Menendez Brothers: Three Ways Lyle and Eric Return to Freedom

After spending more than 30 years behind bars for the murder of their parents, Lyle and Erik Menendez get a chance to get out of prison.

The 1989 murder case, which had captivated the nation’s attention for decades, reopened this fall when Los Angeles’ top prosecutor backed the brothers’ bid for resentencing.

Di move fit allows for immediate release if the judge and parole board approve it.

But on the path to freedom, you first need to overcome several obstacles.

The Dee brothers will appear in court on Monday to discuss the Dia case.

Learn more about how they were able to secure a resentencing and two other ways the Menendez brothers were able to regain their freedom.

Jose and Kitty Menendez were found dead in a Beverly Hills mansion after being shot 13 times in August 1989.

Daya’s sons Eric and Lyle call the police and tell authorities that they have arrived at the house and found Daya’s parents dead.

The brutal nature of the crimes leads authorities to believe it may have been a mob attack.

But the brothers begin to attract attention with their behavior. They spend a lot of money, including buying Rolex watches, gambling and partying.

One confession to a psychologist can expose them. The doctor’s friend secretly records Dia’s confession and reports it to the authorities.

In March 1990, the brothers were charged by police. In 1993, they appeared in court, and the brothers admitted that they did not commit the murders, but claim that they acted in self-defense.

They describe years of emotional, physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their father, Jose, who was a Hollywood music and film executive.

Lyle and Eric testify that they tell their parents about the sexual abuse and it can get serious, and they believe the parents are planning to kill them.

Family members testify about the abuse they witnessed, but no one says they saw the sexual abuse firsthand.

Prosecutors say the parents’ $14 million (£10.8 million) fortune is the motive and money.

The first trial ended with the judge unable to reach a verdict and a new judge took over the case, but a second trial in 1995 resulted in them being found guilty of first-degree murder.

Fast forward nearly three decades, and public interest is no longer in the wake of Netflix’s successful drama and documentaries. Celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Rosie O’Donnell have not publicly supported the brothers’ release.

More than two dozen members of the di Menendez family have failed to publicly call for the release of Eric and Lyle.

Family members say the boys endure horrific sexual abuse at the hands of their father and pose no threat to society.

Kitty Menendez’s sister, Joan Anderson VanderMolen, argues that “the whole world is not ready to believe that boys can be raped, or that young people can be victims of sexual violence.”

Now she says, “We are better off” and “The jury will give such a harsh verdict today.”

But there is no complete agreement in the family.

One of Kitty Menendez’s brother’s lawyers, Milton Andersen, called the brothers “cold-blooded” and said their “actions destroy a family and leave a trail of grief that will not last for decades.”

“They shot Jose six times and Kitty ten times, including shooting her in the face after Eric reloaded.”

Mr Andersen believes his nephews should remain in prison for their “evil act”, according to his lawyer Kathy Cady.

Current Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón agrees to reconsider the case, and in late October we recommend telling the brothers resentenced to a lower sentence that would make them immediately eligible for parole.

Gascón says several factors influenced his decision, including the brothers’ efforts to rehabilitate themselves while in prison.

Court documents from the MVD office highlight the brothers’ educational accomplishments (both have multiple degrees) and their contributions to the community, such as Lyle Menendez’s creation of the GreenSpace prison improvement program.

Gascón also notes that given today’s greater understanding of the impact of sexual and physical abuse on children, we think the trial will likely take a different approach.

But Gascón’s critics say he only decided to intervene in the case as a last-ditch effort to help them win votes when they run for re-election.

When he lost to Nathan Hochman, let’s say he didn’t drop his briefcase for air.

The new district attorney promises to be tougher on crime. He will take office on December 2, with a key hearing scheduled for December 11 to consider the possible resentencing of the Menendez brothers.

The change in the head of the district attorney’s office does not raise questions about the future of sentencing efforts.

Mr. Hochman says he doesn’t want to delay the Dec. 11 resentencing hearing, but everything worked out so he will have plenty of time to review the case, including reading transcripts of both brothers’ original trials and disciplinary records.

“We will ask for the minimum amount of time necessary to do this work because we owe it to the Menendez brothers, we owe it to the family members of the victims, we owe it to the public to make the right decision,” he said. one ABC News interview for the US.

We also question the role of politics in Mr. Gascón’s decision to support the re-sentencing of Dia.

If the judge ultimately approves resentencing, the case will go before a parole board, which will determine they are eligible for parole. A panel of experts reads Dia’s psychological reports, reviews letters from investigators and hears testimony from surviving family members.

The Dee Menendez brothers are expected to appear virtually on Monday.

The case generated widespread interest and prompted the court to announce that they were to hold a lottery to determine which members of the public would be able to take part.

The lottery is expected to take place early Monday morning on the steps of the Van Nuys Courthouse in northern Los Angeles County.

Only 16 places available. More than 10 million people live in the district.

If Dia’s bid for resentencing fails, they will look for ways that could lead to Dia’s release, including:

Mercy: The Dee Menendez brothers’ lawyer, Mark Geragos, submits a clemency petition to Gov. Gavin Newsom, opening a second potential path to freedom.

A suitable pardon means a commutation of a sentence or even a pardon, but a brother’s sentence cannot be overturned.

But the governor says any decision he makes will be based on what the newly elected district attorney determines after a full review of the case.

Habeas corpus: The Di Menendez brothers’ latest path to freedom is based on a habeas corpus petition they filed last year, which they are seeking to review new evidence they did not present for trial.

The statement said the convictions and prison sentences are unconstitutional in light of these allegations and newly discovered evidence implicating the brothers as victims of childhood sexual abuse by Father Jose Menendez.

This includes allegations from former Menudo member Roy Rossello, who claim that they were raped by music executive Jose Menendez in the 2023 docuseries Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed.

Further evidence is in a letter Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin eight months after the murder, alleging alleged abuse, which corroborates my cousin’s testimony at trial.

Using new evidence, the petition seeks to overturn the first-degree murder conviction in favor of a lesser charge such as manslaughter, which would qualify for early release from prison.

Both brothers marry while serving life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Lyle Menendez married twice. My first marriage was to former model Anna Eriksson in 1996, which ended in divorce after she reportedly discovered she was telling other women.

In 2003, we married Rebecca Sneed, a magazine editor, in a prison ceremony. Sneed mostly avoids the limelight, but describes me as a supportive and private partner.

Erik Menendez married Tammy Saccoman in 1999 after a pen pal relationship blossomed into an affair. Tammy, if she had been married before, they were fine with her affection for Eric.

In 2005, she published a memoir entitled They said we’d never make itwe talked about dia relationships. Despite the difficulties of marrying a man in prison, Tammy calls the marriage fulfilling, calling it a unique yet strong partnership.

She sued on behalf of Los Angeles against Gascón’s district attorney before making a resentencing announcement the next day and writing for X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Yesterday, a difficult and emotional day,” she writes in the X program on October 25. “I am grateful to District Attorney (George) Gascón for having the courage to seek Eric’s resentencing, but I was naturally disappointed and did not move forward on my own. It is believed that Eric and Lyle will not serve enough time in prison.”