Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were convicted of murdering their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in 1989, made an audio appearance in a Los Angeles courtroom as their aunts urged a judge to consider their release. The brothers, now in their 50s, are serving life sentences without parole for the killings.

Los Angeles County Judge Michael Jesic postponed further action on the case, moving a planned December hearing to late January. “I’m not ready to go forward,” Jesic said, explaining he had 17 boxes of documents to review. He also deferred to the incoming district attorney, Nathan Hochman, saying, “Out of respect for the new administration, I want them to have their say.”

Kitty Menendez’s sister, Joan Andersen VanderMolen, testified emotionally about the alleged abuse the brothers endured at the hands of their father. “No child should have to endure what Erik and Lyle lived through at the hands of their father,” she said. “It breaks my heart that my sister Kitty knew what was happening and did nothing about it.” She added, “It’s time for them to come home. No child should have to live day by day [wondering] if that night, their dad would come and rape them.”

José Menendez’s sister, Teresita Baralt, also supported the brothers’ release. Fighting back tears, Baralt said, “We miss those that are gone, tremendously, but we miss the kids too. Thirty-five years, it’s a long time [to be in prison]. They have done a lot of good things. They went to college. They could have done a lot of bad things [while incarcerated]. They didn’t.”

Baralt testified about the challenges of visiting the brothers in prison and shared memories of their upbringing. “I would like to be able to see them and hug them, not in the jail,” she said.

Outgoing District Attorney George Gascón recommended resentencing in October, citing evidence supporting the brothers’ claims of sexual abuse by their father. Gascón also highlighted their exemplary behavior during decades of incarceration.

The case has taken on new complexity with Hochman’s recent election as DA. Hochman has signaled he wants to conduct his own review before deciding whether to support resentencing.

During their first trial, the brothers claimed they killed their parents out of fear after years of sexual and emotional abuse. Prosecutors, however, alleged the killings were motivated by greed.

Key testimony from their cousin, Diane VanderMolen, about Lyle’s childhood fear of his father was excluded from their second trial. The brothers were convicted of first-degree murder in 1995 and sentenced to life without parole.

While many family members have publicly supported the brothers’ release, not everyone agrees. Kitty Menendez’s brother, Milton Andersen, filed a statement opposing resentencing. “After 30 years of my continuing efforts to keep those two in prison, I am sure they hate me and my two sons as well. My fear of these two killers is something real and should be considered,” Andersen wrote.

During the hearing, VanderMolen dismissed Andersen’s objections, calling him an outlier. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” she said.

What’s Next?

If Hochman supports resentencing, the brothers could become eligible for parole, leaving the decision in the hands of California’s parole board and ultimately Governor Gavin Newsom. Newsom has stated he will wait for Hochman’s recommendation before making any decision on clemency.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for late January, where the Menendez brothers’ future may become clearer.

#MenendezBrothers #Resentencing #LyleMenendez #ErikMenendez #FamilyTestimony #SexualAbuseClaims #TrueCrime

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