Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated on Monday that Lyle and Erik Menendez must fully admit to past lies about the shotgun murder of their parents 35 years ago before he would support their release. Hochman emphasized that their path to potential freedom requires them to completely acknowledge their crimes and the falsehoods they previously told.
The Menendez brothers were convicted in 1996 of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole for the 1989 killings of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, at their Beverly Hills home. Their case gained national attention due to their privileged background as the sons of a music and entertainment executive. At the time of the murders, Lyle was 21 and Erik was 18; they are now 57 and 54.
A recent Netflix documentary introduced new evidence suggesting they had been sexually abused by their parents, leading former District Attorney George Gascon to advocate for resentencing them to a lesser charge and supporting their release. However, Hochman, who replaced Gascon in November, opposes leniency. He plans to proceed with a resentencing hearing on March 20-21 but will ask the judge to revoke Gascon’s request for a reduced sentence.
Defense attorney Mark Geragos criticized Hochman’s stance, arguing that the brothers had already acknowledged their lies during extensive cross-examinations. Geragos believes prosecutors should focus on their rehabilitation rather than revisiting the original trials.
Hochman also questioned the abuse allegations and noted that the Menendez brothers have only admitted to four of 20 lies they previously told to cover up the crime. Initially, they denied involvement, staging the murder as a mob hit, but later confessed, claiming self-defense. Their first trial ended in a hung jury, but they were convicted after a second trial.
Some members of the Menendez family, including Jose and Kitty’s sisters, support their release, though Kitty’s late brother, Milton Anderson, had consistently opposed it. Meanwhile, Governor Gavin Newsom has asked the parole board to evaluate whether the brothers would pose a public safety risk if freed.
