Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón has announced his support for the resentencing of Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were convicted of killing their parents more than three decades ago.
The brothers might now get out of prison instead of spending life behind bars, as they had been previously sentenced.
“Because of their age, they would be eligible for parole immediately,” Gascón said during a Thursday press conference.
Since their 1996 conviction, evidence has emerged indicating that José Menendez, the boys’ father, may have been sexually abusive.
Prison photos of Lyle (left) and Erik Menendez in 2023. 
Erik Menendez (L) and his brother Lyle (R) listen during a pre-trial hearing, on December 29, 1992 in Los Angeles after the two pleaded innocent in the August 1989 shotgun deaths of their wealthy parents, Jose and Mary Louise Menendez of Beverly Hills, Calif. It took 40 months for the Superior Court arraignment after prosecutors and defense attorneys battled over the admissibility of taped confessions the brothers allegedly made to their psychotherapist. (Photo by VINCE BUCCI/AFP via Getty Images) 
FILE – Lyle Menendez looks up during testimony in his and brother Erik’s retrial for the shotgun slayings of their parents, Oct. 20, 1995 in Los Angeles. (Steve Grayson/Pool Photo via AP, File) 
Erik and Lyle Menendez in front of their Beverly Hills home in November 1989. (Getty Images) 
Trial of the Menendez brothers in Los Angeles – Erik Menendez and his brother Lyle Menendez. Los Angeles, 9th March 1994. (Photo by Ted Soqui/Sygma via Getty Images) 
Menendez brothers, Erik, left, and Lyle on the steps of their Beverly Hills home in November, 1989. (Getty Images)
A letter from Erik Menendez indicated that José Menendez’s alleged abuse was “driving [him] crazy.”
“Every night, I stay up thinking [my father] might come in,” he wrote.
A former member of the boy band Menudo also claims he was sexually abused by José Menendez.
The revelations and recent television series have sparked a renewed interest in the Menendez brothers, and recently, the brothers’ family came forward to ask that they be released from prison.
Gascón stressed that the Menendez brothers committed “horrible acts” and he doesn’t want to excuse murder, but they were 19 and 21 years old at the time and responded similarly to other abuse victims.
Now 53 and 56, the men have spent the last three decades “on a journey of rehabilitation,” Gascón said.
“I believe they have paid their debt to society,” he added.
“This step gives us all hope that the truth will finally be heard and Lyle and Erik can begin to heal from the trauma of the past,” said Anamaria Baralt, Jose Menendez’s niece.
“This decision is not just a legal matter, it is a recognition of the abuse my cousins endured,” said Karen Vandermolen.
The final decision as to whether they’ll be eligible for parole will be left up to a judge.
A hearing has not yet been scheduled, but the District Attorney’s Office plans to file a motion to request resentencing Friday morning.
