The resentencing hearing for Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were convicted of murdering their parents in 1989, began on April 17, 2025, in Van Nuys, California. The brothers are seeking a reduction in their sentences after spending over 35 years in prison. Their defense team argues that the killings were the result of years of sexual abuse by their father, José Menendez, and that the original sentences were excessively harsh given their youth and the trauma they endured.
The hearing has sparked significant controversy. Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman opposes the resentencing, dismissing the brothers’ self-defense claims as “self-serving lies.” He also emphasizes their failure to fully accept responsibility for the killings. In contrast, former District Attorney George Gascón supported the resentencing, citing the brothers’ rehabilitation and the emergence of new evidence regarding their abuse.
A key legal issue in the case is whether the recent parole board risk assessment should influence the resentencing decision, with some pushing for the removal of Hochman from the case. The public has been closely following the hearings, especially with renewed interest from the Netflix series “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” which dramatizes the case. Actor Cooper Koch, who portrayed Erik Menendez in the series, attended the hearing in support of the brothers.
The next hearing is set for May 9, 2025, where additional legal matters will be discussed before proceeding with the resentencing.
