Eric and Lyle Menendez, who were sentenced to life in prison nearly three decades ago, could be given a chance at freedom as Los Angeles prosecutors investigate new evidence.
At a press conference Thursday, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said the Menendez’s attorneys presented new evidence in the petition and asked the court to overturn their convictions. Gascon has scheduled a potential impeachment hearing for Nov. 29.
“We have not decided on the result. We are reviewing the data,” Gascon said. According to CNNadding that his office was not convinced of the “validity” of the new evidence. “We will evaluate all these”
The couple killed their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in 1989. They were sentenced to life imprisonment in their second criminal trial in 1996. That court famously barred the use of most evidence detailing the brothers’ possible abuse, a move that has long inspired criticism from criminal justice advocates. Kim Kardashian. The new evidence includes a letter from Eric Menendez, whose attorneys confirm the brother’s claims of long-term sexual abuse by his father.
Eric and Lyle Menendez have long cited the abuse they experienced at the hands of their father, Jose, as a factor they believe should have played a role in their sentencing.
Cliff Gardner, an attorney for the Menendez brothers, noted the news in an email. Associated Press.
“Given today’s vastly different understanding of how sexual and physical abuse affects children—both boys and girls—and the remarkable new evidence, we believe that offending is an appropriate outcome,” Gardner wrote. “The brothers have been in prison for more than 30 years. That’s enough.”
The duo is back in the spotlight with the Ryan Murphy-created Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle & Eric Menendez Story. Eric criticized series in a Facebook post last month.
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