Erik and Lyle Menendez are now eligible for parole because they spent 35 years in prison after murdering two parents.
The brothers appeared in the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, and Judge Michael Jesic reduced their sentences to 50 years from those without parole.
This change means they are immediately eligible to apply for parole under the California Young Criminal Law because they committed crimes under the age of 26.
The brothers were ordered to spend the rest of their lives in prison in 1996 as they fatally shot the entertainment executive father Jose Menendez and mother Kitty Menendez at home in Beverly Hills.
The brothers were 18 and 21 when they killed people.
Defense attorneys argued that the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, and prosecutors said the brothers killed their parents with millions of dollars in inheritance.
The National Parole Board still has to decide whether to release it from prison.
“I’m not saying they should be released, it’s not my decision,” Jesus said. “I do believe they have done enough in the last 35 years and should have a chance.”
Erik and Lyle Menendez are eligible for parole after being imprisoned for 35 years for murdering their parents. They took a photo together here in December 1992
The two received education after jail and became model prisoners
The brothers received widespread support from relatives, many of whom testified on their behalf on Tuesday. Some say that the two are “universally forgiven by the family” for their actions.
Lyle told the court: “Today, 35 years later, I feel ashamed of who I am.” “I killed my mom and dad. I have no excuses, no reason. The impact of my violence on my family is incredible. ”
The defense first called Erik and Lyle’s cousin Ana Maria Baralt, who testified that the brothers repeatedly expressed remorse for their actions.
“We all believe 35 years is enough on both sides of the family,” Bharat said. “They are generally forgiven by our families.”
Another cousin, Tamara Goodell, said she recently brought her 13-year-old son to meet with her brother in prison and if released, they will contribute a lot to the world.
Hernandez, who also testified at the first trial of Erik and Lyle, talked about the abuse she witnessed in the Menendez family while living with the Menendez family, and the so-called “corridor rule.”
“When Jose is with a boy… you can’t even go up the stairs on the same floor,” Hernandez said of his father.
Last fall, former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón opened the door for the brothers by asking the judge to reduce the sentence.
Relatives of the Menendez brothers arrived in court and provided support in resentment
The brothers appeared in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, and Judge Michael Jesic reduced their sentence from a sentence without parole to 50 years
Jose and Kitty (pictured) were killed in Beverly Hills mansion in 1989
The Gascon’s office said that due to modern understanding of sexual abuse and trauma and the brothers’ recovery in 30 years of prison, today’s cases will be different.
Gascón’s petition for resentment highlights the brothers’ achievements and recovery.
Since their conviction, the brothers have been educated, attended self-help classes, and set up various support groups for their inmates.
But current District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Tuesday he believes the brothers are not ready to comply with the charges because “they are not clean about the crime.”
His office also said it was not believed they were sexually abused.
“Our position is not “no”, not “never”, it is not “not yet”. “They are not fully accepting responsibility for all crimes.” ”
On August 20, 1989, the two brothers shot and killed two parents while watching a movie at a luxury home in Beverly Hills.
Their trial prompted global headlines. Their motive was greedy because they immediately inherited $14 million from their parents, prosecutors said.
Da Hochman argued: “The previous DA’s motion did not review or consider whether the Menendez brothers showed full insight and took full responsibility for their crimes by continuing to lie about their self-defense claims for 30 years.
A creepy crime scene photo shows Jose Menendez’s bloody sofa shot
The brothers insisted that they sexually abused their father with a father for many years, while the mother turned a blind eye to the abuse.
The first trial ended with an open jury. But, in the second trial in 1996 – the judge refused to allow any evidence that the fraternity was harassed by his father – they were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
The recent Netflix TV series Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez and The Real Crime Documentary The Menendez Brothers have sparked new interest in the case.
Both films explain how the brothers claimed to police that they returned home from the theater and found their parents slaughtered.
Initially, there was concern that a vicious killer was in lenient state in Beverly Hills, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the United States.
But police transferred their suspicions to Lyle and Eric shortly after their parents died.
Lyle bought a Porsche Carrera, Rolex watches and two restaurants, while his brother hired a full-time tennis coach to start the game.
Seven months after the murder, they spent $700,000 between the death of their parents and the arrest in March 1990.
Erik – who said his father began to abuse him from the age of six to 12 – insisted in the new documentary that it was “ridiculous”, suggesting he had a great time immediately after the murder.
“It’s all about covering up the terrible pain of not wanting to live,” he said.
“One thing that stops me from committing suicide is that I will lose my father altogether.”
