George Gascon, the Los Angeles County District Attorney, has announced that his office will be reviewing the murder case of the infamous parent-killers, Erik and Lyle Menendez, who have been in prison for the last three decades for their crime. This comes after the release of a new Netflix Series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which has been insanely popular among viewing audiences. And, as one who has viewed the content, I can say, it’s very good, well done, and worth a watch.
According to Gascon, some brand new evidence has surfaced that could potentially add some oomph to the brothers’ allegations that they were sexually abused by their parents — both at some point, but mostly by their father Jose Menendez — which was presented during the trial as their motive for the slayings. Lyle was 20, Eric 18, at the time the crimes were committed. Both boys entered the Beverley Hills mansion where their parents lived in 1989 and executed them with shotguns. The allegations of molestation were presented at the brothers’ first trial but withheld for the second one, which resulted in a first-degree murder conviction. They are still behind bars today.
“I’m not leaning in any direction right now,” Gascón said, according to a report from People. “We have people in the office that are looking at this very carefully, very experienced lawyers that are looking at this. Their recommendation will be presented to me, but the final decision will be mine.”
“We are reviewing the information, but I think it’s also important that we recognize that both men and women can be the victims of sexual assault,” he added, going on to state that his office has “a moral and an ethical obligation to review what is being presented to us.”
“If there was evidence that was not presented to the court at that time, and had that evidence been presented, perhaps a jury would have come to a different conclusion,” the DA finished.
via The Daily Wire:
This latest update in the case follows a petition created last year on behalf of the brothers after the release of the Peacock docuseries, “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed.” The project included the child sex abuse allegations and also alleged that the boys’ father, music executive Jose Menendez, had sexually assaulted a 13-year-old member of the 1980s boy band Menudo, the outlet noted. The update from the Los Angeles County DA comes on the heels of the recently-released Netflix miniseries “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.” The popular series doesn’t attempt to paint the brothers as innocent or justified in the murders.
Series creator Ryan Murphy said last week he wasn’t trying to be an “advocate” for the brothers.
“I believe in justice, but I don’t believe in being a part of that machine,” Murphy commented, per Variety. “That’s not my job. My job as an artist was to tell a perspective in a particular story. I feel I’ve done that, but I wish them well.”
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“We gave them their moment in the court of public opinion. Basically, we did give them a platform,” the series creator said. “I think they can be out of prison by Christmas. I really believe that.”
Younger brother Erik was not too thrilled with the new show, releasing a statement criticizing it, but Murphy stated that the all of the new attention the series is getting could end up getting them out of prison.
“The thing that’s kind of painful is that the family was so outrageously against the show and spoke out so vociferously against it. But then the thing that they thought would hurt them is actually helping them,” Murphy explained. “That doesn’t feel so great.”