LA DA Backtracks on Menendez Brothers’ Resentencing Push!
The Menendez brothers’ push for release hit a major roadblock as Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced he would not recommend resentencing. Hochman stated that Erik and Lyle Menendez have failed to take full responsibility for the 1989 murders of their parents and that their self-defense claims are a series of “lies.”
Convicted in 1996 and sentenced to life without parole for the shotgun slayings of Jose and Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills home, the brothers have long argued they acted in self-defense due to years of abuse by their father.
Hochman, who took office in December, has now asked the court to withdraw a resentencing motion filed last year by former DA George Gascón, who had supported a lesser sentence that would make the brothers eligible for parole.
“The District Attorney’s Office is prepared to proceed with the court’s resentencing hearing, but we are requesting that the prior DA’s motion be withdrawn,” Hochman said in a statement.
Speaking at a press conference Monday, Hochman said his decision was based on the brothers’ failure to fully admit past lies, including their initial claims of innocence. He suggested he would reconsider if they made a clear and unequivocal admission of deception over the past 30 years.
Despite the DA’s opposition, the court still has the power to move forward with the resentencing hearing set for March 20.
Menendez Family Slams DA’s Opposition, Calls It Politically Motivated
The Justice for Erik and Lyle Coalition, led by the Menendez family, is accusing Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman of using the brothers as political pawns.
“District Attorney Hochman made it clear today he is holding Erik, Lyle, and our family hostage,” the coalition said in a statement.
The family condemned Hochman’s refusal to support resentencing, calling it a dismissal of the brothers’ long-standing claims of sexual abuse and a dangerous message to survivors. “He appears fixated on their trauma-driven response to the killings in 1989, ignoring the fact they were repeatedly abused, feared for their lives, and have atoned for their actions,” they said.
Hochman’s stance reverses former DA George Gascón’s recommendation that the brothers be resentenced to 50 years to life, which would have made them immediately eligible for parole. Hochman dismissed that move as a “desperate political decision.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom has also weighed in, ordering the state parole board to assess whether Erik and Lyle would pose a risk if released. Additionally, the brothers have submitted a clemency plea to Newsom, who has stated he will not make a decision until Hochman’s review is complete.
Despite the setbacks, the Menendez brothers, now in their 50s, continue to fight for freedom with the backing of most of their extended family.