Lyle and Erik Menendez have scored a major legal victory.
On Thursday, October 24, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced that he would formally ask the court to vacate the brothers’ decades-old murder convictions. Lyle and Erik have been behind bars since 1990, about a year after they fatally shot their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. They were found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
“We recommend to the court (on Friday) that life without parole be removed and they be convicted of murder,” Gascón told reporters. ABC News. “I believe they have paid their debt to society.”
Gascón said he is seeking 50 years to life in prison for Eric and Lyle, which under California law could make them eligible for parole because of their age at the time of the murders. (They were both under 26 when they killed their parents in their Beverly Hills home.)
The DA emphasized that his recommendation does not guarantee the brothers’ freedom, as the decision will be left to an LA Superior Court judge.
This story is being updated.