After spending 35 years in prison for murdering both of their parents, Erik and Lyle Menendez could soon be free men thanks to a landmark ruling from a Los Angeles judge.
The infamous Menendez brothers appeared in Los Angeles County Superior Court yesterday, where Judge Michael Jesic reduced their sentences from life without parole to 50 years to life.
The new sentencing is signficant because it means the brothers are immediately eligible to apply for parole under California’s youthful offender law because they committed the crime under the age of 26.
The Menendez brother’s trial gripped the country in 1996 after they were ordered to spend the rest of their lives in prison for fatally shooting their entertainment executive father, Jose Menendez, and mother, Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home.
The brothers were 18 and 21 at the time of the killings.
At the time, defense attorneys argued the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, while prosecutors said the brothers killed their parents for a multimillion-dollar inheritance.
The state parole board must still decide whether to release them from prison. However, Judge Jesic commented that he believed it was the right time to give their chance at freedom.
“I’m not saying they should be released, it’s not for me to decide,” Jesic said.
“I do believe they’ve done enough in the past 35 years, that they should get that chance.”
The decision to reduce their sentences comes after a wave of support from family members who have testified on the brother’s behalf saying they welcome their freedom and believe their time has come.
One relative said in court the duo had been “universally forgiven by the family” for their actions.
“Today, 35 years later, I am deeply ashamed of who I was,” Lyle told the court.
“I killed my mom and dad. I make no excuses and also no justification. The impact of my violent actions on my family… is unfathomable.”
The defense called Ana Maria Baralt, a cousin of Erik and Lyle, who testified that the brothers have repeatedly expressed remorse for their actions.
“We all, on both sides of the family, believe that 35 years is enough,” Baralt said.
“They are universally forgiven by our family.”
Another cousin, Tamara Goodell, said she had recently taken her 13-year-old son to meet the brothers in prison, and that they would contribute a lot of good to the world if released.
The previous LA County District Attorney George Gascón had opened the door to possible freedom for the brothers last fall by asking a judge to reduce their sentences.
Gascón’s office said the case would’ve been handled differently today due to modern understandings of sexual abuse and trauma, and the brothers’ rehabilitation over three decades in prison.
A resentencing petition laid out by Gascón focuses on the brothers’ accomplishments and rehabilitation.
Since their conviction, the brothers have gotten an education, participated in self-help classes and started various support groups for their fellow inmates.
Now their freedom rests in the hands of the parole board.
This is an on-going story. Check back for further updates.