Menendez brothers could be released from prison before Christmas: report

Erik and Lyle Menendez could be home in time for Christmas, nearly 30 years after they were found guilty of gunning down their wealthy parents in their lavish Beverly Hills mansion.

A judge could let the pair walk free as early as Dec. 11, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón had recommended reducing the brothers’ life sentences for the 1989 shotgun murders of their parents, citing new evidence — including a bombshell hand-written letter from Erik Menendez to his cousin before the slaying claiming his father had sexually abused him.

After a meeting between the brothers’ lawyers and Judge Michael V. Jesic of the LA County Superior Court, the court agreed to a December hearing in which Jesic may downgrade their sentence from first-degree murder to manslaughter, according to the LA Times.

The killer siblings would immediately walk free, having served three times the maximum sentence for that crime.

The Menendez brothers’ attorney, Mark Geragos, is also seeking clemency from Gov. Gavin Newsom with the aim of getting the pair out of the slammer before Thanksgiving, ABC 7 reported.

In 1989, Erik and Lyle — the sons of wealthy music executive José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez — bought shotguns and pumped multiple rounds into both parents as they watched TV in their Beverly Hills mansion. 

Before they were charged, the two went on a spending spree with their $14 million inheritance. Their lavish purchases included luxury travel, a sports car, Rolex watches, two restaurants for Lyle and a full-time tennis coach for Erik.

In the courtroom, the two admitted to the killings but claimed they were self-defense for a lifetime of abuse, including sexual abuse by their father.

They requested a hearing for a reduced sentence in 2023 after new evidence surfaced about their fathers’ history of sexual abuse, and a 2024 Netflix documentary about the case sparked new public interest.

Several family members have rallied behind the brothers, calling for their release in a press conference earlier this month, shortly after the DA released a screenshot of the letter by Erik to his cousin, written years before the murders, claiming his father sexually abused him.