A California judge has reduced the sentences of Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were sentenced to life in prison for the murder of their parents in 1989 in their Beverly Hills home.
The brothers were given 50 years to life by Judge Michael Jesic, making them immediately eligible for parole. A decision on their release will be made by the state parole board, which will convene a hearing next month.
“I’m not saying they should be released; it’s not for me to decide,” Jesic said. “I do believe they’ve done enough in the past 35 years, that they should get that chance.”
Jesic's decision followed months of pushback from prosecutors who opposed resentencing, arguing the brothers' hadn't taken adequate responsibility for their crimes.
The two have long argued they killed their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, in self-defence after suffering years of sexual abuse.
Ultimately, the judge agreed to resentencing the pair after hearing testimonies from family members, a retired judge and a former fellow prisoner who supported the brothers' resentencing. The Menendez family have supported the siblings' bid to freedom.
“We all, on both sides of the family, believe that 35 years is enough,” said Anamaria Baralt, a cousin. “They are universally forgiven by our family.”
Both Erik and Lyle Menendez also addressed the court, going into detail about the murders of their parents, who they shot in the living room of their home.
“On Aug. 20, 1989, I killed my mom and dad. I make no excuses and also no justification,” Lyle Menendez said in the courtroom.
The brothers were first found guilty and given life without parole for the murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez in 1989.
Over the years, they have repeatedly appealed their convictions without success. They admitted the killings, but argued they committed the murders out of fear their parents were going to kill them to cover up years of sexual and psychological abuse they suffered.
Prosecutors portrayed the siblings as young men eager to obtain their multimillion-dollar inheritance.
In recent years, support for the brothers has grown significantly after the divisive case was covered in multiple books and documentaries.
The brothers, who were 18 and 21 at the time of the murders, have sought freedom through multiple legal avenues. Their request for resentencing hearings was repeatedly delayed amid wildfires in LA and disputes between the defence and prosecution.
