Nearly two dozen family members of Erik and Lyle Menendez gathered outside a Los Angeles courthouse yesterday, calling for their early release from prison. District Attorney George Gascón (D), who is up for reelection, has indicated openness to pursuing their resentencing ahead of a November court deadline.
In 1996, the brothers from Beverly Hills, California, were sentenced to life in prison for the murder of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez. The sons, 18 and 21 years old at the time of the killings, inherited $14M—which prosecutors said served as the motive. This year, Netflix sparked renewed public interest in the case with the releases of a miniseries and documentary. See trailers here and here.
The projects highlight the boys' allegations of sexual abuse by their father, some details of which were not permitted at trial. Last year, the brothers petitioned for early release, attaching a letter they say Erik wrote to his cousin before the killings. The brothers maintain they acted out of self-defense.
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