Brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez Murder Case: A Timeline of Key Events

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Thursday that his office will review new evidence in the case of Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were convicted in the 1989 murders of their parents in Beverly Hills.

The brothers said they killed their parents – Jose Menendez and Kitty Menendez – in self-defense after enduring a lifetime of physical, emotional and sexual abuse at their hands. Prosecutors at the time claimed there was no evidence of harassment. They said the sons were after their parents' multi-million dollar estate.

The case has gained new attention in recent weeks after Netflix began airing the true crime drama “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”

Here's a look at the key events that transpired in this case.

August 20, 1989 – Jose and Kitty Menendez were shot to death in their Beverly Hills mansion.

March 8, 1990 – Lyle Menendez is arrested. Erik was in Israel for a tennis tournament and turned himself in to the Los Angeles police.

July 20, 1993 – The first trial against the brothers begins. It was a media day when the trial began. The Menendez brothers emotionally described years of sexual abuse at the hands of their parents. They argued that they killed their parents in self-defense. The jury disagreed and the trial ended in a mistrial.

August 21, 1995 – The second trial begins.

March 20, 1996 – A Los Angeles jury convicts Erik and Lyle Menendez of first-degree murder in the killing of their parents.

July 2, 1996 – You were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

2023 – The brothers filed a motion for a new hearing based on new evidence.

October 3, 2024 – Gascón said lawyers in his office are studying the possibility that the Menendez brothers would be entitled to have their case retried or resentenced. A hearing was scheduled for next month.

City News Service and the Associated Press contributed to this report.