Los Angeles DA Recommends Resentencing in Menendez Brothers' Murder Case

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced his recommendation that Lyle and Erik Menendez should be resentenced in a shocking decision.

In 1996, the siblings were sentenced to two consecutive life prison terms without parole. The highly-anticipated decision determined whether Erik and Lyle Menendez will be resentenced or get a new trial.

During a press conference on Thursday, October 24, Gascón said: "We don't have a universal agreement, there's people in the office that strongly believe the Menendez brothers should stay in prison for the rest of their life, they do not believe they were molested," Gascón said. "After careful review... [...] under the law, resentencing is appropriate, and I'm going to recommend that to the court tomorrow. What that means in this case, [...] life without the possibility of parole will be removed."

"We have resentenced over 300 people, including 20 people of murder, only four have reoffended," Gascón added.

He did call the crimes "horrible," as there's "no excuse for murder," and his decision "doesn't excuse their behavior" as they should have "sought help."

"We encourage those who disagree with us to speak, and the court is the appropriate place to do it," he continued. "We're sure not only that the brothers have been rehabilitated... but they have paid their dues."

"We are filing for resentencing tomorrow, life with the possibility of parole, [...] that means they would have 50 years to life because there were two murders," Gascón said. They are now "eligible for youthful parole."

The controversial brothers, who were 21 and 18 at the time, murdered their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, at their Beverly Hills home in 1989. Erik initially claimed unknown intruders were responsible for the murders as a potential mob hit, but after authorities investigated, suspicions grew after the brothers lavishly spent their multimillion-dollar inheritance.

During a recorded session with his psychologist, Erik later confessed to the killings. They were arrested months later.

Their legal battle inspired Ryan Murphy's hit Netflix series 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.'

"There's actually two different camps in my office. I have a group of people ... that are adamant that they should spend the rest of their life in prison and that they were not molested," Gascón told CNN's Jake Tapper Tuesday, October 22. "I have other people in the office that believe actually, that they probably were molested and that they deserve to have some relief."

Amid the DA's efforts to secure a resentencing, a political commentator has come out to accuse him of leveraging the case to secure a win come Election Day and keep his position in Los Angeles County.

"The district attorney has turned the troubled brothers into a political prop," politics reporter and writer Alexander Nazaryan claimed in an opinion piece published for 'MSNBC' on October 20. He also pointed out how Gascón seemingly jumped on the case at the most suspicious time while trailing his rival candidate Nathan Hochman by 30% in the polls.

Gascón announced his interest in reviewing the convictions of the Menendez brothers weeks after the Netflix series dropped and new evidence was submitted, backing up the allegations of the sexual abuse the siblings suffered at the hands of their own father. Under a new California law, per 'Fox News,' district attorneys have the authority to request new sentences that were handed down before they took office.

Per 'USA Today,' more than 20 family members told reporters Wednesday, October 23, that they encouraged Gascón to free the Menendez brothers in light of the new evidence, which they say demonstrates the abuse the brothers suffered at the hands of their father.

Originally published on Enstarz.