The hearing to consider a new sentencing in the case of brothers Erik and Lyle Menéndez has been postponed again and is now scheduled for April 17 and 18 in a Los Angeles County court, California, USA. This controversial case gained global attention due to a Netflix miniseries released last year. The hearing was previously postponed in January because of the devastating fires affecting Los Angeles at that time.
The Menéndez brothers will have to wait another month to find out if there are possibilities of reducing or reevaluating their life sentences without parole. The latest postponement came shortly after Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman withdrew his support for a motion for a new sentencing.
This hearing aims to pave the way for changing the convictions and prison sentences for the murder of their parents in 1989, following the emergence of newly discovered evidence indicating that both were victims of childhood sexual abuse by their father, José Menéndez. Among this evidence is a letter written by Erik Menéndez admitting to being a victim of abuse, as well as testimony from an employee of their father's company who claims to have been abused by José Menéndez.
Before the hearings before Judge Michael Jesic of the Los Angeles Superior Court, a hearing will be held on April 11 to discuss the prosecutor's decision to withdraw the motion for a new sentencing. Additionally, California Governor Gavin Newsom mentioned that the Menéndez brothers will appear individually before the parole board on June 13.
Convicted in 1996 to life in prison for the shooting murder of their parents in 1989, the Menéndez brothers have once again become a topic of public interest six months ago. After 35 years in prison, the Netflix series "Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menéndez," along with a documentary, has caught the attention of a new generation discussing the previous perception of the Menéndez brothers as ruthless killers.
