Lyle and Erik Menendez have found themselves back in the spotlight due to Ryan Murphy’s new Netflix series about their infamous case.
Kim Kardashian is using her platform to advocate for their release, while Los Angeles D.A. George Gascón is considering whether to grant them freedom. The brothers’ situation has unexpectedly become a significant topic in the L.A. D.A. race.
However, two Change.org petitions, which have together gathered nearly 500,000 signatures, have shifted public perspective, highlighting how public opinion is leaning toward the Menendez brothers, who were sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for the murder of their parents.
The primary petition, advocating for a new trial, has attracted over 402,000 supporters. It claims, “The original trial contained information, evidence, and testimonies that caused a mistrial.” It further asserts that the second trial disregarded crucial evidence related to the brothers’ experiences of child sexual abuse, undermining the final prosecution.
This petition urges a retrial based on new evidence, including the brothers’ abuse claims and the legal reforms enabled by California’s AB593 legislation. A hearing scheduled for November 29, where L.A. County prosecutors will evaluate new evidence, has intensified the supporters’ push.
The second petition goes a step further, calling for the brothers’ outright release, and has gathered nearly 72,000 signatures. It states, “The law only acknowledged their acts of murder, failing to consider the abuse and suffering that led to those actions. This was injustice, but it’s not over; let’s correct the grave wrong done to the Menendez brothers and ensure that such abuse is never tolerated again.”
