2 weeks ago
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We have some possible bad news for the Menendez brothers…
As we previously reported, Lyle and Erik Menendez were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in July 1996 for the murders of their parents, Jose and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez. However, they scored a massive win after almost 35 years behind bars.
The then-Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced this month that he recommended the brothers be resentenced! Why? For years, Lyle and Erik claimed the 1989 murders were self-defense as they were afraid their parents were about to kill them. The pair also accused their father of sexually abusing them.
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Recently, new evidence was uncovered to back the abuse allegations. The DA obtained a letter Erik sent to their cousin eight months before he and Lyle shot their parents to death, where he detailed the abuse. That is why the resentencing is happening now. And it was Gascón’s recommendation that the brothers be resentenced to 50 years in prison with the possibility for parole. Since Lyle and Erik were under the age of 26 at the time of the killings, if a judge signed off on the recommendation, they would be eligible for parole immediately. Yes, that means they would be set free.
As we mentioned, this was a big win for the Menendez brothers. But that decision was not final. A judge still needs to agree with the recommendation, and a parole board must agree to the DA’s assessment. And now, there is another hurdle blocking their way to freedom. You see, Gascón lost his re-election on November 5 to former U.S. Assistant Attorney General Nathan Hochman. The switch may impact whether the office moves forward with the Mendendez brothers’ case! He could withdraw the recommendation! Uh oh…
Although Hochman has not decided what he will do, he has made it clear he plans to look over everything. He told CNN on Wednesday:
“Before I can make any decision about the Menendez brothers’ case, I will need to become thoroughly familiar with the relevant facts, the evidence and the law. I will have to review the confidential prison files for each brother, the transcripts from both trials, and speak to the prosecutors, law enforcement, defense counsel, and the victims’ family members. If for some reason I need additional time, I will ask the court for that time.”
But here’s the deal. Hochman is supposed to take office on December 2. The Menendez brothers’ hearing for the recommendation is scheduled for December 11 — nine days after Hochman takes over. That does not give a lot of time to review the case, right? So, he may have to delay the hearing! However, Hochman told the outlet he would move as “expeditiously” as possible to review the case:
“If I ask for a delay, it won’t be a delay for delay’s sake because I think the Menendez brothers, the victims, family members, the public deserve to have a decision done as soon as it can be done in a thorough manner.”
What will happen next is unknown. Hochman is a lot more conservative than Gascón, promising a tougher-on-crime approach in his office. He also slammed the 70-year-old attorney for pushing forward with the case after the release of the Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story brought attention to the case again, saying:
“The timing is incredibly suspicious.”
With that in mind, no one should get their hopes yet, especially Erik, Lyle, and their loved ones. Not even having Kim Kardashian on their side may help them out this time. Reactions, Perezcious readers? Let us know!
[Image via MEGA/WENN, LA CityView35/ ABC7/YouTube]
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