Huge update in Netflix show murder case as the Menendez Brothers’ freedom hinges on crucial hearing

The Menendez brothers’ resentencing hopes hinge on a key court hearing in their shocking murder case that gripped the world.

Brothers Erik & Lyle Menendez accused of shooting their parents in 1989.

The Menendez brothers’ case will make a dramatic return to court on Friday.

The case of Erik and Lyle Menendez will go before a Los Angeles court as their latest attempt to be released from jail comes to a head, decades after they murdered their own parents.

Former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón sought resentencing for the brothers before losing reelection to Nathan Hochman in November.

Gascón had asked a judge to change the brothers’ sentence to 50 years to life, which would make them immediately eligible for release under California law because they committed the crime when they were younger than 26.

Erik Menendez and his brother Lyle are pictured during their trial in 1991. Picture: AFP.

However, the new District Attorney is now opposed to the decision and is attempting to petition the pair to not be resentenced and to remain in jail for the rest of their lives.

Hochman claimed that the brothers didn’t deserve to be released because he believes they do not “recognise, acknowledge, and accept complete responsibility” for their crime.

Gascón announced the recommendation for resentencing in October, 2024, a month before he was defeated by Hochman in the November election.

The hearing on Friday will decide whether a resentencing hearing can go ahead on April 17 and April 18.

Despite Hochman’s opposition, it will be up to the judge to decide whether to allow withdrawal of the resentencing motion.

Should the court deny the DA’s request, it will be left up to a judge to decide whether to resentence the brothers which will determine their possibility for parole.

Tamara Goodall, a cousin of the brothers, submitted a complaint with the state asking that Hochman be removed from the case.

Brothers Erik & Lyle Menendez accused of shooting their parents in 1989.

She alleges the DA has a bias against the brothers and claims he has violated a law meant to protect victims’ rights.

“The law requires fairness, not personal vendettas,” Anamaria Baralt, a cousin of the brothers, said in a statement. “Erik and Lyle have not only taken responsibility, they’ve become the kind of men this system is supposed to help create. If rehabilitation doesn’t matter here, when does it?”

Hochman’s office denied any political influence on their decision-making in their reply and doubled down on the position that Erik and Lyle Menendez “fabricated their self-defence claim” in the murders of their parents and had not achieved full rehabilitation.

If their bid for resentencing fails, the brothers could still have a chance at freedom. California Governer Gavin Newsom has ordered the parole board to investigate whether the pair would pose a risk to the public if they were to be released.

The parole board is scheduled to hold its final hearings June 13.

Originally published as Huge update in Netflix show murder case as the Menendez Brothers’ freedom hinges on crucial hearing