Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón announced his support for clemency for Erik and Lyle Menendez, who are serving life sentences for killing their parents in 1989. Gascón’s decision comes after he recommended the brothers be resentenced in their murder case. The Menendez brothers have served 34 years in prison and have continued their education and worked on rehabilitation programs for inmates. They have submitted clemency requests to Governor Gavin Newsom, although there is no set timeline for review.
The brothers were initially convicted of murder and sentenced to life without parole, with defense attorneys arguing they were sexually abused by their father. Gascón filed a motion to have them resentenced to 50 years to life, potentially making them eligible for parole immediately due to their age at the time of the crimes. A hearing is scheduled for December 11.
In their clemency requests, the brothers’ attorneys detailed the sexual abuse they suffered and their efforts at rehabilitation while in prison. They emphasized the brothers’ ages and their contributions to inmate programs as reasons for clemency. The Menendez brothers shot their parents with shotguns in 1989, leading to multiple trials and a conviction for first-degree murder in 1996. Prosecutors argued the brothers were motivated by greed, aiming to inherit their parents’ fortune. Governor Newsom’s office has not commented on the clemency requests.
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