Menendez Brothers Home For The Holidays? L.A. DA Backs Clemency Request By Siblings To Governor

Thanks to the recent direct intervention of the Los Angeles County District Attorney Erik Menendez and Lyle Menendez are already looking at a possible resentencing and the option of parole after nearly 30 years behind bars for the 1989 murder of their parents.

Now, incumbent George Gascón is asking California Governor Gavin Newsom to step in and get the siblings out of state prison ASAP.

“I write in strong support of Lyle Menendez’s petition for clemency submitted to your office on October 28, 2024,” wrote the incumbent DA in a short letter today to the Governor as a follow up to a request from the brothers’ attorneys “Mr. Menendez is currently 56 years old serving his 34th year in prison at the RJ Donovan Correctional Facility,” Gascón added. In a separate letter, the DA said: “I write in strong support of Erik Menendez’s petition for clemency submitted to your office on October 28, 2024. Mr. Menendez is currently 54 years old serving his 34th year in prison at the RJ Donovan Correctional Facility.”

 The brothers “have respectively served 34 years and have continued their educations and worked to create new programs to support the rehabilitation of fellow inmates,” Gascón noted in a follow up statement Wednesday.

The Governor’s office did not respond to request from Deadline about the letters from the D.A. or next steps Newsom may take in the once again high profile matter. If we do hear from the Governor’s office on this case, this post will be updated.

This latest unconventional move by Gascón comes as a new judge was named in the Menendez brothers’ case and a December 11 hearing set for the resentencing of the siblings very publicly recommended last week by the DA’s self declared divided office. Additionally, there is a November 25 hearing coming up on a defense petition for reconsideration from defense attorney Mark Geragos that the duo be resentenced on the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. If successful, such a resentencing would likely see the now over 50 years old brothers out of the San Diego facility they are both  incarcerated in within days.

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