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Nearly three decades after their 1996 conviction for the parents’ murders, the Menendez brothers built momentum trying to carve a new path toward possible freedom – this time, with the help of Hollywood.
From Netflix’s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” which received an eyebrow-raising 11 Emmy nominations, to viral podcasts, the media spotlights have reignited public debate over their case and set the stage for resentencing and parole bids.
Critics argue the newfound attention is less about justice and more about entertainment.
“The resentencing of the Menendez brothers speaks directly to the power and influence that social media and new media have on our society,” Adam Guillette, the president of Accuracy in Media, told Fox News Digital.
“Why did the elected Los Angeles district attorney revisit this case? Was it suddenly an urgent public safety issue for his constituents? No, but it received a ton of attention on podcasts and on Netflix.”
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Lyle and Erik Menendez are seen as young men with their mugshots overlayed. The brothers are currently serving life sentences for the murders of their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez in 1996. (Ronald L. Soble/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Supporters of Erik and Lyle Menendez see the spotlight differently, arguing that renewed public interest has shed light on the childhood abuse and trauma that the brothers say they endured in their gilded Beverly Hills upbringing.
Their attorneys say that the series, movies and podcasts have created space for a more sympathetic view of the brothers’ shotgun murders in 1989 and bolstered a push for second chances.
Cooper Koch, left, who played Erik Menendez on Netflix’s “Monsters,” appears outside a Los Angeles courthouse on Friday, April 11, 2025. A judge ultimately agreed to reduce the Menendez brothers’ sentences. (KTTV)
How pop culture revived their story
The brothers, who were 18 and 21 at the time of the murders, have long been acquainted with the media frenzy. Their first trial in the 1990s was a televised spectacle that drew millions, and in the years since, the brothers’ story has been reimagined on screen repeatedly.
The Lifetime movie “Menendez: Blood Brothers” offered one dramatization, while most recently, Netflix’s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” introduced the case to a new generation of viewers.
The cultural resonance has extended beyond scripted dramas, with reality star Kim Kardashian publicly voicing interest in the case.
Following the Netflix series, Kardashian visited the brothers in their San Diego prison. Following her visit, Kardashian penned in an op-ed that: “They are not monsters. They are kind, intelligent, and honest men.”
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Kim Kardashian noted on Thursday that the convicted murderers could be released in as little as six months following the prosecutors’ recommendation. (Kim Kardashian/Instagram)
Following the May decision that allowed Erik and Lyle Menendez to be resentenced for the 1989 murders of their parents, Kardashian took to social media to congratulate the pair.
“Thank you, George Gascon, for revisiting the Menendez brothers’ case and righting a significant wrong. Your commitment to truth and fairness is commendable,” she wrote of the then-Los Angeles district attorney.
“To the brothers’ family, friends and millions who have been vocal supporters – your voices were heard,” she added.
Kim Kardashian has expressed her support for the Menendez brothers. (James Devaney)
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The 44-year-old socialite has been a vocal advocate of prison reform, who previously worked with the Trump White House to reduce sentences for several convicts found guilty of non-violent offenses.
How the resentencing bid began
A snap of Erik Menendez from his childhood. (The Menendez Family/A&E Network)
The Menendez brothers’ path toward resentencing began in 2023, when their defense team filed a habeas corpus petition that presented new evidence of long-alleged abuse.
Among the submissions was a 1988 letter from Erik Menendez referencing his father’s abuse, along with claims from former Menudo member Roy Rosselló, who alleged that José Menendez had sexually assaulted him years earlier.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon, right, shakes hands with members of the Menendez family after addressing the case of brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez at a news conference at the Hall of Justice in Los Angeles, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
By October 2024, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón seized on the petition, recommending the brothers’ sentences be reduced from life without parole to 50 years to life.
His decision, which would make the men eligible for parole under California’s youthful offender laws, came at a moment when his own reelection campaign was struggling and his poll numbers were faltering.
The resentencing process proved turbulent, with the hearing postponed several times due to scheduling conflicts and the devastating California wildfires.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman speaks to the media outside court in Van Nuys, CA, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
After Gascón lost reelection, the newly-elected, tough-on-crime District Attorney Nathan Hochman attempted to reverse course, arguing the brothers had never taken full responsibility for their crimes and were not remorseful.
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A sketch depicts (l-r) Erik and Lyle Menendez as they appear remotely at superior court in Van Nuys, California, Friday, April 11, 2025. (Bill Robles)
But in April 2025, a judge ruled that the process would move forward despite Hochman’s objections. On May 13, the Menendez brothers were formally resentenced to 50 years to life, opening the door to parole consideration.
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Throughout the process, the brothers’ extended family has been steadfast in backing their release.
On Thursday, the parole board denied Erik Menendez’s bid for release in San Diego. On Friday, the parole board also denied Lyle Menendez’s bid for release.
Fox News’ Brie Stimson contributed to this report.