Back in the news withRyan MurphysNetflixhitMonsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the siblings sordid decades-old murder case today found itself in the spotlight again thanks to the Los Angeles County District Attorney.
Offering no insight or judgment on evidence from the Menendez brothers and a habeas petition for resentencing, DA George Gascon strode in front of the microphones Thursday to declare his office is reviewing the case.
Were not saying that there was anything wrong with the original trial, the re-election-seeking Gascon added, noting that the DAs office has been given evidence on the 1989 killings of Jose and Kitty Menendez by their sons.
Lyle and Erik Menendez in court in March 1996
The politically embattled DAs time in front of the cameras today occurred just as criminal justice advocate and frequent Ryan Murphy collaboratorKim Kardashianreleased a letter to NBC News asking that Erik andLyle Menendezs life sentences are reconsidered.
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A November 29 hearing has been set on the petition by brothers Erik, 55, and Lyle, 56, that they were the subject of sexual abuse by their music industry exec father, as was at least one member of the boy band Menudo.
Depending on the outcome of that hearing and any self-declared final decision by Gascon, the brothers could be freed or go through a new trial 35 years after the shotgun murders of their parents.
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We are not, at this point, ready to say that we are of the belief or do not believe that information, said DA Gascon in the abruptly called press conference Thursday.
But were here to tell you is that we have a moral and an ethical obligation to review what is being presented to us and make a determination based on a resentencing side, whether they deserve to be resentenced, even though they were clearly the murderers.
After a televised and media-frenzied initial trial ended with deadlocked juries in early 1994, both brothers were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Since then, a plethora of books, articles, true-crime shows and films have re-examined and relitigated the case.
Most recently, the Peacock seriesMenendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayedreopened the sexual abuse allegations and widened the scope of Jose Menendezs alleged crimes.
Refusing to be pinned down on what could happen next and the validity of the new-ish evidence, Gascon said this afternoon that he was not here to make judgment of that, but there is no question that today there would have been a greater level of sensitivity to the way the case was looked at.
Grabbing the medias attention today, Gascons presser came as the incumbent DA, who is struggling in the polls, prepares for an October 8 debate with challenger Nathan Hochman.
At present, extremely well-financed ex-U.S. Assistant Attorney General Hochman holds a double-digit lead over Gascon heading into next months election.
Still, as today made clear, former San Francisco Police chief and Bay Area DA Gascon is very media savvy.
That skill was deftly on display in his rebuffing of both attempts to recall him since taking office in 2020.
