Latest news with #TheMenendezBrothers
Los Angeles Times
15-05-2025
- Los Angeles Times
The Menendez brothers' resentencing would have shocked 1990s L.A.
I never caught the slew of documentaries and dramatizations about The Menendez Brothers, whose notoriety in Southern California is such that they should just trademark their names already. So imagine my surprise last year when then-L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascón announced he backed a resentencing of the brothers, arguing 35 years was enough time for the crime of murdering their parents — and besides, they had expressed enough remorse. And imagine my surprise yesterday, when L.A. County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic agreed. The Menendez brothers now face 50 years to life in prison, which makes them eligible for parole because they committed their murders before they were 26 years old, according to my colleagues James Queally and Richard Winton — the Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani of local crime reporting. Not only that, they have a clemency hearing before the office of Gov. Gavin Newsom next month. Growing up in a Latino Catholic household in Southern California in the 1990s, there were no monsters worse than Erik and Lyle Menendez. I was 10 years old when their parents, Jose and Kitty, were brutally killed in their Beverly Hills home. Their sons were arrested on suspicion of murdering their parents the following year and went through two trials before a jury found them guilty of first-degree murder in 1996. A judge sentenced them to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Everyone figured that was that. Erik and Lyle garnered next to no public sympathy that I could remember. Lyle did them no favors by going on spending sprees in the months after their parents' deaths, according to witnesses. Nobody bought the story that the two did it because Jose sexually abused them while Kitty did nothing. It also didn't help that courtroom footage and photos of the Menendez brothers — Erik's intense stare, Lyle's dead eyes, both wearing pastel sweaters in an effort to soften their image — cast them as poor little rich boys who thought they could get away with anything. The teenage part of me today still can't believe Erik and Lyle have any supporters at all. Who would ever support someone who shot their mother dead while she was trying to crawl away, as Lyle testified in the first trial? The adult part of me knows that public perception of them has dramatically changed in the time they've been imprisoned. A series of updates supported their story that their father had abused them. A Netflix show produced by Ryan Murphy softened their image; a Netflix documentary retold their story to a new generation. More important, their extended family united to argue they and the brothers have suffered enough and want to close the sad Menendez saga once and for all. 'I don't think they are the same people they were 30 years ago,' Anamaria Baralt, a cousin of the brothers, said on the stand during the resentencing hearing. At this point, the only person who seems to be angry about the idea of the Menendez brothers having a chance at parole is L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman. He unsuccessfully fought to overturn Gascon's request for a resentencing hearing, and his prosecutors unsuccessfully argued against it at the Van Nuys courthouse on Tuesday. Hochman's office was so unsuccessful, in fact, that Judge Jesic issued his ruling after just a day of hearings, when everyone expected at least two. The Menendez brothers' parole hearing still hasn't been scheduled, and Newsom and future governors can keep them incarcerated forever. But teenage me never would have believed they could get to this point. What's next, he would have asked: OJ Simpson, a criminal? Sky says: 'Midnight Rider by the Allman Brothers.'Paul says: 'Lyin' Eyes by The Eagles.' Email us at essentialcalifornia@ and your response might appear in the newsletter this week. On May 15, 1940, the first McDonald's restaurant was opened by brothers Maurice and Richard McDonald in San Bernardino. Three years ago, Times columnist Patt Morrison wrote about how Southern California has given the world so much, including fast food giants that began as mom-an-pop undertakings, or pop-and-son enterprises, and wound up as corporate owned chains. Have a great day, from the Essential California team Gustavo Arellano, California columnistKevinisha Walker, multiplatform editorKarim Doumar, head of newsletters How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@ Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
After Tuesday's Resentencing, What's Next for the Menendez Brothers?
Erik and Lyle Menendez were resentenced Tuesday to 50 years to life for the 1989 murders of their parents, making them immediately eligible for parole. With a new sentence and their freedom potentially on the horizon, what else lies in the brothers' paths before they could be released from prison? For years, true crime lovers were captivated by the Menendez case, which saw Erik and Lyle kill their father and mother, José and Mary Louise 'Kitty' Menendez. At the time, prosecutors argued that they murdered their parents for monetary benefit, while the defense argued they were acting out of self-defense after years of abuse at the hands of José. More from The Hollywood Reporter Menendez Brothers Resentenced for 1989 Murders of Parents, Clearing Major Hurdle to Regaining Freedom Menendez Brothers Attorney Suddenly Nixes Request for D.A.'s Recusal From Resentencing Who Are the Top Lawyers Sean "Diddy" Combs Hired For His Dream Defense Team? A brand new wave of attention on the case ignited in September with the release of Ryan Murphy's Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, following the 2023 release of a Peacock documentary where a former Menudo boy band member, Roy Rosselló, alleged José sexually assaulted him. Netflix released the accompanying doc The Menendez Brothers in October, less than a month after Monsters, keeping the brothers' case on streaming viewers' radar. Prosecutors began looking into new evidence (Rosselló's allegations and a letter penned by Erik Menendez that seemingly corroborated his father's abuse) nearly a month after Monsters' debut, supported by then-Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón. Gascón, however, lost the November election, making Nathan Hochman the new D.A. And the L.A. wildfires further delayed the Menendez hearings. After much delay, the Menendez brothers' sentencing hearing kicked off Tuesday and resulted in Judge Michael Jesic resentencing the siblings to 50 years to life, with the possibility of parole. The brothers are immediately eligible for parole due to California's youthful offender law, as they were 21 and 18 years old at the time of the murders. Their initial sentence was life with no possibility of parole, ensuring they'd never leave prison. Now, with a new sentence and parole on the table, what's next for the Menendez brothers? As part of California Gov. Gavin Newsom's clemency review of the case, the brothers will appear in front of a parole board on June 13, serving as a piece of the risk assessment exam that will aid the governor's clemency ruling, according to the Associated Press. However, it's unclear if the June hearing will be their formal parole hearing, and if it's not, a new date will be set within six months, according to The Washington Post. If the brothers are denied parole, they will continue to appear at hearings in front of the board while they remain in prison. Also, if they receive parole, Newsom can still override the decision. Though Newsom ordering the risk assessment probe was seen as a show of support for the brothers from the term-limited governor. Before Jesic came to his decision, several witnesses vouched for the brothers, including family, prison staff and former inmates. The judge, too, received letters from prison officials that influenced the resentencing. The brothers did not attend the hearing in-person but tuned in virtually where they admitted and took responsibility for the murders. 'On Aug. 20, 1989, I killed my mom and dad. I make no excuses and also no justification,' Lyle Menendez said, via AP. 'The impact of my violent actions on my family… is unfathomable.' During his time at the hearing, Erik Menendez thanked his family for their support, stating, 'You did not deserve what I did to you, but you inspire me to do better.' For now, no decision on the fate of the Menendez brothers can be certain until the brothers are seen before a parole board. It's unclear what their future holds, but Tuesday's resentencing was an undeniably big step toward the brothers' potential freedom. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
Winnipeg Free Press
14-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
What to know about the Menendez brothers' lives and what lies ahead
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lyle and Erik Menendez were 21 and 18 when they killed their parents. Now, at 57 and 54, the brothers are eligible for parole after a Los Angeles judge Tuesday reduced their sentences from life in prison without parole to 50 years to life. In August 1989, the brothers killed their father Jose Menendez and mother Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills home. While defense attorneys argued the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said they killed their parents for a substantial inheritance. The saga has captured the public's attention over the decades, spawning documentaries and television specials, as the brothers have lived out their adult years in incarceration. Here's what to know about their lives and what lies ahead: A wealthy upbringing After moving from New Jersey, the family settled into a multi-million dollar Spanish-style mansion in the wealthy Beverly Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. Jose Menendez, was a powerful entertainment executive, and his wife, Kitty, a former beauty queen he met in college. At the time, Lyle was attending Princeton University but struggling academically, and Erik was a young tennis star. In the aftermath of the killings, the family discovered Jose Menendez's 1981 will, which left everything to the two brothers. An opinion from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals details the spending spree that Erik and Lyle went on, thinking they were poised to inherit millions. Lyle bought three Rolex watches, a Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, and a restaurant in Princeton, New Jersey, while Erik purchased a Jeep Wrangler and hired a full-time tennis coach, according to the court document. The brothers addressed the lavish spending in a Netflix documentary, 'The Menendez Brothers,' that came out last October. 'The idea that I was having a good time is absurd,' Erik said in a recorded phone call from prison. 'Everything was to cover up this horrible pain of not wanting to be alive.' The family said that in reality there was no inheritance — whatever assets Jose had were gobbled up by legal fees and taxes, and both of his properties were sold at a loss. Reunited after decades apart Lyle Menendez was transferred to the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County in 2018, reuniting him with Erik Menendez, who was brought there in 2013. Before that Lyle spent decades housed at Mule Creek State Prison in northern California, while Erik was at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, California. They could only keep in touch through letters. Anerae Brown, who spent time at both facilities as an inmate, described Pleasant Valley as a segregated and 'hyperviolent environment' while testifying at the brothers' resentencing hearing. There was one instance where Brown was attacked by five men with weapons. Doing the things that Erik participated in, such as school and self-help classes, would put a target on one's back, Brown said. The brothers each got married in prison Lyle Menendez first married Anna Erickson, a former model, in 1996 before he surrendered to prison. They divorced in 2001. In 2008, he married attorney Rebecca Sneed. She announced on Facebook last November that the two had separated but 'remain best friends and family.' She continues to run his Facebook page, where she has posted updates on the brothers' resentencing case. Erik Menendez married Tammi Menendez in 1999 after corresponding with her as a pen pal for years. She has a daughter from her first marriage, and both were at court Tuesday for the brothers' resentencing hearing. Conjugal visits are prohibited for those sentenced to life without parole under California law. Plans if released If the brothers are released from prison, their cousin, Diane Hernandez, and several family members said they would welcome the brothers into their homes. They also would immediately visit their aging aunts, Hernandez said. Joan VanderMolen, Kitty Menendez's sister, is now 93 and has been calling for Erik and Lyle's release since last fall. Her health has deteriorated since then, Hernandez said. Terry Baralt, Jose Menendez's sister, has been battling cancer and was recently hospitalized after attending a hearing in April. Her cancer recently advanced to Stage 4, her daughter said in court. Lyle Menendez said at his resentencing hearing Tuesday that he longs to reunite with his relatives. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'I look forward to be able to reunite with my extended family and continue the journey of healing that has sustained me through my incarceration,' he said. The brothers have also indicated they would continue the work they started in prison that has supported fellow inmates to help others in society. Lyle said he hoped to advocate for survivors of sexual abuse and serve the incarcerated community. Tamara Goodell, another cousin, said in court that Lyle was excited to expand the Green Space Project he had started at the Richard J. Donovan facility to other prisons. The project was inspired by the Norwegian approach to incarceration that believes humane prison environments leads to more successful reintegration into society. Erik Menendez has said he would like to expand the Life Care and Hospice program he co-founded, which connects elderly and disabled inmates with younger inmates to serve as aids. 'At a certain point, something shifted in me,' Erik said. 'I started living with purpose.'
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
What to know about the Menendez brothers' lives and what lies ahead
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lyle and Erik Menendez were 21 and 18 when they killed their parents. Now, at 57 and 54, the brothers are eligible for parole after a Los Angeles judge Tuesday reduced their sentences from life in prison without parole to 50 years to life. In August 1989, the brothers killed their father Jose Menendez and mother Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills home. While defense attorneys argued the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said they killed their parents for a substantial inheritance. The saga has captured the public's attention over the decades, spawning documentaries and television specials, as the brothers have lived out their adult years in incarceration. Here's what to know about their lives and what lies ahead: A wealthy upbringing After moving from New Jersey, the family settled into a multi-million dollar Spanish-style mansion in the wealthy Beverly Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. Jose Menendez, was a powerful entertainment executive, and his wife, Kitty, a former beauty queen he met in college. At the time, Lyle was attending Princeton University but struggling academically, and Erik was a young tennis star. In the aftermath of the killings, the family discovered Jose Menendez's 1981 will, which left everything to the two brothers. An opinion from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals details the spending spree that Erik and Lyle went on, thinking they were poised to inherit millions. Lyle bought three Rolex watches, a Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, and a restaurant in Princeton, New Jersey, while Erik purchased a Jeep Wrangler and hired a full-time tennis coach, according to the court document. The brothers addressed the lavish spending in a Netflix documentary, 'The Menendez Brothers,' that came out last October. 'The idea that I was having a good time is absurd,' Erik said in a recorded phone call from prison. 'Everything was to cover up this horrible pain of not wanting to be alive.' The family said that in reality there was no inheritance — whatever assets Jose had were gobbled up by legal fees and taxes, and both of his properties were sold at a loss. Reunited after decades apart Lyle Menendez was transferred to the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County in 2018, reuniting him with Erik Menendez, who was brought there in 2013. Before that Lyle spent decades housed at Mule Creek State Prison in northern California, while Erik was at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, California. They could only keep in touch through letters. Anerae Brown, who spent time at both facilities as an inmate, described Pleasant Valley as a segregated and 'hyperviolent environment" while testifying at the brothers' resentencing hearing. There was one instance where Brown was attacked by five men with weapons. Doing the things that Erik participated in, such as school and self-help classes, would put a target on one's back, Brown said. The brothers each got married in prison Lyle Menendez first married Anna Erickson, a former model, in 1996 before he surrendered to prison. They divorced in 2001. In 2008, he married attorney Rebecca Sneed. She announced on Facebook last November that the two had separated but 'remain best friends and family.' She continues to run his Facebook page, where she has posted updates on the brothers' resentencing case. Erik Menendez married Tammi Menendez in 1999 after corresponding with her as a pen pal for years. She has a daughter from her first marriage, and both were at court Tuesday for the brothers' resentencing hearing. Conjugal visits are prohibited for those sentenced to life without parole under California law. Plans if released If the brothers are released from prison, their cousin, Diane Hernandez, and several family members said they would welcome the brothers into their homes. They also would immediately visit their aging aunts, Hernandez said. Joan VanderMolen, Kitty Menendez's sister, is now 93 and has been calling for Erik and Lyle's release since last fall. Her health has deteriorated since then, Hernandez said. Terry Baralt, Jose Menendez's sister, has been battling cancer and was recently hospitalized after attending a hearing in April. Her cancer recently advanced to Stage 4, her daughter said in court. Lyle Menendez said at his resentencing hearing Tuesday that he longs to reunite with his relatives. 'I look forward to be able to reunite with my extended family and continue the journey of healing that has sustained me through my incarceration,' he said. The brothers have also indicated they would continue the work they started in prison that has supported fellow inmates to help others in society. Lyle said he hoped to advocate for survivors of sexual abuse and serve the incarcerated community. Tamara Goodell, another cousin, said in court that Lyle was excited to expand the Green Space Project he had started at the Richard J. Donovan facility to other prisons. The project was inspired by the Norwegian approach to incarceration that believes humane prison environments leads to more successful reintegration into society. Erik Menendez has said he would like to expand the Life Care and Hospice program he co-founded, which connects elderly and disabled inmates with younger inmates to serve as aids. 'At a certain point, something shifted in me," Erik said. "I started living with purpose.'
Associated Press
14-05-2025
- Associated Press
What to know about the Menendez brothers' lives and what lies ahead
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lyle and Erik Menendez were 21 and 18 when they killed their parents. Now, at 57 and 54, the brothers are eligible for parole after a Los Angeles judge Tuesday reduced their sentences from life in prison without parole to 50 years to life. In August 1989, the brothers killed their father Jose Menendez and mother Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills home. While defense attorneys argued the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said they killed their parents for a substantial inheritance. The saga has captured the public's attention over the decades, spawning documentaries and television specials, as the brothers have lived out their adult years in incarceration. Here's what to know about their lives and what lies ahead: A wealthy upbringing After moving from New Jersey, the family settled into a multi-million dollar Spanish-style mansion in the wealthy Beverly Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. Jose Menendez, was a powerful entertainment executive, and his wife, Kitty, a former beauty queen he met in college. At the time, Lyle was attending Princeton University but struggling academically, and Erik was a young tennis star. In the aftermath of the killings, the family discovered Jose Menendez's 1981 will, which left everything to the two brothers. An opinion from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals details the spending spree that Erik and Lyle went on, thinking they were poised to inherit millions. Lyle bought three Rolex watches, a Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, and a restaurant in Princeton, New Jersey, while Erik purchased a Jeep Wrangler and hired a full-time tennis coach, according to the court document. The brothers addressed the lavish spending in a Netflix documentary, 'The Menendez Brothers,' that came out last October. 'The idea that I was having a good time is absurd,' Erik said in a recorded phone call from prison. 'Everything was to cover up this horrible pain of not wanting to be alive.' The family said that in reality there was no inheritance — whatever assets Jose had were gobbled up by legal fees and taxes, and both of his properties were sold at a loss. Reunited after decades apart Lyle Menendez was transferred to the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County in 2018, reuniting him with Erik Menendez, who was brought there in 2013. Before that Lyle spent decades housed at Mule Creek State Prison in northern California, while Erik was at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, California. They could only keep in touch through letters. Anerae Brown, who spent time at both facilities as an inmate, described Pleasant Valley as a segregated and 'hyperviolent environment' while testifying at the brothers' resentencing hearing. There was one instance where Brown was attacked by five men with weapons. Doing the things that Erik participated in, such as school and self-help classes, would put a target on one's back, Brown said. The brothers each got married in prison Lyle Menendez first married Anna Erickson, a former model, in 1996 before he surrendered to prison. They divorced in 2001. In 2008, he married attorney Rebecca Sneed. She announced on Facebook last November that the two had separated but 'remain best friends and family.' She continues to run his Facebook page, where she has posted updates on the brothers' resentencing case. Erik Menendez married Tammi Menendez in 1999 after corresponding with her as a pen pal for years. She has a daughter from her first marriage, and both were at court Tuesday for the brothers' resentencing hearing. Conjugal visits are prohibited for those sentenced to life without parole under California law. Plans if released If the brothers are released from prison, their cousin, Diane Hernandez, and several family members said they would welcome the brothers into their homes. They also would immediately visit their aging aunts, Hernandez said. Joan VanderMolen, Kitty Menendez's sister, is now 93 and has been calling for Erik and Lyle's release since last fall. Her health has deteriorated since then, Hernandez said. Terry Baralt, Jose Menendez's sister, has been battling cancer and was recently hospitalized after attending a hearing in April. Her cancer recently advanced to Stage 4, her daughter said in court. Lyle Menendez said at his resentencing hearing Tuesday that he longs to reunite with his relatives. 'I look forward to be able to reunite with my extended family and continue the journey of healing that has sustained me through my incarceration,' he said. The brothers have also indicated they would continue the work they started in prison that has supported fellow inmates to help others in society. Lyle said he hoped to advocate for survivors of sexual abuse and serve the incarcerated community. Tamara Goodell, another cousin, said in court that Lyle was excited to expand the Green Space Project he had started at the Richard J. Donovan facility to other prisons. The project was inspired by the Norwegian approach to incarceration that believes humane prison environments leads to more successful reintegration into society. Erik Menendez has said he would like to expand the Life Care and Hospice program he co-founded, which connects elderly and disabled inmates with younger inmates to serve as aids. 'At a certain point, something shifted in me,' Erik said. 'I started living with purpose.'
