Prosecutors to review one of America's famed TV murder convictions
One of America's most famous televised murder convictions is under review by the top prosecutor of Los Angeles County.
According to the Los Angeles Times, George Gascón, the district attorney, is re-investigating the decades-old case of Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were convicted of the 1989 killing their parents, Jose and Kitty, in their Beverly Hills home and subsequently given life in prison.
It was one of the first such cases to be heavily televised, laying the groundwork for other such media sensationalized trials such as the murder cases against O.J. Simpson, who was acquitted, and Alex Murdaugh, who was found guilty. The case was popularized again recently by a Netflix documentary.
Prosecutors at the time "presented the brothers as greedy, coldblooded killers, interested in having unfettered access to their parents’ assets, which were valued at about $14 million. Defense lawyers for the brothers argued that they had been sexually molested for years by their father, and had killed out of fear," noted Tim Arango and Matt Stevens.
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While the defense was not successful, last year, new evidence emerged supporting the idea that the Menendez brothers were sexually abused by their father.
Gascón did not tell reporters whether he believed the case was mishandled but disclosed the abuse allegations are part of his review.
"In their court filings, lawyers for the Menendez brothers, argued that in 2024 'there is an evolved understanding of sexual abuse.' They submitted a letter in which two dozen family members, including Kitty’s sister and Jose’s sister, called for resentencing, saying that 'time has provided perspective' and 'continued incarceration serves no rehabilitative purpose,'" noted the report.
Some family members do not want them released, including Kitty's brother Milton Anderson, who said, "They do not deserve to walk on the face of this earth."