The county district attorney Los Angeles, George Gasconreported this Thursday that his office is evaluating new evidence of possible sexual abuse in the case of murder that involves the brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez.
The prosecutor reported in a press conference that the lawyers of the Menendez brotherscondemned since 1996 to life imprisonment for murder of his parents, José and Kitty Menendezasked a court to annul their conviction and review new evidence that has been made available to them.
Among the new evidence is “a letter that was supposedly sent by one of the brothers to another family member talking about he was a victim of abuse“, in addition to other evidence provided by his lawyers from a person who alleges “that he was abused by the father,” he said.
“None of this information has been confirmed,” insisted Gascón, who announced that a new court hearing has been set for Erik and Lyle Menéndez next November 29 to study these tests.
While the prosecution maintains that the brothers committed the murders, it is considering reviewing this evidence and making a decision on whether a new sentence is necessary.
- “If that evidence had been available to the court and jury at the time of the trial, perhaps the result could have been different,” Gascón said.
“We are reviewing the information, but I think it is also important that we recognize that both men and women can be victims of sexual assault,” he said.
The case
The Menendez brothers were sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for planning and executing the murder of his parents, José and Kitty, on the afternoon of August 20, 1986 in their home, located in a luxurious neighborhood of Beverly Hills, with some shotguns that they had bought days before the attack.
After the crime, the brothers told the authorities that they found the lifeless bodies of their parents after having spent the afternoon away from home.
- The case became especially relevant when the brothers began to follow a life of luxury and excess after accessing their father’s fortune, which raised the suspicions of the authorities.
Shortly after, the girlfriend of Erik’s psychologist alerted the police to the existence of recorded sessions in which he admitted and discussed his guilt.
Although the prosecution argued that they sought to inherit the family fortune, the brothers stated, and maintain to this day, that their actions were due to a life of physical, emotional and sexual abuse by their father.
