Menendez brothers may get resentencing as DA considers new evidence
The Los Angeles District Attorney's office will review fresh evidence in the infamous Menendez brothers case, over three decades after their sensational trial. Lyle and Erik Menendez were sentenced to life without parole in 1996 for brutally murdering their parents in 1989 with a pair of shotguns in their Beverly Hills home while they were watching a movie. Erik was 18, while Lyle was 20 at the time.
Documentary series sparks review of Menendez case
The brothers filed a petition last year following revelations from the Peacock docuseries, Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed, which includes allegations that their father, Jose Menendez, sexually assaulted a former underage member of the 1980s boy band, Menudo. Roy RoRossello alleges he was around 13 when Jose, an executive at RCA Records, drugged and raped him. "This new evidence is indisputable," Nery Ynclan, one of the journalists behind the docuseries told Los Angeles Times.
Brothers' petition and public support for resentencing
The Menendez brothers argued that this new evidence supports their long-standing claims of sexual abuse by their parents. They had previously stated that the murders were an act of self-defense, fearing their parents would kill them if they disclosed the years of sexual abuse. However, prosecutors argued that the murder was motivated by greed, as the brothers allegedly spent money on Rolex watches, vehicles, and real estate ventures shortly after their parents were killed.
Kim Kardashian advocates for Menendez brothers' release
Notably, 24 family members of the Menendez brothers have also called for their release from jail. Reality star and prison reform advocate Kim Kardashian has also joined the chorus calling for the Menendez brothers' release. In a personal essay, she argued that their joint trial was unfair and suggested that allegations of sexual abuse made by them would be handled differently today. "Can anyone honestly deny that the justice system would have treated the Menendez sisters more leniently?" she wrote.
District Attorney's office to review new evidence
The new evidence includes a letter written by Erik that his attorneys argue corroborates the allegations of sexual abuse by his father. District Attorney George Gascon stated that his office had not yet made any decisions and did not know the "validity" of what was presented at the trial. "We will evaluate all of it," he said. The Menendez brothers case recently saw a revival following the release of the Netflix series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
