Could the Menendez brothers be freed?
The case of two brothers who were convicted of killing their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989 has been thrust back into the spotlight thanks to a Netflix drama telling their story.
Lyle Menendez, 56, and his 53-year-old brother Erik are serving life in prison without parole for the shotgun murders of their father and mother – Jose and Kitty Menendez.
But weeks after the release of a Netflix drama about the brothers called Monsters and a new documentary, their family has called for their release.
But what is the case for the brothers’ freedom? Is there new evidence, and can they get out?
What the family says
The Menendez brothers, who were were 21 and 18 at the time their parents died, admitted shooting them before they were found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder in 1996.
But they claim they killed their mother and father in self-defence after enduring physical, emotional and sexual abuse over many years.
On 17 October, two dozen extended family members gathered for a news conference in Los Angeles.
Jose Menendez’s niece Anamaria Baralt spoke on their behalf, telling reporters: “Both sides of the family are united, sharing a new bond of hope.
Anamaria Baralt speaks at the family’s news conference. Pic: Reuters
“This is about truth, justice and healing… Their continued incarceration serves no rehabilitative purpose.”
Ms Baralt said the brothers were victims of a “culture that was not ready to listen”, as she called on the district attorney’s office to “take into account the full picture”.
Joan Andersen VanderMolen, Kitty Menendez’s sister, also told reporters: “I had no idea the extent of the abuse they suffered at the hands of my brother-in-law. None of us did.
“We know that abuse has long effects, and victims of trauma sometimes act in ways that are very difficult to understand.”
Family not entirely united
Kitty Menendez’s brother, Milton Andersen, 90, has said “the appropriate sentence” for the pair was life in prison without parole.
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His lawyer said: “He believes that there was no molestation that occurred. He believes that the motive was pure greed, because they had just learned that they were going to be taken out of the will.”
An old defence with new evidence
The Menendez brothers have maintained their parents abused them since they were first charged with the murders.
Prosecutors at the time contended there was no evidence of any molestation. They said the brothers were after their parents’ multimillion-dollar estate.
The jury in their first trial in 1993 was deadlocked before the jury in their second trial found them guilty, rejecting a death sentence in favour of life without parole.
Lyle Menendez confers with brother Erik during trial in 1991. Pic: AP
But their lawyers argue that because of society’s changing views on sexual abuse, the brothers may not have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole today.
They say they should have been charged with manslaughter rather than murder, but this was not an option for the jury during the second trial.
The brothers’ defence team also say they’ve uncovered a letter that Erik Menendez had written to his cousin that was dated months before the murders, in which he talked about what he said was abuse from his father and being afraid of him.
LA district attorney George Gascon briefly shared the letter to his Instagram page before deleting the post.
In the handwritten letter, Erik wrote: “I’ve been trying to avoid dad… every night, I stay up thinking he might come in.”
He also said he was “afraid” and that he needed to “put it out of my mind” and “stop thinking about it”.
Roy Rossello, a former member of the band Menudo, also spoke out in the Peacock documentary series Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed, alleging he was also raped by Jose Menendez.
Is there a real chance brothers could be freed?
Yes, because prosecutors in Los Angeles are currently reviewing the brothers’ convictions, with a court hearing scheduled for 26 November.
The brothers’ lawyers have asked them to look at whether the pair have been rehabilitated, based on their behaviour in prison.
If the court rules they have, the brothers could be released, or have their sentence reduced.
The lawyers have also submitted the letter Erik wrote to his cousin as new evidence, saying it was not seen by the jury when the brothers were sentenced in 1996 and could have influenced their decision.
If the court rules in their favour on this point but not on their rehabilitation, it could lead to a retrial.
Joseph Lyle Menéndez and Erik Galen Menéndez. Pics: Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility
In a news conference, Mr Gascon clarified that the review was not to determine whether or not the brothers killed their parents, saying it was “factual” and “well established” that they had.
He also said more than 300 people had been resentenced during his term as district attorney and that only four had gone on to reoffend.
Have the brothers reacted to the review?
Erik’s wife Tammi Menendez has commented on his behalf on social media, writing on X: “We truly value the support we’ve received following the District Attorney’s statement. We hold onto hope that this November will bring the resolution we have all been wishing for. We would deeply appreciate your ongoing prayers as we await their official response.”
After the family’s news conference, she added: “Erik feels deeply grateful and profoundly humbled by the overwhelming outpouring of love and support from his family today. Their belief in him and encouragement, care, and understanding mean more to him than words can express.”
One person has died in a bomb explosion near a reproductive health clinic in California, authorities have said.
The incident took place in Palm Springs, a city two hours east of Los Angeles, and is being investigated as a possible car explosion.
The city’s mayor Ron DeHarte said one person died in the blast, adding that the bomb was “either in or near” a vehicle. The deceased’s identity is not known, Palm Springs police said.
Dr Maher Abdallah, who runs the American Reproductive Centers clinic, told the Associated Press his facility was damaged but all staff were safe and accounted for.
The explosion damaged the office space where the practice conducts patient consultations, but the IVF lab and stored embryos were unharmed, he added.
“I really have no clue what happened,” he said. “Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients.”
Debris covers the ground after the explosion. Pic: ABC7 Los Angeles/AP
In a statement posted on Facebook the clinic said it was “heartbroken” to learn someone died in the explosion and added: “Our deepest condolences go out to the individuals and families affected.”
It continued: “Our mission has always been to help build families, and in times like these, we are reminded of just how fragile and precious life is.
“In the face of this tragedy, we remain committed to creating hope – because we believe that healing begins with community, compassion, and care.
The clinic will be fully operational on Monday, it added.
“This moment has shaken us – but it has not stopped us. We will continue to serve with strength, love, and the hope that brings new life into the world,” the statement concluded.
Pic: ABC7 Los Angeles/AP
The Palm Springs city government said in a post on Facebook that the explosion happened on North Indian Canyon Drive, near East Tachevah Drive, before 11am local time (6pm GMT).
A burned-out car can be seen in a parking lot behind the building in aerial footage.
The blast caved in the clinic’s roof and blew debris across four lanes of the road.
Another person said he was inside a cannabis dispensary nearby when he felt a massive explosion.
Nima Tabrizi said: “The building just shook, and we go outside and there’s massive cloud smoke.”
Investigators from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are travelling to the scene to help assess what happened.
California governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the explosion, his press office said.
A former FBI director has been interviewed by the US Secret Service over a social media post that Republicans say was a call for violence against President Donald Trump.
James Comey, who led the FBI from 2013 until he was fired in 2017 by Mr Trump during his first term in office, shared a photo of seashells appearing to form the numbers “86 47”.
James Comey later removed the Instagram post. File pic: AP
He captioned the Instagram post: “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”
Some have interpreted the post as a threat, alleging that 86 47 means to violently remove Mr Trump from office, including by assassination.
Mr Comey later removed the post, saying he thought the numbers “were a political message” and that he was not aware that the numeric arrangement could be associated with violence.
“I didn’t realise some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind, so I took the post down,” Mr Comey said.
Mr Trump rejected the former FBI director’s explanation, telling Fox News: “He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant… that meant assassination.”
Donald Trump Jr accused Mr Comey of “casually calling for my dad to be murdered”.
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed in a post on X that Mr Comey had been interviewed as part of “an ongoing investigation” but gave no indication of whether he might face further action.
The Secret Service is part of the Department of Homeland Security.
White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich said Mr Comey had put out “what can clearly be interpreted as a hit on the sitting president of the United States”.
“This is deeply concerning to all of us and is being taken seriously,” Mr Budowich wrote on X.
Another White House official James Blair said the post was a “Clarion Call (…) to terrorists & hostile regimes to kill the President of the United States as he travels in the Middle East”.
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Mr Trump fired Mr Comey in May 2017 for botching an investigation into 2016 democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, the White House said at the time.
While Mr Comey was the director of the FBI, the agency opened an investigation into possible collusion between the Trump 2016 presidential campaign and Russia to help get Mr Trump elected.
The Trump administration is considering a TV show whereby immigrants compete for the prize of US citizenship, the Department for Homeland Security has confirmed.
It would see contestants compete in tasks across different states and include trivia and “civic” challenges, according to the producer who pitched the idea.
Participants could battle it out to build a rocket at NASA headquarters, Rob Worsoff suggested.
Confirming the administration was considering the idea, Department for Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said: “We need to revive patriotism and civic duty in this country, and we’re happy to review out-of-the-box pitches. This pitch has not received approval or rejection by staff.”
It comes amid hardline immigration measures implemented by President Donald Trump on his return to office in January.
Since being back in the White House he has ordered “mass deportations” and used the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged gang members to countries in Central and South America.
Rob Worsoff in 2013. Pic: AP
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Mr Worsoff, who is a Canadian-American citizen, said his pitch was inspired by his own naturalisation process.
He cautioned that those who “lost” the gameshow would not be punished or deported but said the details of how it would work would be down to TV networks and federal officials.
The producer said the US was in need of “a national conversation about what it means to be American”.
He said the show, if accepted by a network, would “get to know” contestants and “their stories and their journeys”, while “celebrating them as humans”.
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Behind the scenes of Trump trip
Meanwhile, the Department for Homeland Security has asked for 20,000 National Guard troops from various states to assist with its efforts rounding up illegal immigrants.
Currently, the federal Enforcement and Removals Operations agency only has around 7,700 staff – but the boost would help fulfil Mr Trump’s inauguration promises.
The Trump administration has already recruited 10,000 troops under state and federal orders to bolster the US-Mexico border.
Some have now been given the power to detain migrants within a newly militarised strip of land just adjacent to it.
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