Prosecutors in California will recommend Erik and Lyle Menendez be resentenced for the 1989 killing of their parents in the family’s Beverly Hills home, providing the brothers with a chance of freedom after 34 years behind bars.
An official with knowledge of the decision confirmed that Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon will recommend resentencing for the brothers.
They were sentenced in 1996 to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors must now seek court approval.
Lyle Menendez, then 21, and Erik Menendez, then 18, admitted they fatally shot their entertainment executive father Jose Menendez and their mother Kitty Menendez.
Media gather for a news conference being held by Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon (Damian Dovarganes/AP)
The brothers said they feared their parents were about to kill them to prevent the disclosure of their father’s long-time sexual molestation of Erik Menendez.
The brothers’ extended family has pleaded for their release, saying they deserve to be free after decades behind bars.
Several family members have said that in today’s world — which is more aware of the impact of sexual abuse — the brothers would not have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life.
The Menendez brothers were tried twice for their parents’ murders, with the first trial ending in a hung jury.
Prosecutors at the time contended that there was no evidence of molestation and many details in their story of sexual abuse were not permitted in the second trial.
The district attorney’s office also said at the time that the brothers were after their parents’ multimillion-dollar estate.
The case has gained new traction in recent weeks after Netflix began streaming the true-crime drama Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story.