Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón has proposed resentencing the Menendez brothers for their 1989 first-degree murder convictions of their parents, a move that was blasted as a “political stunt.”
Gascón announced his recommendation on Thursday, after public pressure mounted due to the an explosion of media attention from Netflix’s smash-hit docuseries, “Monsters,” which was released in September.
Erik and Lyle Menendez received life sentences without parole, but fans of the show argue that their actions were justified, citing claims of sexual abuse by their father, which were dramatized in the series.
“I do believe they were molested. They have been in prison for nearly 35 years. I believe that they have paid their debt to society,” Gascón stated at a Thursday press conference.
The DA noted that his office had carefully reviewed the case and he “came to a place” where he believed that “resentencing is appropriate.”
He announced that his office would recommend to the court that the “life without possibility of parole” be taken off the table and that they be sentenced for dual murder charges.
Deputy District Attorney John Lewin believes Gascón’s motives are to divert focus from his own negative press.
“George Gascón is in the process of suffering the worst and most humiliating defeat by an elected district attorney in probably the history of the United States,” Lewin said on Fox & Friends.
“He is down 30 points. He has no money. And because of that, what he’s had to do is to try and generate as much publicity as he can.”
Lewin also noted that just before Gascón’s announcement about revisiting the Menendez case, the LA Times reported on his refusal to prosecute a juvenile in a double murder case, who allegedly killed again.
Even if the Menendez brothers were abused as they claimed, Lewin argues, it doesn’t justify murder.
“They executed their parents. Basically blew them apart with shotguns … they ended up spending a bunch of money, and they opened the safe the next morning because they were very worried that there was a will,” he added.
Lewin insists the resentencing suggestion is merely for publicity. “George Gascón has 15,000 unfiled cases, including a bunch of sex cases, that he’s not paying attention to at all because they don’t generate publicity,” he noted. This is a publicity stunt designed to basically bait and switch the electorate.”
The Menendez brothers’ next court appearance is scheduled for November 26.
