Progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said his office will review new evidence that Eric and Lyle Menendez may have been sexually abused, making it more likely than not that Eric Menendez and Lyle Menendez may have been sexually abused. He said that the two men's sentences may be reevaluated because of the incident that received extensive media coverage. It's been 30 years since I killed my parents.
Gascón said he has not yet made a decision on the matter.
“We're going to evaluate everything,” he said of the new evidence.
“We are not ready to believe or disbelieve that information,” he told a news conference. “But we are here to tell you that we have a moral and ethical obligation to consider what is presented and make a decision.”
Menendez brothers who shot and killed their parents slam new show for “dishonest portrayal''
Eric and Lyle Menendez listen during a trial in the 1990s. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said his office will review new evidence in the brothers' murder case. (Ted Soki/Sigma)
Joseph Lyle Menendez, 56, and Eric, 53, were convicted of fatally shooting their parents, Jose and Mary “Kitty” Menendez, at their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. Kitty Menendez died after being shot, and her brother reloaded before firing. Prosecutors said this was the final blow.
After a mistrial, the two were convicted of murder in the second instance and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1996.
However, they have recently asked for a reduced sentence. Both men are currently being held at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.
The case received significant media attention due to the family's wealth (Jose Menéndez was an entertainment company executive) and the nature of the crime.
Initially, theories arose that the killing was the work of the mafia.
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Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said he would review Eric's claims as new evidence that he and Lyle Menendez may have been sexually abused. (Myung Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The brothers eventually admitted carrying out the killing, but said their father had repeatedly sexually assaulted them and feared for their lives. They have repeatedly challenged their convictions.
Prosecutors said there was no evidence the pair had been sexually abused, but they committed the murders because they were after their parents' multimillion-dollar fortune..
Prosecutors said their motive was greed and pointed to extravagance after the killings. The defense argued that the two had been abused by their father and that they had killed their parents in self-defense.
New 8-part structure Netflix's true crime drama Interest in the case has been revived in the wake of Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez.
Eric Menendez's wife, Tammy Menendez, in a statement on “We built a story based on a belief system that there is a It's different from women. ”
An undated photo of the Menendez family is shown on screen during a panel discussion at CrimeCon 2024 on Sunday, June 2, in Nashville, Tennessee. Brothers Lyle and Eric were convicted of shooting their parents to death in 1989. (Michael Lewis/Fox News Digital)
A year ago, the brothers filed a writ of habeas corpus asking the court to vacate their 1996 convictions. The paper cited the Peacock documentary series “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed,” in which Roy Rosselló, a former member of the popular Puerto Rican boy band Menudo in the 1980s, claimed he was sexually assaulted by Jose Menendez. did.
The brothers said the new allegations support their claims of self-defense following years of abuse by their parents. Nearly 30 years after the conviction, Gascón said he believes the sexual assault would have been handled more sensitively if it had happened today.
He said his office will review new evidence and decide whether the case should be considered for resentencing. A hearing was scheduled for November 29th.
According to the New York Daily News, Lyle (left) and Eric (right) are seen in a recent mugshot from 2023. After years apart, they moved into the same housing unit at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego in 2018, officials said. (California Department of Corrections)
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Gascón is seeking re-election after two failed recall attempts over his progressive criminal justice policies, but during his term more than 300 people have been re-sentenced and only a handful have re-offended. He pointed out that there were only four people.
