Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón has announced his support for clemency requests for Lyle and Erik Menendez, who are serving life sentences for killing their parents in 1989. Gascón’s support for clemency comes shortly after recommending that they be resentenced in their murder case. The brothers, who were convicted of murder and sentenced to life without parole, have served 34 years and have been involved in educational and rehabilitation programs. Attorneys for the brothers have submitted clemency requests to California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Clemency would lead to the immediate release of the brothers, who were convicted of murdering their parents with shotguns in their Beverly Hills home. Defense attorneys argued that the brothers were motivated by sexual abuse from their father, which was mostly deemed inadmissible in court. Gascón’s resentencing recommendation could make the brothers eligible for parole immediately.
The brothers have been described as exemplary candidates for clemency due to their rehabilitation efforts, educational achievements, and their ages. Lyle Menendez is 56 and Erik Menendez is 53. Both have worked to rehabilitate themselves and have earned degrees while creating programs to help fellow inmates. A Superior Court judge will decide whether the brothers should be resentenced, with a hearing scheduled for December 11.
The brothers’ initial televised trial was a major media sensation, with prosecutors arguing that they were motivated by greed and killed their parents to inherit a fortune. The brothers were first tried in 1993, resulting in mistrials, and then convicted of first-degree murder in 1996.
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