District Attorney George Gascón of Los Angeles County announced his support for clemency for Lyle and Erik Menendez, who are serving life sentences for killing their parents in 1989. The brothers have submitted requests for clemency to Governor Gavin Newsom. Gascón also recommended that they be resentenced to 50 years to life, which could make them eligible for parole immediately due to their age at the time of the crimes. The brothers were convicted of murder after two trials, with most of the claims of sexual abuse by their father being deemed inadmissible in court. They have been working on rehabilitation and educational programs in prison.
The defense attorneys for the Menendez brothers argued in their clemency requests that both brothers were sexually abused by their father starting at a young age. Lyle Menendez was molested until he was 8 years old, while Erik Menendez was abused until the time of the killings. Despite being convicted of first-degree murder, the defense teams believe that the brothers have shown exemplary behavior in prison and have taken steps towards rehabilitation. The brothers shot their parents with shotguns in their Beverly Hills home, leading to trials in 1993 and 1996 where they were eventually convicted.
The Governor’s office has not commented on the clemency requests, and there is no set timeline for a decision. The Menendez brothers are currently in their 50s and have continued their education and rehabilitation efforts while in prison.
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