Judge to decide today if new evidence can reopen Menendez brothers’ case.
A U.S. judge is set to rule on whether new evidence merits a review of Erik and Lyle Menendez’s convictions for the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in Beverly Hills. The brothers, sentenced to life without parole, have long claimed they killed in self-defense after enduring years of sexual abuse by their father. Prosecutors, however, argued the murders were financially motivated.
At ages 53 and 56, Erik and Lyle are seeking freedom through a habeas corpus petition filed in May 2023, citing previously unknown evidence of abuse. “Newly discovered evidence directly supports the defense presented at trial,” the petition states.
The case has regained public attention through the Netflix series Monsters: Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and the 2024 documentary The Menendez Brothers. Recent evidence includes a 1988 letter Erik wrote to his uncle, describing the abuse, and claims by Roy Rossello, a former Menudo member, who alleges he was sexually abused by Jose Menendez.
Prosecutors recently recommended resentencing, citing the brothers’ rehabilitation and good behavior, which could make them eligible for parole. However, attorneys for Kitty Menendez’s brother oppose this, asserting, “The evidence remains overwhelmingly clear: the jury’s verdict was just.”
Judge Michael Jesic will first address the new evidence on Monday, ahead of a resentencing hearing on December 11. If the court offers no relief, the brothers could appeal to California’s governor, though Governor Gavin Newsom has deferred action until Los Angeles’s incoming district attorney reviews the case.
