Brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez are both serving life sentences without parole for fatally shooting their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills homes. They were convicted in 1996 after their publicised first trial ended in a mistrial. At the time, Erik was 18, and Lyle was 21. Their case further gained attention as a series of documentaries were released, including Netflix’s controversial TV series and documentary focussed on the Menendez parents’ murders in 1989.
For the time being, the Menendez siblings’ bid for freedom has suffered another setback. This week, California Gov Gavin Newsom said that he’ll be holding off his decision on their clemency request until incoming Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman reviews the more than three decades old case, per NBC News. Hochman will take office on December 2. The DA-elect’s defeated contender, George Gascon, recommended resentencing the brothers to 50 years to life in prison.
He cited the Menendez’s good behaviour during their 35 years in the lockup. If the judge heeds this decision, they would be eligible for parole and could even be released. However, incoming Hochman said he would review the case before making any decisions.
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UPDATE: As of November 21, 11:38 AM PST, KTLA 5 reported that the highly anticipated courtroom hearing for the brothers is slated for Monday. On Thursday, the Superior Court of Los Angeles County announced that 16 seats inside the courtroom will be open to the public via a lottery. The Monday hearing is scheduled to be held at the Van Nuys Courthouse West, beginning at 10:30 am.
What Menendez Brothers’ Thanksgiving could look like this year
Either way, Erik and Lyle are spending this year’s Thanksgiving behind bars at the Richard J Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California. According to the Thanksgiving menu obtained by InTouchWeekly, the inmates will be served options like turkey or ham for the main course.
Green salad, fresh mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet corn, dinner rolls, and cranberry sauce will be served as sides. Like others, the Menendez brothers will be granted a dessert of their choice from the assortment of pies available.
The outlet also revealed that the siblings’ October lunch options included roasted chicken, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and lunch meat sandwiches. For dinner, they would get to pick from options like cheese pizza, chicken breast, fish, and beef patties. The lemon cake was the weekend special addition to their dinner.
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The focus of their case has long been on why the pair killed their parents. In the wake of Jose and Kitty’s murder, the brothers appeared to be overspending their parents’ money. Their unusual indifference to their parents’ death was scrutinised and later used against them by the prosecutors, who claimed that the killings were pre-planned. On the other hand, the brothers argued that their parents started sexually abusing them at an early age as kids. Even though Lyle testified that his father stopped assaulting him when he was 8, Erik said that their parent never stopped abusing him. He also testified that he finally told his older brother about the same days before the murders. The Menendez brothers’ side of the story has since been that they killed their parents in self-defence after suffering lifelong physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
