The latest updates on Lyle and Erik Menendez's murder case, as LA's top prosecutor recommends the brothers be resentenced with parole

• Netflix has released a existent crime play and a documentary astir nan Menendez brothers' high-profile '90s trial.
• But some projects time off retired 2 caller pieces of grounds that were made nationalist successful 2023.
• On Thursday, nan Los Angeles DA recommended that nan brothers beryllium resentenced pinch nan action of parole.

Netflix has released some a existent crime play and a documentary astir brothers Erik Menendez and Lyle Menendez, who killed their parents successful 1989. But neither mentions caller grounds that nan brace are utilizing to entreaty their life sentences.

The brothers were sentenced without parole successful 1996 for murdering José Menendez and Kitty Menendez, but decades later audiences are still obsessed pinch their story, motivating Hollywood and streamers to find caller ways to show it.

The play "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story" was an instant deed erstwhile Netflix released it successful September, and stayed astatine nan apical of nan most-watched floor plan for 2 weeks.

This was followed successful October by nan merchandise of "The Menendez Brothers," a caller documentary astir nan trial, which features caller interviews pinch nan pair. A title paper astatine nan extremity of nan documentary concisely mentions that nan brothers revenge a habeas corpus petition successful May 2023 to vacate their execution convictions.

Here's what to cognize astir nan petition.

Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez's attorneys judge caller grounds could beryllium their begetter abused them

The brothers admitted to sidesplitting their parents earlier their first trial, truthful nan assemblage was tasked pinch knowing why.

While nan prosecution based on nan brace wanted their parents' money, nan brothers claimed that they acted successful self-defense because their begetter physically and sexually abused them, enabled by their mother. They said they feared their begetter would yet termination them.

The brothers' first proceedings ended successful 1994 pinch a hung jury. In nan 2nd trial, Judge Stanley M. Weisberg made respective changes, including limiting testimonies related to nan brothers' maltreatment claims, and removing nan jury's action of voting connected a manslaughter charge. The jury's had to determine whether nan brothers were blameworthy aliases not blameworthy of murder, and chose nan former.

The brothers' entreaty petition revenge past year, which journalist Robert Rand, who has reported connected their lawsuit since nan '90s, shared connected X, includes a letter Erik Menendez sent to his relative Andy Cano a twelvemonth earlier nan murders. In nan letter, he writes that he is avoiding his begetter and alludes to being acrophobic of him.

The petition besides includes a declaration from Roy Roselló, a erstwhile personnel of nan boyband Menudo, who was signed to nan grounds explanation wherever José Menendez was an executive. He claimed José Menendez drugged and raped him erstwhile he was a teenager, and made him execute intersexual acts connected 2 different occasions.

The brothers' lawyer hopes this will beryllium they were defending themselves against maltreatment to get nan lesser complaint of manslaughter.

The creators of "Monsters" and "The Menendez Brothers" didn't want to get progressive successful nan case

This caller grounds was released partway done nan accumulation of "Monsters" and "The Menendez Brothers," which whitethorn explicate why it wasn't included.

"The Menendez Brothers" producers Ross Dinerstein and Rebecca Evans told The Hollywood Reporter successful early October that they worked connected nan documentary for 4 years and wrapped shooting successful 2023.

Evans said: "The habeas was revenge successful 2023, and truthful for us, erstwhile we were making nan documentary, we felt like, we're not present to litigate a case. We're not present to coming evidence, aliases caller grounds successful that way, alongside nan attorneys. Our emotion was that this was a communicative that took spot then, and this was each of our investigation connected it."

"Monsters" was besides apt written earlier May 2023, moreover though nan accumulation was delayed owed to nan writers and actors onslaught successful 2023.

"Monsters" co-creator Ryan Murphy told Variety successful September: "I judge successful justice, but I don't judge successful being a portion of that machine. That's not my job. My occupation arsenic an creator was to show a position successful a peculiar story."

He added that nan bid was "the champion point that has happened to nan Menendez brothers successful 30 years" because it rekindled nationalist liking successful their case.

But Laurie L. Levenson, a professor of rule astatine Loyola Law School successful Los Angeles, antecedently told Business Insider that a existent crime bid must coming coagulated grounds to make a quality successful a courtroom.

"In position of it being nan champion point that ever happened, only if it leads to grounds to really overturn nan case, which I still deliberation is simply a existent upward battle," she said.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney has begun a process to resentence nan brothers

On October 3, George Gascón, nan Los Angeles County District Attorney, told a property convention that his agency was reviewing nan brothers' case.

Later successful October, nan LA County District Attorney's agency told Business Insider via email that nan "process was already underway" earlier "Monsters" premiered, and a proceeding was group for November 29.

On October 24, Gascón told a property convention that he had moved nan determination day because his agency was "flooded pinch requests for information" aft "Monsters" premiered.

"I decided to move this guardant because, rather frankly, we did not person capable resources to grip each their requests, and 1 of nan things that I thrive to do successful this agency is to beryllium very transparent successful everything that we do," he said.

Gascón said that he would urge nan brothers beryllium sentenced to 50 years to life and beryllium eligible for parole immediately.

"I came to a spot wherever I judge that nether nan law, resentencing is appropriate, and I americium going to urge that to a tribunal tomorrow," Gascon said.

Gascón said it was correct nan brothers were convicted of murder, but that he believed they had been rehabilitated successful prison.

The lawsuit will beryllium heard successful tribunal wherever a judge will determine whether to travel Gascon's recommendation. If nan brothers are resentenced, they will person to look earlier a parole committee to reason their lawsuit to beryllium freed.

This could spot nan brothers retreat nan petition and judge nan resentencing. Alternatively, they could proceed to prosecute their lawsuit to vacate their sentences entirely.

Gascón told CNN that he disagreed pinch nan petition's statement and thought resentencing was much appropriate.

"I deliberation that nan condemnation was due fixed what was there," Gascón said.