Menendez brothers set to be resentenced for murder of parents after Netflix documentary
In September, Netflix released Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, and followed that up with the documentary The Menendez Brothers on October 7th. Now, less than three weeks after the documentary debuted, it has been announced that the brothers are to be resentenced for the murders of their parents.
On October 24, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón made the bombshell announcement. He recommended that the brothers’ life sentence for the brutal shotgun murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez be replaced with a sentence of 50 years to life. That sentence carried no chance of parole, but if Gascón’s recommendation comes to pass, the brothers would be eligible for parole immediately because they were younger than 26 when they committed the murders.
At a press conference, Gascón said, “I believe the brothers were subject to a tremendous amount of dysfunction in their home and molestation.”
He added, “Under the law, resentencing is appropriate. I’m going to recommend that to a court tomorrow. I believe they have paid their debt to society.” However, he admitted that some people in his office may disagree with his recommendation and, in this scenario, they can argue against it. He encouraged this and confirmed, “They have a right to do so.”
Prosecutors will now seek the approval of the courts on this recommendation, with the final decision resting with a judge.
In response to the announcement, a family relative—believed to be Kitty’s niece—told the press that she was firmly on the brothers’ side. She said, “This decision is not just a legal matter; it is a recognition of the abuse my cousins endured. We are grateful to the district attorney for putting justice over politics. We know this wasn’t an easy decision, but it is the right one. It is time for Lyle and Erik to come home.”
In addition, Cooper Koch – who received acclaim for his performance as Erik Menendenz in the hit Netflix show – issued a statement. It read, “I am overwhelmed with gratitude and hope for the progress we’ve seen today. Gascón’s recommendation has ignited a renewed sense of possibility that Lyle and Erik could finally be released after decades behind bars. But, this journey is not over.”
“There are still critical steps ahead: the judge must endorse the resentencing, and, if that happens, the parole board must recognize the time they have served as fitting for the crime. Our voices, our unwavering support, remain crucial – not just for the brothers to ensure their release, but also for every victim of sexual abuse fighting to be heard. I hope to see Erik and Lyle soon. Free from all of this.”
A decision decades in the making
Lyle and Erik Menendez killed their parents in 1989 at the respective ages of 21 and 18. They were finally sentenced in 1996 after two lengthy trials. The brothers always claimed they killed their parents in self-defence, as they feared their lives were in danger after they threatened to go public with a lifetime of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.
Many in the legal field have argued that the brothers would never have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole if they were tried in 2024, thanks to society’s increased awareness of the realities of sexual abuse. At the time, though, prosecutors successfully argued that there was no hard evidence of abuse and that the brothers were simply motivated by a desire to seize control of their family’s estate, which was worth millions.