Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing
Lyle and Erik Menendez, the infamous brothers who are currently serving life sentences without the possibility of parole, have received potentially life changing news.
Back in 1996, The Menendez brothers pleaded guilty to murdering their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, and were sentenced to life behind bars.
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At the time of the murders, which took place in 1989, the brothers were aged just 18 and 21, respectively.
They allege the killings, which have been dramatised in Netflix's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, took place in self defence after suffering emotional, physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their father - all while their mother allegedly knew but did nothing to protect them.
The brothers maintain their harrowing claims and have the support of much of their remaining family, who are passionate about their release.
Lyle claims he was abused between the ages of six and eight, while Erik says he was abused from the age of six to 18.
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When Lyle discovered Erik was being abused, the two decided to kill their parents after confronting their father, with them believing he would eventually murder them himself to keep the scandal private.
Having now served 34 years in prison, the Menendez brothers have tried and failed numerous times to appeal - but following new evidence that supports their abuse claims, they have received a new hearing date for next month, on 29 November.
George Gascón, Los Angeles District Attorney, confirmed the news in a press conference yesterday (3 October).
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He stated: "We have been given evidence. We have been given a photocopy of a letter that allegedly was sent by one of the brothers to another family member talking about him being the victim of molestation."
He continued: "We’ve also got evidence that was provided by the defense, by his lawyers, that one of the members of the Menudo band [Roy Rosselló] alleged that he was molested by the father.”
The trial could lead to a resentencing of the brothers, or a retrial.
Gascón confirmed no decisions have yet been made.
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He added: "We are not at this point ready to say that we either believe or do not believe that information, but we’re here to tell you is that we have a moral and an ethical obligation to review what is being presented to us and make a determination based on a resentencing side, whether they deserve to be resentenced — even though they were clearly the murderers — because they have been in prison for years and they have paid back their dues to society.
"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.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.
Kya Buller