Menendez Brothers Secure Legal Win Ahead of Parole Hearing

LOS ANGELES, California – Infamous brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez, convicted of murdering their parents in a shotgun massacre in 1989, have received a legal victory as they prepare for a parole hearing scheduled for August.

The Menendez brothers, who admitted to the killings but claimed they acted in self-defense due to years of abuse, have presented new evidence they believe could lead to their acquittal. According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, a ruling on July 8 mandates the state to justify its decision to bar this evidence during their trial.

Erik Menendez alleged to his cousin in late 1988 that their father, Jose Menendez, sexually abused both him and Lyle. Additionally, Roy Rossello, a former member of the boy band Menudo, stated in an affidavit that he was raped by Jose Menendez in the early 1980s. Rossello’s claim comes nearly 40 years after the alleged incident.

The brothers filed a habeas petition in March 2023, arguing that the absence of the Cano letter and Rossello’s testimony at their trial impacted the jury’s verdict against them. Their legal team contends that presenting this evidence could have resulted in a different outcome.

In a response to the petition, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office dismissed the claims as “untimely” and asserted that the affidavit lacked credibility. However, Judge William C. Ryan ruled that this evidence merits further examination, granting the brothers a prima facie case for habeas relief.

Prosecutors now have 30 days to respond, outlining why this new evidence should not lead to the granting of relief for the Menendez brothers.

Since being resentenced in May, the brothers have been serving a 50 years to life sentence with the possibility of parole, a departure from their previous life sentence without parole. They have been incarcerated for 35 years.