California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that a clemency hearing has been scheduled for June for Erik and Kyle Menendez, who are currently serving life sentences for the murder of their parents in 1989. Newsom shared this news on his podcast, “This is Gavin Newsom,” shedding light on the upcoming hearing following the recent decision made by Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
Hochman’s choice not to resentence the Menendez brothers was noted by Newsom, who clarified that this development would not influence their plea for clemency. Regardless of Hochman’s stance on resentencing, which was made public on Monday, he had previously voiced his opposition to the brothers’ habeas corpus petition for a new trial, a stance documented by the Los Angeles Times.
READ: Menendez Brothers Will NOT Be Resentenced, Prosecutor Says
The saga continued as Hochman delved deeper into the case, revealing findings that contradicted the brothers’ self-defense assertions and painted an unfavorable picture of the duo. Former prosecutor George Gascón had attempted to reduce the Menendez brothers’ life without parole sentence to 50 years to life, a move that would have made them eligible for parole. However, Hochman thwarted this effort, accusing the brothers of concocting an alibi and pinning the blame on the Mafia for their parents’ tragic deaths.
“The Menendez brothers have continued to lie for over 30 years about their self-defense — that is, their purported actual fear that their mother and their father were going to kill them the night of the murders,” Hochman wrote in a recent motion. “Also, over those 30 years, they have failed to accept responsibility for the vast number of lies they told in connection with that defense.”
Hochman said his office will not explore any resentencing options until Erik and Lyle Menendez take responsibility for killing their parents, admit their parents were not planning to kill them, and confess to any lies they told after the slayings.
In 1989, Erik and Lyle Menendez, then 18 and 21, purchased two shotguns with cash and used them to kill their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, at their Beverly Hills home. Investigators originally suspected the mafia was behind the slayings. However, a break in the case occurred in 1990 when Erik Menendez confessed to a therapist.
Evidence of Erik and Lyle Menendez’s father molesting them was presented at their first trial — which ended with a hung jury. However, those details were not as prominent during the second trial, resulting in their convictions.
The Menendez brothers filed for clemency in October, before Gascón’s loss to Hochman. In November, Newsom paused all proceedings related to clemency as Hochman reviewed the case. However, last month, Newsom asked the parole board to assess whether the brothers would pose a risk to the public if released.
It is unclear what the parole board determined. The Los Angeles Times reported that Newsom said he would decide on clemency after reviewing the board’s report.
[Feature Photo: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation via AP]
