Menendez brothers resentencing: Timeline of killers' fight over freedom in parents' murders
After the bombshell Tuesday news that convicted killers Erik and Lyle Mendendez have been resentenced to 50 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole, the future for the brothers still remains uncertain.
The pair, who admitted to killing their parents, Mary "Kitty" and Jose Menendez, in a bloody 1989 shotgun massacre inside their Beverly Hills home, maintained that their actions were self-defense stemming from a lifetime of physical and sexual abuse by their parents until Tuesday's resentencing hearing.
Below is a timeline of how we've reached this point in their resentencing bid, and what could happen next:
March 2023: Attorneys for the brothers ask the Los Angeles County District Court to reconsider their convictions and sentencing in light of a new affidavit claiming Jose Menendez raped a 14-year-old boy in 1983 or 1984.
The claimant was Roy Russello, a member of the boy band Menudo, who made the rape claim against the former record executive at age 54.
He said that he went to the Menendez home and drank a glass of wine, then lost control of his body before Jose raped him.
Sept. 2024: The Menendez family defends the brothers against the "dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime" in a Netflix documentary called "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story."
Sept. 27, 2024: The Menendez family calls for the brothers' release.
"We are virtually the entire extended family of Erik and Lyle Menendez. We are 24 strong and today we want the world to know we support Erik and Lyle," their family wrote in a statement that Erik's wife, Tammi Menendez, posted to X in response to the Netflix docuseries. "We individually and collectively pray for their release after being imprisoned for 35 years. We know them, love them, and want them home with us."
Oct. 4, 2024: Then-Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announces that he is reviewing evidence in the case.
Oct. 14, 2024: Gascon announces that he has found new evidence that affects the brothers' case.
That evidence came in the form of a letter allegedly written by Erik to his cousin, Andy Cano, eight months before the double-homicide, claiming that Jose was continually raping his sons.
Oct. 16, 2024: Multiple generations of the Menendez family hold a news conference asking for the brothers' release.
Oct. 25, 2024: Gascón asks the court to resentence the brothers.
"After very careful review of all the arguments… I came to a place where I believe that, under the law, resentencing is appropriate, and I am going to recommend that to a court tomorrow," Gascon said at the time.
Oct. 31, 2024: The brothers' attorney, Mark Geragos, files a request for clemency from Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Nov. 5, 2024: Nathan Hochman defeats Gascón in the general election for Los Angeles County District Attorney.
Nov. 19, 2024: Newsom says he won't make a clemency decision until Hochman has had time to review the case.
"The Governor respects the role of the District Attorney in ensuring justice is served and recognizes that voters have entrusted District Attorney-elect Hochman to carry out this responsibility," Newsom's office said in a statement. "The Governor will defer to the DA-elect's review and analysis of the Menendez case prior to making any clemency decisions."
Nov. 25, 2024: Judge Michael Jesic delays the brothers' resentencing hearing until Jan. 30, 2025.
Jan. 3, 2025: Hochman meets with the Menendez family.
"As we prepare to meet with DA Hochman, our family is hopeful for an open and fair discussion," the family said in a statement at the time. "Despite the abuse they endured as children and the unfairness of their current sentence, Erik and Lyle Menendez have spent the last three decades taking responsibility for their actions and contributing positively to their community through leadership and rehabilitation."
Jan. 18, 2025: The brothers' resentencing trial is postponed due to the extreme and destructive Los Angeles wildfires.
The new hearing was scheduled for March 20–21.
Feb. 26, 2025: Newsom announces that he has directed the state parole board to conduct a "comprehensive risk assessment investigation" of the Menendez brothers in response to their request for clemency.
March 10, 2025: Hochman asks the court to withdraw Gascón's motion to free the brothers.
"As a full examination of the record reveals, the Menendez brothers have never come clean and admitted that they lied about their self-defense as well as suborned perjury and attempted to suborn perjury by their friends for the lies, among others, of their father violently raping Lyle's girlfriend, their mother poisoning the family, and their attempt to get a handgun the day before the murders," Hochman's motion said.
March 11, 2025: Newsom sets June 13 parole board hearings for the brothers in their bid for clemency.
March 20, 2025: The resentencing hearing is again postponed, this time until April 18-19.
April 11, 2025: Jesic denies Hochman's motion to quash the brothers' resentencing hearing.
April 14, 2025: Jesic denies Hochman's motion to withdraw a petition by the brothers for a new trial, and Terry Baralt, the 85-year-old aunt of Erik and Lyle is hospitalized after fainting at the court hearing.
Prosecutors were accused of showing unredacted crime scene photos to the court without prior notice to the family, leading to Baralt's medical emergency.
Hochman's office later apologized.
"To the extent that the photographic depiction of this conduct upset any of the Menendez family members present in court, we apologize for not giving prior warning that the conduct would be described in detail not only in words but also through a crime scene photo," his office said.
April 18, 2025: The resentencing hearing is postponed until May 9 to address two motions in the case: whether Hochman's office should be punished for showing the graphic photos, and whether it could cite the parole board's comprehensive risk assessment in its arguments.
April 28, 2025: Geragos files a motion attempting to disqualify Hochman from the case over an alleged conflict of interest regarding members of his office who opposed the brothers' resentencing.
May 9, 2025: Jesic denies Hochman's request to withdraw the March 10 motion in which he asked the court to drop Gascón's attempt to free the brothers.
Jesic also denies Geragos' attempt to withdraw his own April 28 motion to disqualify Hochman. Geragos said he wanted to withdraw the motion because he "did not want to waste any more time" and wanted to move forward with the resentencing process.
May 14, 2025: Jesic resentences Erik and Lyle to 50 years in prison with the possibility of parole.
The brothers have spent 35 years behind bars.
At the hearing, they expressed remorse for killing their parents during the hearing, and took full responsibility for their actions, which Hochman previously demanded as a condition of their resentencing.
"I take full responsibility. I killed my parents. I made the choice to kill my mom and dad in their own home," Lyle said. "I made the choice to make a mockery of the justice system. I offer no excuse and I don't blame my parents. I'm deeply ashamed for what I did."
Erik then spoke.
"I have profound sorrow for the tragedy I created," he said. "I took the lives of my mom and dad. My actions were criminal, cruel, and cowardly. I have no excuse or justification for what I did and I was the one who convinced Lyle we couldn't escape."
"I fired all five rounds at my parents and went back to reload. I lied to police. I lied to my family. I'm truly sorry," he said. "This crime should have never happened. I know my parents should be alive and aren't because of me."
Newsom's June 13 parole board hearings are planned to go on as scheduled, and the board will have the opportunity to free the brothers.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Erik and Lyle Menendez "will likely be freed in a matter of months," adding that he does not expect "the parole board or Governor Newsom" to block their release.
Clemency from Newsom is also still a possibility.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Harvey Weinstein Says He Has ‘Regrets' and ‘Acted Immorally' Ahead of New York Retrial Verdict: ‘But Never Illegal, Never Criminal'
Harvey Weinstein gave a rare interview as he awaits the verdict in his New York sex crimes retrial, saying that he has 'regrets' that he 'acted immorally' but claiming that it was 'never illegal.' In an exclusive phone conversation on Fox 5's 'Good Day New York,' anchor Rosanna Scotto asked the former Hollywood producer and convicted sex offender what he thought of the women who had testified against him, and if he has any regrets. 'I think Arthur said they had 4 million reasons to testify, as in dollars,' Weinstein said, referring to his lawyer Arthur Aidala. More from Variety Harvey Weinstein's New York Retrial Closes With Prosecutors Urging Jury to 'Let Him Know the Rules Apply to Him' Ahead of Deliberations Harvey Weinstein Was the 'One Being Abused,' Defense Says in Retrial Closing Argument; Prosecution Calls Him 'No Victim' Harvey Weinstein Doesn't Plan to Testify at New York Retrial 'I have regrets that I put my family through this, that I put my wife through this, and I acted immorally,' Weinstein continued. 'I put so many friends through this and hurt people that were close to me by actions that were stupid, you know what I mean? But never illegal, never criminal, never anything.' Weinstein, who was found guilty on three of seven charges in an L.A. sexual assault trial in 2022 and sentenced to 16 years in prison, is being retried in New York after his previous convictions in the state were overturned in 2024. He has been charged with two counts of committing a 'criminal sexual act' in the first degree and one count of third-degree rape. Closing arguments in the retrial wrapped on Wednesday, and jury deliberations began on Thursday. Scotto also asked Weinstein why he decided not to testify in the retrial. Though he said he 'wanted to,' Weinstein added that Aidala 'said to me that the jury was very feeling strongly, that the jury understood our case and would be sympathetic to our case and that the DA would try to rip me apart if I took the stand.' Weinstein continued, 'I'm not afraid of the DA, but this was the best advice and this is the advice you often hear: don't take the stand if you don't have to.' Listen to Weinstein's full interview on 'Good Day New York' here. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Animated Program — Can Netflix Score Big With 'Arcane,' 'Devil May Cry' and the Final Season of 'Big Mouth?' What's Coming to Netflix in June 2025
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kim Kardashian Robbery Spotlighted In BBC Three Doc; Canal+ & Netflix Partner In Sub-Saharan Africa; ‘Jaws' Documentary
Kim Kardashian Robbery Spotlighted In BBC Three Doc The BBC is to tell the story of Kim Kardashian's robbery and reveal new details. A BBC Three documentary, The Kim Kardashian Diamond Heist, will drop later this month, with new insight into what happened nearly a decade ago and following the story up to the reality superstar facing her robbers in court last month, where eight people were found guilty. Featuring interviews with friends of the family, police officers and journalists who have followed the case, the doc takes viewers back to that fateful night when she was robbed of millions of dollars' worth of jewellery in Paris at gunpoint. Nasfim Haque, Head of Content at BBC Three, said: 'This documentary offers an insight into one of the most publicised celebrity crimes of our time committed on one of the most famous women on the planet which will delve into the facts behind the gossip and explore the price of fame in the digital age.' The Kim Kardashian Diamond Heist is being produced by Firecracker Films. More from Deadline BBC Content Chief Latest: Race To Replace Charlotte Moore Nears Final Two, As Zai Bennett Drops Out & New Candidates Emerge Biden Blasts Trump Over "False" Claims That Aides Ran Country During His Presidency; Current POTUS Admits He Has No Proof For Allegation - Update BBC Condemns Israel After IDF Soldiers Strip-Searched & Detained Journalists At Gunpoint Canal+ & Netflix Partner In Sub-Saharan Africa Canal+ and Netflix have extended their partnership to Sub-Saharan Africa. Under the agreement, Canal+ said it will become the first operator to distribute Netflix as part of its offering across 24 Sub-Saharan African countries. The pair have had a partnership since 2019 in France and Poland and today's news represents a geographical extension. Pascale Chabert, Chief Content Acquisition Officer of Canal+, said: 'Our millions of African subscribers will benefit from a unique offer, bringing together the best of Canal+ and Netflix content in a joint package. This new agreement demonstrates Canal+'s ability to extend its unique super-aggregation model beyond the European continent.' The news comes with Canal+'s acquisition of African giant MultiChoice still making its way past the regulator. EXCLUSIVE: U.S. indie Leroy Street Films is behind Jaws-inspired doc The Farmer & the Shark, which will launch at the Martha's Vineyard Museum on Tuesday, August 19 at 4pm. The documentary explores the life of local Martha's Vineyard legend, Craig Kingsbury, and his impact on the production of Steven Spielberg's classic movie, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The documentary focuses on the influence Kingsbury had on the film, from both behind and in front of the camera, as the embodiment of Robert Shaw's iconic shark hunter, Quint. The doc features conversations with Craig Kingsbury's family members and interviews with local and Hollywood tradesmen and artisans who worked on the film, including production designer Joe Alves, cameraman Michael Chapman, Tom Joyner, Kevin Pike, Jonathan Filley, Jeffrey Kramer. Pic is produced by Leroy Street Films in association with Atomic Clock, Witter Entertainment, and Stage 3 Productions. Pic is directed by John Campopiano, written by Rick DiGregorio and John Campopiano, and co-written by Matthew Spry. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
Judge Scolds Diddy for ‘Nodding Vigorously' to the Jury, Threatens to Remove Him From Courtroom
Sean 'Diddy' Combs was put on warning during his sex trafficking trial, as the judge overseeing the courtroom scolded him for making facial expressions at the jurors. 'I was very clear there should be no facial expressions to the jury, and I could not have been clearer,' Judge Arun Subramanian told Combs' attorneys during the lunch break on Thursday. 'There was a line of questioning where your client was nodding vigorously and looking at the jury,' he said, adding that it was 'absolutely unacceptable.' More from Variety Diddy Auditioned to Play James Brown in 'Get on Up,' Lost Part to Chadwick Boseman Donald Trump, Asked About Pardoning Diddy, Says 'I Would Certainly Look at the Facts' and That 'He Used to Really Like Me a Lot' Diddy Employee Says He Kidnapped Her With Gun, Told Her 'Get Dressed, We're Going to Go Kill' Kid Cudi 'There should be no efforts to have any interactions with this jury,' said Subramanian, asking Combs' attorney Marc Agnifilo if it would happen again. 'No, your honor, it's not going to happen again,' Agnifilo replied. The judge said if Combs could not comply with his order, 'I will give an instruction to the jury or it could result in the exclusion of your client from the courtroom.' Combs has often appeared stoic during the court proceedings, but there have been certain testimonies (including that of his former assistant George Kaplan) during which he has peered over at the jurors and nodded. Combs also tends to look at the members of the public and press seated behind him, often giving a gesture of gratitude to those in the friends and family section. On Thursday, the court heard testimony from Bryana Bongolan, a woman who claims Combs held her over a 17th-floor balcony, and a former romantic partner of Combs' who is using the pseudonym 'Jane.' Combs is charged with sex trafficking and racketeering. If he's convicted, he could spend the rest of his life behind bars. Best of Variety Emmy Predictions: Animated Program — Can Netflix Score Big With 'Arcane,' 'Devil May Cry' and the Final Season of 'Big Mouth?' What's Coming to Netflix in June 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
