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District attorney requests Menendez brothers be resentenced in parents' slaying

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon is recommending that the Menendez brothers be resentenced and released from prison. Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted of killing their parents in Beverly Hills in 1989. Now, the trial was televised and drew international attention. It also inspired a number of films, TV series and also documentaries. Frank Stoltze is a civics and democracy correspondent for LAist. He's been following the developments. Frank, first remind us about this case. What was it all about?

FRANK STOLTZE, BYLINE: Sure. Erik Menendez was 18 years old, and his brother Lyle was 21, when they killed their parents with shotguns as they were watching TV one night. At first, police believed their story that intruders committed the crime, that they merely came home and found their parents dead. But when the brothers went on a lavish spending spree with their parents' money, buying a Rolex watch and Porsche car, investigators became suspicious. They ended up arresting them for the killings. Their case burst back into the spotlight this year when it was the subject of a documentary and of a crime drama by Ryan Murphy on Netflix.

MARTÍNEZ: Now, Menendez brothers filed a petition about their case in 2023, citing new evidence that contributed to this decision. What was that new evidence?

STOLTZE: Yes. There was new evidence supporting the allegation of sexual abuse by their father that Gascon had been reviewing. Some of that came to light in a Peacock documentary from 2023. In it, Roy Rossello, a member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo made his own allegation, which was taken to help corroborate the Menendez brothers' accusations. And around the same time, A, there was also the revelation of a letter from Erik Menendez to a cousin documenting the alleged abuse. All along, the brothers have said they did it because of their father's sexual abuse of them and a fear that their father was going to kill them. While not condoning the murder, Gascon said it's important to understand the brothers' desperation as victims of their father's sexual abuse.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GEORGE GASCON: They have been in prison for nearly 35 years. I believe that they have paid their debt to society.

STOLTZE: Gascon is recommending the brothers be immediately eligible for parole. Because they committed the crimes when they were under 26 years old, California's youthful offender law would make them immediately eligible for parole if they get resentenced.

MARTÍNEZ: So what a turn of events there. Was this a surprising move by George Gascon?

STOLTZE: No, not at all. George Gascon is one of the nation's most progressive prosecutors. He sought the resentencing of more than 300 people during his four years in office. Gascon did note that not everyone in his office agreed with his decision. Some believe the brothers should remain in prison.

MARTÍNEZ: What about reaction from the Menendez family?

STOLTZE: Well, about a half a dozen of them were at the press conference and thanked Gascon, including the Menendez cousin, Joan VanderMolen (ph).

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

KAREN VANDERMOLEN: This decision is not just a legal matter. It is a recognition of the abuse my cousins endured.

STOLTZE: Not all members of the Menendez family want to see the brothers, now 53 and 56 years old, released. Their mother's brother, Milton Andersen wants them to stay in prison. His attorney described the brothers' act as, quote, "cold-blooded murder." A judge will decide whether to resentence the brothers, and a parole board will decide whether they'll be released. And all of that, A, could take months.

MARTÍNEZ: All right. That's Frank Stoltze of member station LAist in Los Angeles. Frank thanks.

STOLTZE: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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Frank Stoltze
A Martínez
A Martínez is one of the hosts of Morning Edition and Up First. He came to NPR in 2021 and is based out of NPR West.