Parents shot dead in Beverly Hills mansion Menendez brothers could go free in 2025 at the earliest
35 years after the murder of the wealthy Menendez couple in Beverly Hills, their convicted sons Lyle and Erik could be released from prison. But the brothers still have to be patient.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- For the brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez, convicted of murder, hopes of a possible release before the end of the year have been dashed.
- A judge in Los Angeles set the next hearing in the case for January 30, 2025. A court date had originally been scheduled for December 11.
- The postponement of the court date from December to January is partly due to a newly elected district attorney taking office.
- The brothers, now 53 and 56 years old, have been behind bars since 1990.
- They were arrested six months after a bloody crime in fashionable Beverly Hills.
- There they had shot their wealthy parents Jose and Kitty Menendez in the living room of their family home.
For the brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez, convicted of murder, hopes of a possible release before the end of the year have been dashed. A judge in Los Angeles set the next hearing in the case for January 30, 2025. A court date had originally been scheduled for December 11.
The brothers, now aged 53 and 56, have been behind bars since 1990. They were arrested six months after a shocking bloody crime in fashionable Beverly Hills. There they had shot their wealthy parents Jose and Kitty Menendez in the living room of their family home.
Allegations of abuse
Initially, the brothers denied the crime. They later explained that they had been sexually, psychologically and physically abused by their parents for years and had acted out of fear of them. In the first criminal trial against the millionaire sons, there were accounts of years of abuse by their father. But in the end, the trial collapsed - the jury could not unanimously agree on a verdict in 1994.
In a second trial in 1996, the brothers were found guilty of double murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of release. In this trial, the judge responsible had largely prohibited statements about the alleged sexual abuse. According to the public prosecutor's office, the brothers killed out of greed in order to get hold of their parents' assets.
Netflix reopens the case
The case is now back in the headlines. Two Netflix productions are reopening the murder and justice spectacle. The brothers have submitted a petition for clemency to Californian Governor Gavin Newsom and their lawyers are insisting that the conviction be overturned. The acting district attorney of Los Angeles, George Gascón, is in favor of a new conviction with a lower sentence. He suggests that in the 1990s there was less awareness of men as victims of sexual violence. If a judge approves this, the brothers could walk free almost 35 years after their arrest.
The postponement of the court date from December to January is partly due to a newly elected district attorney taking office. Nathan Hochman succeeds Gascón at the beginning of December and still has to familiarize himself with the case.
Relatives demand release of the brothers
The Menendez brothers are being held in a prison in San Diego, Southern California. They were connected by telephone to the hearing on Monday (local time) in Los Angeles. Television cameras were not allowed. According to US media reports, two of the brothers' aunts took sides with their nephews in the courtroom. No child should have to suffer what happened to Erik and Lyle, said Joan Vandermolen, the 92-year-old sister of Kitty Menendez, who was killed, according to US broadcaster CNN. Teresita Baralt (85), sister of Jose Menendez, also campaigned for the release of her nephews.
dpa