On the authority of the Los Angeles County District Attorney, their judge Nathen Hochman rejected a new trial for Erik and Lyle Menéndez, after they murdered their parents in 1989. The application filed over the brothers affirms new evidence of the neglect of their father.
He declined, but for him to come out to his conclusion for the brothers’ separate mercifulness applications and confirmed that he would address the publication for the upcoming weeks ahead of a hearing scheduled on March 20 & 21. Which would be in about 4 weeks from now. After surviving 3 decades in prison for the grim murders of their parents, Erik and Lyle have raised a multipart bid for their freedom; a merciful application, soliciting indulgence from the government of California. This is according to the habeas corpus petition from Gavin Newsom, in which Nathen is conflicting.
Even though the Menéndez brothers can still push for indulgence or commutation, on the authority from Hochman, Friday last week on
February 21st he upended the powerful momentum that had been building up in the favor under the district attorney’s predecessor, George Gascon. The Menéndez brothers’ freedom was advanced and gained new national acknowledgment from the emergence of the newly embryonic evidence and has been influential on social media with reinforcement of a documentary and fictional Netflix series that was released last year on October 7, 2024.
Back when the murders happened Lyle and Erik admitted some responsibility for killing their parents, Kitty and José Méndez, but on the controversy here they say they will not be convicted of premeditated murder. Because they had endured a lifetime of physical and unspeakable abuse by their father they believed it was only self-defense. It was a big controversy back in 1996, it was very unsettling, and they were sentenced to life without parole ever since. Their attorneys have filed a habeas corpus petition back in 2023.
A Peacock docuseries has attributed to another victim saying that he was in a very bad position by their father. The petition also recognized a letter sent from Erik Menéndez to his cousin back in 1988 that says an allusion to abuse by his father. On the authority of the attorney, it was discovered after the trial and they think it should be considered as evidence. Nathen Hochman filed the informal comment to the petition and counseled the Los Angeles County Superior Court to deny it; therefore the district attorney denied that the letter that Erik sent was confirmed as freshly new evidence, however, that accused the brothers that the letter was a false accusation, and they said they should have been aware of the letter’s appearance before trial.
“If this letter truly existed, the defense counsel would have absolutely used it at the trial because it would corroborate Erik Menéndez’s Statement”, responded Hochman.
He has been observing the case since back in December, his predecessor his name was George Gascon, and he was one who was in the defense of their resentencing request. A month ago Nathen met with the brother’s family members to hear their thoughts on if they should be released. All but one family member of the brothers supported their freedom. Many of their relatives were very disappointed with Hochman’s decision.
One of their relatives said, “The District Attorney Nathen Hochman took us right back to 1996 today. He opened the wounds we spent decades trying to heal. He didn’t listen to any of us,” he reads the disclosure from the family-led Justice for the Menéndez Brothers Alliance. “To suggest that the years of abuse couldn’t have led to the tragedy in 1989 is not only disgraceful but also menacing. Abuse does not exist in a vacuum.” The family’s alliance considered Hochman to acknowledge Erik and Lyle’s resentencing request; therefore, they were able to be qualified for parole.
On the other hand, the family’s declaration said, “They’re family for over 3 decades they lived with the weight of what the brothers underwent, the neglect that shaped their lives, that they feared that would expound their childhood and a justice system that refused to prove to them that they were victims.” Another thing they also added onto the statement. “We fought and advocated tirelessly for their freedom so that we can heal and finally keep moving forward. All we are asking for is to right this decades-long injustice.”
Hochman previously said that he is putting his decision on hold until the district attorney has completely reviewed the case. When asked for
information on Friday’s progress, his office recapitulated his current posture. They got their eyes on Hochman as he recommended the Menéndez brothers resentenced a recommendation that was confirmed and he said that he is barring on planning for the upcoming weeks. On the other hand, the major action decision relies exclusively on the evidence, facts, and other information in this case. The resentencing suggestion will weigh a number of many features; however, that would have to include the brothers’ rehabilitation endeavors in prison, which was confirmed by the district attorney.
Nathen has been investigating the case since he took office in December, bequeathed from his forerunner, Gascon, the one who promoted Erik and Lyle’s resentencing effort. George was filing, and he motioned in October last year that he recommended the Menéndez brothers would be resentenced from life in prison without parole to life in prison with parole. On the contrary, the brothers when they were 26 years old at the time when they committed the crime 35 years ago, they would immediately be permitted for youthful parole under California law, also you may be wondering what youthful parole is well it is a law that requires the parole board to give special consideration to the hallmark characteristics of youth when suggesting whether to accord parole for a particular person in prison.
On behalf of the controversy from George Gascon of the brothers, he pointed out to excavate the evidence of the neglect of José Méndez and the support of all from their relatives, but one relative of the family. Another thing he pointed out was their corrective efforts during their nearly 3 decades in prison, calling the siblings “model prisoners by all accounts.”
