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Los Angeles DA opposes Menendez brothers' request for new trial
The Menendez brothers were convicted in 1996 of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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Mick Bonanno, holds a picture of Erik Menendez while waiting in line to get into the Van Nuys Courthouse West, on the day of a hearing in the case of Erik and Lyle Menendez on whether to reconsider the first-degree conviction of the Menendez brothers in Los Angeles, California, U.S., November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo / Reuters
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said on Feb. 21 he opposes a new trial for Lyle and Erik Menendez after 35 years in prison for the shotgun murder of their parents.
Hochman, in a press conference, also cast doubt on whether the Menendez brothers had been sexually abused by their parents - abuse the brothers say motivated them to kill their parents in 1989.
The Menendez brothers were convicted in 1996 of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The case captivated the U.S. in the 1990s because of the brothers' wealth and privilege as sons of a record company and entertainment industry executive. A recent Netflix documentary series raised new evidence and revived public interest.
The previous Los Angeles district attorney, George Gascon, called last year for releasing the brothers by resentencing them for a lesser crime, saying they had paid their debt to society and arguing that a better understanding now of how sexual abuse impacts victims played a big role in his thinking.
But Hochman unseated Gascon in November's election while court hearings affecting the possible release of the brothers were pending. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic postponed a hearing until March 20.
Hochman on Feb. 21 said he had not yet made a decision on whether the brothers should be resentenced for a lesser crime that would result in them being released from prison.
The brothers' request for a new trial was based upon what they said was new evidence proving they had been sexually abused by their parents, including a letter one of the brothers allegedly sent to a cousin in which he had detailed the abuse.
But Hochman said on Feb. 21 the authenticity of that letter could not be proven, a main reason he cited for opposing any new trial for the brothers.
"We argue in many different ways it is not credible evidence," Hochman told reporters about the letter.
He added that if the letter "existed, the defense counsel would have absolutely used it at the trial."
Hochman said his review of the case found that the brothers had changed their story five times about what happened the night of the murders, and that they did not raise the issue of sexual abuse until after they told police two different versions of what led to their parents' deaths.
He said he had filed a court document on Feb. 21 laying out his opposition to granting the brothers a new trial.
The brothers' defense attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A group of Menendez family members who have called for their release sharply criticized Hochman.
"He opened the wounds we have spent decades trying to heal. He didn't listen to us. We are profoundly disappointed by his remarks, in which he effectively tore up new evidence and discredited the trauma (the brothers) experienced," the family members said in a written statement.
Hochman said his office in the next few weeks would release an opinion on whether the brothers should be resentenced for a lesser crime. The defense has asked that they be resentenced for voluntary manslaughter, which would result in them being freed.
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