District Attorney George Gascón of Los Angeles County is supporting clemency requests for Lyle and Erik Menendez, who are serving life sentences for killing their parents in 1989. Gascón believes that the brothers, who have served 34 years in prison, have shown rehabilitation efforts and should be considered for clemency. The brothers have submitted requests for clemency to Governor Gavin Newsom, separate from Gascón’s recommendation to resentence them to 50 years to life.
The Menendez brothers, who were convicted of murder in 1996, claimed that their father had sexually abused them, although most of these claims were deemed inadmissible in court. Gascón’s resentencing recommendation could make the brothers eligible for parole immediately due to their young ages at the time of the crime.
Both Lyle and Erik Menendez have earned degrees while in prison and have worked to help other inmates through program creation, according to their attorneys. They also argue that the brothers were sexually abused by their father, making them exemplary candidates for clemency at ages 56 and 53. The brothers shot their parents with shotguns in 1989 and were first tried in 1993, resulting in mistrials before being convicted in 1996.
Governor Newsom’s office has not publicly commented on the clemency requests, as these applications are confidential. A hearing is scheduled for December to determine if the Menendez brothers should be resentenced as recommended by Gascón.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com
