Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón on Thursday announced that his office would review the infamous Menendez brothers murder case more than 30 years after the killings.
Gascón said new evidence has emerged that could strengthen allegations that the siblings had been sexually abused, which has previously been presented as a motive for Lyle Menendez, then 20, and younger brother Erik, 18, to fatally shoot their parents at their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. The molestation accusations were presented in the first trial, which ended with a hung jury. Much of the evidence was withheld for their second trial when they were convicted of first-degree murder. Both remain behind bars.
“I’m not leaning in any direction right now,” Gascón said, per People. “We have people in the office that are looking at this very carefully, very experienced lawyers that are looking at this. Their recommendation will be presented to me, but the final decision will be mine.”
“We are reviewing the information, but I think it’s also important that we recognize that both men and women can be the victims of sexual assault,” he continued, saying that his office has “a moral and an ethical obligation to review what is being presented to us.”
“If there was evidence that was not presented to the court at that time, and had that evidence been presented, perhaps a jury would have come to a different conclusion,” the DA concluded.
This latest update in the case follows a petition created last year on behalf of the brothers after the release of the Peacock docuseries, “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed.” The project included the child sex abuse allegations and also alleged that the boys’ father, music executive Jose Menendez, had sexually assaulted a 13-year-old member of the 1980s boy band Menudo, the outlet noted.
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The update from the Los Angeles County DA comes on the heels of the recently-released Netflix miniseries “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.” The popular series doesn’t attempt to paint the brothers as innocent or justified in the murders.
Series creator Ryan Murphy said last week he wasn’t trying to be an “advocate” for the brothers.
“I believe in justice, but I don’t believe in being a part of that machine,” Murphy said, per Variety. “That’s not my job. My job as an artist was to tell a perspective in a particular story. I feel I’ve done that, but I wish them well.”
“We gave them their moment in the court of public opinion. Basically, we did give them a platform,” the series creator added. “I think they can be out of prison by Christmas. I really believe that.”
Erik has previously released a statement slamming the series, but Murphy said the newfound attention could result in the brothers getting out of prison.
“The thing that’s kind of painful is that the family was so outrageously against the show and spoke out so vociferously against it. But then the thing that they thought would hurt them is actually helping them,” said Murphy. “That doesn’t feel so great.”