In a surprising shift, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón has voiced support for resentencing Erik and Lyle Menendez, the brothers convicted in 1996 of killing their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in a case that captivated the nation. “Given the totality of the circumstances, I don’t think they deserve to be in prison until they die,” Gascón told IMPACT x Nightline, hinting that decades of changing perspectives on abuse may warrant a fresh look.
The Menendez brothers have always maintained that years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at their father’s hands led them to shoot their parents in self-defense in 1989. A critical piece of new evidence includes a letter from Erik Menendez allegedly corroborating the abuse claims, which will be examined at a hearing scheduled for November 29. At the time of the trial, however, prosecutors argued there was no evidence of abuse, framing the brothers’ actions as a cold-blooded attempt to seize their parents’ estate.
Family support for the Menendez brothers’ release remains strong. More than a dozen relatives, including Kitty Menendez’s sister Joan VanderMolen and celebrity advocate Rosie O’Donnell, are expected to attend a press conference in Los Angeles this week. If granted resentencing, the brothers—who have already served over three decades in prison—could see freedom. As Gascón’s office revisits the case, the possibility of liberation for Lyle and Erik reflects a significant shift in attitudes toward abuse survivors and justice in high-profile criminal cases.
