The Menendez Brothers Case

By Sophie Planos

    The documentary ¨Monsters The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story¨ was released on Netflix on September 17, 2024, launching at the top of Netflix. The case has blown up, with everybody talking and posting about it and demanding justice for the brothers on several social media sites, specifically TikTok. At the beginning of October, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced at a news conference at the Hall of Justice in Los Angeles. That his office was reexamining evidence. He quotes ¨ I believe that they have paid their debt to society.¨ According to the New York Times, ¨It is not clear when a Los Angeles Superior Court judge will decide on the resentencing request. If a judge agrees with Mr. Gascón, the brothers would have to appear before a parole board. But the reviews by the court and the parole board could take many more weeks, and the brothers’ release is far from guaranteed.¨ The brothers asked the court to vacate their conviction, which resulted in life in prison without the possibility of parole, in a petition filed back in May. Gascon states that there's no doubt the brothers killed the parents, considering they admitted to it, although he says his office has a ¨moral and ethical obligation¨ to review the evidence. He also added that there can be several options for how prosecutors tackle the Menendez case, including seeking a new sentence, release from prison, or a new trial. Kim Kardashian, a businesswoman, reality star, and criminal justice advocate has also stepped forward about the case. She wrote in her essay ¨ I have spent time with Lyle and Erik; they are not monsters. They are kind, intelligent, and honest men.¨ She visited the two in prison over a month ago, and she wrote that she doesn't excuse their crimes or their actions afterward, but believes the men, now in their 50s, deserve freedom. She stated ¨Had this crime been committed and trialed today, I believe the outcome would have been dramatically different. I also strongly believe that they were denied a fair second trial and that the exclusion of crucial abuse evidence denied Erik and Lyle the opportunity to fully present their case, further undermining the fairness of their conviction.