LA DA will examine new evidence in the Menendez brothers’ murder case

Progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said his office will review what he says is new evidence that Erik and Lyle Menendez may have been abused, which could lead to their sentences being reevaluated in a case that has garnered even more media attention 30 years after they killed their parents.

Gascon said he has not yet made a decision on the matter.

“None of this information has been confirmed,” he said, citing the new evidence.

“We are not ready to say at this point whether we either believe or disbelieve this information,” Gascon told reporters at a news conference. “But we are here to tell you that we have a moral and ethical obligation to consider what is presented to us and make a decision.”

Menendez brother who shot his parents slams new show for ‘dishonest portrayal’

Joseph Lyle Menendez, 56, and Erik, 53, were convicted of shooting their parents, Jose and Mary “Kitty” Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. Kitty Menendez was killed after she was shot and the brother reloaded before firing the final blow, prosecutors said.

After a mistrial, the two were convicted of the murders in a second trial and sentenced to life in prison in 1996.

However, they have recently been calling for a reduction in sentences. Both are currently being held at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.

The case attracted significant media attention because of the family’s wealth – Jose Menendez was an entertainment executive – and the nature of the crime.

At first there were theories that the murders were the work of the mafia.

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The brothers eventually admitted to committing the murders, but said they had been repeatedly sexually abused by their father and feared for their lives. They have repeatedly appealed their convictions.

The new evidence includes a letter one of the brothers sent to a family member in which he allegedly “talked about being a victim of harassment,” Gascon said. Additional evidence presented to the prosecution by defense attorneys alleges that a member of the popular 1980s Puerto Rican boy band Menudo was sexually abused by Jose Menendez.

Prosecutors argued there was no evidence the couple were abused but committed the murder because they were after their parents’ multimillion-dollar estate.

They were motivated by greed, prosecutors said, pointing to their lavish spending sprees after the murders. Defense attorneys argued the couple were abused by their father and killed their parents in self-defense.

A new eight-parter Netflix true crime drama, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” has sparked renewed interest in the case.

Tammy Menendez, wife of Erik Menendez, called the show different from women in a statement.

A year ago, the brothers filed a writ of habeas corpus asking the court to overturn their 1996 conviction. It cited the Peacock documentary “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed,” in which Roy Roselló, a former member of Menudo, alleged that Jose Menendez drugged and raped him.

The brothers said the new allegations bolstered their claims of self-defense after years of abuse at the hands of their parents. In the nearly three decades that have passed since her conviction, Gascon believes that if the case had taken place in the present, he believes sexual assault would have been treated more sensitively.

He said his office will review new evidence and decide whether the case should be considered for resentencing. A hearing was scheduled for November 29th.

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Gascón, who is seeking re-election after two failed recall attempts because of his progressive criminal justice policies, noted that during his time in office more than 300 people have been re-convicted and only four have re-committed crimes.