It was a sunny day in Los Angeles, California for the Menendez Brothers. They were scheduled to have a two-day resentencing hearing on May 13 and 14, 2025. However, their defense team and the state only needed one day for testimony.
On Tuesday, the brothers were resentenced by Judge Michael V. Jesic of Los Angeles Superior Court to 50 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole. As he read his ruling, he said, “This was an absolutely horrific crime,” but continued, “I do believe they have done enough over the last 35 years to get that chance.”
The Menendez Brothers are one step closer to freedom after decades behind bars. Judge Jesic explained he is not suggesting they should be released as that is not up to him. It is up to Governor Gavin Newsom and the parole board whether they will have a future outside the confined prison walls.
Resentencing Hearing
The Menendez Brothers and their family members look to the state’s parole officials to determine when they will get their chance at a parole hearing. They are currently scheduled to appear before the board on June 13, less than a month from now, for a consideration of clemency. However, it is unclear if that will stay since the resentencing has occurred. Governor Newsom’s office is reviewing the judge’s decision before taking the next steps.
After the resentencing took place, the Menendez Brothers’ defense attorneys and family members spoke briefly outside the courtroom to reporters. Of course they thanked their supporters and emotion was running high. Anamaria Baralt, a cousin of the brothers who testified on Tuesday, spoke to the reporters saying, “I have been crying all day long. These are tears of joy, for sure.”
The Los Angeles district attorney, Nathan Hochman, is unsurprisingly disappointed with the decision. He has opposed the Menendez Brothers’ resentencing since he took office. He has argued repeatedly the brothers have yet to take responsibility for all of their actions and their crimes. He maintains his stance that they lied about fearing their parents, and killed them for the family fortune.
His office posted a statement to their social media platforms in response to the judge’s ruling stating, “This case, like all cases — especially those that captivate the public — must be viewed with a critical eye.” It continued, “Justice should never be swayed by spectacle.”
While this decision may not be a justice to some, it is for the Menendez Brothers and their loved ones. It is an amazing turn of events that they have a chance at their freedom. After years of unsuccessful court filings to overturn their convictions, they finally have a real chance. Their case has captivated the nation since they confessed to the murders of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez.
The Murders
In 1989, inside their Beverly Hills mansion, the Menendez brothers burst into the den where their parents were and killed them with shotguns. They claim it came after years of sexual abuse from their father and they feared their parents would kill them if they ever tried to escape. Once the brothers found out the other was being abused, they were filled with unexplainable rage. At the time, Lyle, 21, and Erik, 18, were still mentally young boys and never knew how to control their emotions. While this does not excuse their inexplicable actions, it gives further insight.
The Menendez Brothers Speak
During their resentencing hearing, before the judge explained his decision, the brothers were given an opportunity to make a statement through their live cams. Lyle began first acknowledging “the choice to reload, return to the den and run up to my mother and shoot her in the head.” He also apologized for making a “mockery of the criminal legal system” when he lied to police about what happened, and then tried to pay others for lying on the witness stand.
Lyle explained that at the time, he was “scared and filled with rage,” and ashamed about the sexual abuse he endured. Too ashamed to ask someone for help. After Lyle finished, Erik began by taking responsibility for the crimes and acknowledged how his parents might have felt. He said “the terror they must have felt when their own son fired a gun at them.”
