Menendez brothers murder case: Prosecutors examine new evidence – as Kim Kardashian calls for her release | US News

Prosecutors in Los Angeles are examining new evidence that could lead to release or a new trial in the case of two brothers convicted of killing their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion.

Lyle Menendez, 56, and his brother Erik, 53, are serving life sentences without parole for the 1989 shotgun murders.

Her father and mother – Jose and Kitty Menendez – were shot several times at close range. Lyle was 21 and Erik 18 at the time.

The Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon confirmed Thursday that the brothers will face trial in November after his office received new evidence that it said corroborated allegations that Erik Menendez was sexually abused by his father, a music executive.

The brothers said they killed their parents in self-defense after suffering a lifetime of physical, emotional and sexual abuse from them.

Their lawyers argue that because of society's changing views on sexual abuse today, the brothers may not have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Prosecutors at the time claimed there was no evidence of harassment. They said the brothers were after their parents' multi-million dollar estate.

The case has been in the spotlight in recent weeks after a Netflix dramatization of her story – who has earned Erik Menendez accusations of “dishonesty” – is currently number one in the streamer’s viewership list.

Cooper Koch, the actor who plays Erik Menendez in Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story, told Sky News that he “stands by” and “supports” the brothers. in their demand for a new trial.

He said: “I fully stand behind them and support them and can only hope that the justice system makes the right decision.”

US reality star Kim Kardashianwho often advocates for prison reform, has also urged prosecutors to reconsider the life sentences for the Menendez brothers.

“They are not monsters. They are kind, intelligent and honest men.” she wrote in an essay for Sky's US partner network NBC Newsafter visiting the brothers in prison last month.

“As is often the case, this story is much more complex than it seems at first glance. Both brothers said they were sexually, physically and emotionally abused by their parents for years.”

“According to Lyle, the abuse began when he was just six years old, and Erik said he was raped by his father for more than a decade.

“After years of abuse and genuine fear for their lives, Erik and Lyle chose what they believed at the time was their only way out – an unimaginable way to escape their nightmare.”

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She said “despite overwhelming family testimony acknowledging the abuse suffered by Erik and Lyle,” the brothers had no chance of a fair trial amid public skepticism.

“Back then, there were limited resources for victims of sexual abuse, particularly boys,” she said. “There were virtually no systems in place to support survivors, and public awareness of the trauma of men’s sexual abuse was minimal and often clouded by preconceived judgments and homophobia.”

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“Robbed of her childhood by her parents, then robbed of any chance at freedom by a criminal justice system that seeks to punish her without considering the context or understanding the 'why,' and without caring whether the punishment fits the crime “Erik and Lyle” were convicted before the trial even began,” she said.

“The murders are inexcusable. I want to make that clear,” she said, adding: “Had this crime been committed and tried today, I think the outcome would have been completely different.”