LOS ANGELES — A group of relatives pushing for a new sentence for Erik and Lyle Menendez is set to sit down with Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman this Friday.
The Justice for Erik and Lyle Coalition stated that the meeting will involve over 20 members of the family of Jose and Kitty Menendez. They firmly back a resentencing procedure that acknowledges “the abuse, trauma, and growth Erik and Lyle have shown over the past 35 years.”
“We are optimistic for an open and just discussion with DA Hochman,” said the statement. “In spite of the hardships they faced and the perceived injustice in their current punishment, Erik and Lyle Menendez have spent the last 30 years owning up to their actions and making positive contributions to their society through rehabilitation and leadership. In our meeting with DA Hochman, we aim to present our view on the significant personal development Erik and Lyle have undergone over the last 35 years and how we intend to support them in their future endeavors. Our hope is that this meeting will bring us closer to reuniting as a family next Christmas.”
Hochman has told ABC News that he plans to review all the evidence in the brothers’ case.
In 1989, Lyle and Erik – who were 21 and 18 at the time – fatally shot their parents in the family’s Beverly Hills home.
The defense claimed the brothers acted in self-defense after enduring years of sexual abuse by their father, but prosecutors alleged they killed for money.
The first trial, which had separate juries for each brother, ended in mistrials.
In 1996, after the second trial — during which the judge barred much of the sex abuse evidence — the brothers were convicted and both sentenced to two consecutive terms of life without parole.
Last month, Bryan Freedman, the lawyer representing 24 relatives who support the immediate release of the brothers, said he intends to petition the Los Angeles Superior Court to transfer the case to the California Attorney General’s Office.
He claimed there’s a conflict of interest between Hochman and Kathleen Cady, a close ally and prominent booster of Hochman who was recently named the DA’s director of the Bureau of Victims Services.
Previously, Cady served as the attorney for Milton Andersen, the brother of Kitty Menendez, who pushed for the continued incarceration of the brothers.
She has resigned from that role.
If granted, Freedman and the family believe California Attorney General Rob Bonta is likely to be far more supportive of the brothers’ release efforts than Hochman.
Freedman recently sat down with ABC News Chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman for an exclusive interview with “Good Morning America” and said the brothers’ family members have become increasingly concerned, accusing Hochman of “playing politics.”
“He should use that time wisely … meet with the family members,” Freedman said during the interview. “The family members are victims. They suffered loss. They have also seen the rehabilitation. They are the best people to talk to.”
In November 2024, a judge pushed back a scheduled hearing regarding the brothers’ resentencing recommendation from Dec. 11 to Jan. 30 and Jan. 31. The judge said he needs time to go through 17 boxes of files on the case and said he wanted to give Hochman ample time to get up to speed.
Hochman said he would speak with witnesses before weighing in the case. So far, according to ABC News, he has already taken the two deputy district attorneys who prepared the brothers’ resentencing off the case.
“It tells me that there’s a chance that the DA is playing politics,” said Freedman. “That politics are coming into play here, and it concerns me that what’s happening is there are favors being performed.”
ABC News also learned that Hochman’s first outreach to the Menendez family was to the single family member opposed to the release of the brothers: Andersen.
“It doesn’t feel good,” said Freedman when asked about what kind of message that sends.
Hochman recently addressed the claim that the state did not recognize the alleged sexual abuse that the young boys endured at the hands of their father, telling Deadline, “Erik Menendez was able to testify in great detail about all the sexual abuse he experienced. He was even able to testify about sexual abuse that Lyle experienced.”
“Do you feel that was the case?” Gutman asked Freedman about that remark.
“The evidence shows it wasn’t the case,” responded Freedman. “You have a number of witnesses, a number of family members, who weren’t able to testify about the abuse that they saw.”
Hochman has also said he’ll take a close look at the brother’s rehabilitation in prison. He has hinted that he might separate their resentencing cases, which could mean that Erik could be released before Lyle, who has a couple of minor infractions.
ABC News contributed to this report.
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