption" that the court will do it, says Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor and professor of criminal law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. But his successor, Mr Hochman, disagrees, saying earlier this month the brothers have repeatedly lied about why they killed their parents and "fell short" of taking full responsibility for their crimes.
He has opposed the resentencing, saying it's because of their "lack of full insight and lack of complete responsibility for their murders". His office has submitted an 88-page document urging the judge to withdraw the previous DA's resentencing motion. It does not mean the resentencing is getting called off, but experts like Ms Levenson say it significantly reduces the likelihood of the judge ruling in the brothers' favour.
Another potential road to freedom In addition to a resentencing, the brothers have also sought their freedom through a request for clemency from California governor Gavin Newsom, who has the power to free them himself. Mr Newsom, who supported Mr Gascon, ruled out making a decision until he has heard Mr Hochman's views on the brothers' case. "The governor respects the role of the district attorney in ensuring justice is served and recognises that voters have entrusted District Attorney-elect Hochman to carry out this responsibility," Mr Newsom's office said in a statement on 25 November.
"The governor will defer to the DA-elect's review and analysis of the Menendez case prior to making any clemency decisions." But even after Mr Hochman's decision to push against the brothers' freedom, their hopes of Mr Newsome granting clemency have not disappeared. At the end of February, the governor ordered the state parole board to investigate whether the brothers would pose a risk to the public.
It was a move celebrated by the Menendez's lawyers, who said in a statement: "The family realises that the governor's action does not mean he will commute the sentences. Instead, this initial step reflects the governor's considered decision to at least obtain the information required to make a fair decision as to whether Erik and Lyle, after 35 years in prison, have done the hard work necessary to have a chance at a life outside prison." Mr Newsom said he wants the parole board to finish the risk assessment within 90 days.
Following the assessment, there will be a hearing allowing victims' family members and prosecutors to participate in the process, according to the governor's office. Ms Levenson has suggested that because of the change at the DA's office, clemency is now the brothers' best shot at freedom. What the Menendez family says Some of the brothers' extended relatives attended the hearing on 25 November where a resentencing date was originally set.
Two of their aunts testified, making what a lawyer for the siblings described during a brief news conference as "impassioned pleas" for Erik and Lyle to be sent home. Erik's stepdaughter said their family remains united in their effort to bring the siblings home. While the judge's delay was not "the outcome we had hoped for," she said in a statement, "we remain optimistic that it represents a step forward in securing their freedom".
The brothers themselves were scheduled to make their first court appearance in years, but the remote feed from the San Diego prison where they are incarcerated was hampered by technical issues. On 17 October, two dozen extended family members gathered for a news conference in Los Angeles. Jose Menendez's niece Anamaria Baralt spoke on their behalf, telling reporters: "Both sides of the family are united, sharing a new bond of hope.
"This is about truth, justice and healing...
Their continued incarceration serves no rehabilitative purpose." Ms Baralt said the brothers were victims of a "culture that was not ready to listen", as she called on the district attorney's office to "take into account the full picture". Joan Andersen VanderMolen, Kitty Menendez's sister, also told reporters: "I had no idea the extent of the abuse they suffered at the hands of my brother-in-law.
None of us did. "We know that abuse has long effects, and victims of trauma sometimes act in ways that are very difficult to understand." Family not entirely united Kitty Menendez's brother, Milton Andersen, 90, has said "the appropriate sentence" for the pair was life in prison without parole.
His lawyer said: "He believes that there was no molestation that occurred. He believes that the motive was pure greed, because they had just learned that they were going to be taken out of the will.".
