Top Los Angeles prosecutors have refused a bid to challenge the murder conviction by Eric and Lyle Menendez, and told reporters Friday that the evidence the brothers cited would be needed to get the judge to order a new trial. He told them he did not meet the criteria.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said prosecutors filed a response Friday against a petition filed by the brothers who sought a new trial in May 2023.
The petition included a letter that Eric’s lawyer described as “link pins” in the brothers’ efforts to overturn their beliefs. Attorney Mark Jelagos said the document confirms Eric’s abuse at his father’s hands prior to the murder.
The brothers view the murder at their Beverly Hills home on the night of August 20, 1989 as self-defense. They say Lyle fatally shot his parents Jose and Kitty Menendez after he confronted his father about Eric’s continued abuse and threatened to reveal the entertainment company’s executive.
Lyle said his father responded with what he considered a threat.
Prosecutors dispute the allegations of abuse by their brothers, calling them falsehoods and say the murder is cold-blooded and economically motivated.
Both brothers testified at a trial aired in 1993 on alleged abuse. When the ju judge failed to reach the unanimous verdict, the judge declared a false hearing. During a 1995 retrial, Lyle did not testify, and the judge cited a decision from the California High Court to prohibit his claims of self-defense.
The brother was convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Another evidence that could be included in the petition is a declaration from Roy Rosselló, a former member of Puerto Rican boys band Menudo. In the document, Rossero claimed that Jose Menendez, who worked for the band’s record label, RCA, had sexually assaulted him while the band was in the US.
The claim was the subject of the 2023 Peacock series Menendez + Menudo: Boy Betrayed.
Former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon also said he supported his brother’s tolerance and tried to ease his prison term to 50 years.
If the brother’s resentment is approved by a judge, they may be eligible for parole immediately. Hochman says his office is still reviewing requests. A two-day substance hearing is scheduled for March.
In an interview with “Dateline,” Gascón admitted that their crimes were brutal and planned, but while their brothers are incarcerated, they are “exceptional prisoners” and are now facing public safety risks. He said it wouldn’t bring.
Many of the brothers’ relatives have publicly supported Gascon’s efforts, and at a press conference in October, the family said they were “united with hope and gratitude.”
Kitty’s brother, Milton Andersen, is against their release. In a letter to Gascon, Andersen’s lawyer said the brother’s motive in the murder was “pure greed.”
