Erik and Lyle Menendez, brothers who were convicted for brutally murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez in 1989, have officially been recommended for resentencing by LA District Attorney George Gascon. Erik and Lyle’s attorneys have provided evidence backing the brothers’ claims of long-standing abuse at the hands of their father, which the attorneys claim was partially excluded from the original trial. If true, this evidence could be the Menendez brothers’ freeing testimony, establishing a solid case of murder in the act of self-defense. However, many questions and details revolving around the true intentions of the brothers’ actions remain.
Jose and Kitty Menendez were shot with 15 rounds from two 12-gauge shotguns, rendered nearly identifiable by crime scene responders. The crime scene was so brutal and horrific that police initially thought the murder was a mob hit and early investigations mainly focused on Jose’s business rivals and a porn executive he ran into trouble with. Jose was worth nearly $14 million at the time of his death, $700,000 of which Erik and Lyle spent within 6 months of the murders.
Lyle, 21 at the time of the murder, bought a restaurant, Porsche, lots of expensive clothing, and a Rolex, while Erik bought a $50,000 tennis coach, a Jeep Wrangler, and made a $40,000 investment in a rock concert that never happened. On top of those purchases, the brothers took multiple exotic vacations, which they expected to pay off with their father’s $5 million life insurance policy. Many have grown suspicious of the brothers’ willingness to spend their late father’s fortune so quickly after his death, implying a lack of remorse.
Despite the questionable details surrounding this case, Gascon and his office colleagues truly believe that the Menendez brothers’ positive conduct and rehabilitation efforts while in prison, emphasized by defense attorney, Mark Geragos, and high-ranking prison officials, allude to their reformed character and high potential for reintegration into society. This recommendation will be passed on to the Los Angeles Superior Court where a judge will hold a hearing deciding whether or not resentencing is a viable option in terms of justice. If the bid is accepted, Erik and Lyle Menendez could become eligible for parole roughly 35 years after being sentenced to prison.
