Nathan Hochman, the recently elected Los Angeles County District Attorney, met with Erik and Lyle Menendez’s family on Friday to discuss their resentencing, calling the conversation “productive” and lasting several hours.
More than 20 members of Jose and Kitty Menendez’s families will attend the meeting, according to a statement from the Justice for Erik and Lyle Menendez Coalitions. Family members who are in favor of the brothers’ release have supported their assertions that they were sexually and physically abused for years as youngsters and that they shot their parents dead in self-defense.
On August 20, 1989, Erik and Lyle Menendez shot and killed their parents at their Beverly Hills residence. In a subsequent trial, they were found guilty of first-degree murder and given a life sentence without the possibility of release.
The county’s new top prosecutor will now decide whether to grant the Menendez brothers an early release, despite previous District Attorney George Gasc’s recommendation that they be resentenced.
Hochman stated on Friday that he had not yet decided whether to recommend resentencing after speaking with family members.
Hochman stated prior to taking office last month that he would require time to consider the matter and make his own judgment. Originally slated on December 11, the next resentencing court dates are now January 30 and 31.
“I wouldn’t engage in delay for delay’s sake because this case is too important to the Menendez brothers,” Hochman declared a few days after winning the election on November 5. “The relatives of the victims value it too highly. The public needs the review that a district attorney should provide, and it is too crucial to put it off any longer than absolutely necessary.”
Hochman said Friday that he and his office’s prosecutors are still going through thousands of pages of private jail documents and hundreds of pages of transcripts pertaining to the case’s two months-long trials. The case would take time, he said.
“We’re going to spend the time necessary to get this decision right,” he stated on Friday.
The family-led campaign calling for the release of the Menendez brothers held a press conference with lawyer Mark Geragos shortly after the prosecutor’s remarks to reporters. They reaffirmed their calls for the brothers’ release from custody.
Erik and Lyle’s father’s side cousin, Anamaria Baralt, said, “This 35-year process has been incredibly traumatizing for us, as I’m sure you can all imagine.” “We are very much hoping that we can find path to manslaughter that we can see the release of the brothers immediately.”
They would be eligible for parole right away if their convictions for first-degree murder were overturned and they were given a new sentence for manslaughter. Given that they were less than 26 at the time of the offenses, that is in compliance with a state parole requirement.
“Our family is looking forward to a candid and equitable conversation as we get ready to meet with DA Hochman. The family-led initiative for their release says, “Erik and Lyle Menendez have spent the last three decades taking responsibility for their actions and positively contributing to their community through leadership and rehabilitation, despite the abuse they endured as children and the unfairness of their current sentence.”
“Erik and Lyle’s abuse, trauma, and demonstrated rehabilitation over the last 35 years,” the group stated, stating that the family will be supporting the resentencing process. According to the statement, family members are hoping that their meeting with Hochman will help them get closer to enjoying Christmas together next year.
Hochman stated that when determining whether to recommend resentencing, he will consider the brothers’ progress or lack thereof, their actions while incarcerated, and their accomplishments during their time there.
Months after the brothers appeared in court for the first time in years at a hearing, Hochman met with members of the Menendez family.In order to resentence them for a lesser conviction, such manslaughter, their lawyers asked the judge to examine any new evidence that could come to light.
History of the Menendez brothers case
For the 1989 murders of their parents, the brothers were found guilty of first-degree murder. In July 1996, the brothers received a life sentence without the possibility of release. They have been incarcerated in a state prison for about 35 years.
Two pieces of evidence were allegedly omitted from the brothers’ 1990s trials, according to the habeas corpus petition filed in 2023. According to the 21-page petition, the additional evidence supports the claim that Erik and Lyle killed their parents to protect themselves.
Their aunts Joan VanderMolen and Terry Baralt testified during Erik and Lyle’s hearing in November 2024. Both of them spoke out for their brothers.
“It was quite a moving experience, at least where we sit, to listen to Aunt Terry [Baralt] and Aunt Joan [VanderMolen], who are respectively, Jose and Kitty’s older sisters,” Mark Geragos, the attorney for the brothers, stated. “Both made impassioned pleas with the judge to send the brothers home.”
A Netflix series and documentary rekindled interest in the brothers’ case, leading to strong support and requests for their clemency.
In order to give incoming DA Hochman time to examine the case, California Governor Gavin Newsom postponed making a decision on the Menendez brothers’ request for mercy. On December 3, the new prosecutor took the oath of office.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!