Are the Menendez brothers being released soon? By: Conrad Paintin

With recent releases like Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and The Menendez Brothers the Menendez case has resurfaced in the public eye and a sudden interest in the brothers has been redeveloped. The case has always turned heads and piqued interest since the murders happened in 1986, but with progressive thinking people are seeing the error with the case's initial outcome. Two millionaires were shot and killed in their Beverly Hills mansion by their radical sons who wanted their parents' money, this would be considered a brief outline of the case. The boys hired a famous Mrs. Leslie Abramson who would represent them using the “Abuse Excuse” a popular method used to create pity for the accused. This of course did not work given both Lyle and Erik are still serving their sixty-year sentence. Though with new evidence found last year, the chances of them being released are high.

The new hit Netflix show Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story has really got people invested in the brothers again and a lot of people who were not even alive when it happened know a sizeable amount about the brother and the case itself. Marley Nelson, a member of the sophomore class at Hillgrove High School, says, “Unbelievable?  I mean, I don't agree with that at all because I feel like it's hard to make up things like that, especially with the amount of detail they went into. Like, they're describing of the situation.” Still, most stories have two sides. A teacher and coach at Hillgrove High school, Coach Merrill, expresses, “Um a little bit scared because I don't think that their state, I don't know how stable they are. you know, what I it's hard to say whether they're right or wrong because I don't know enough um, but I do think that it sounds like they're mentally unstable and they would need you know, but whether so I don't know, I don't know how to feel about it..” Given the brutality of the case, the Menendez brothers have hindered their appearance in the public eye, which has caused a divide in thinking when it comes to innocence. 

Given the tragedy of what happened some ventured to say it was not true and that it was all made up in order to muster pity for the boys so that their imprisonment would be shortened or terminated. This idea was supported by the lack of physical evidence. However, in 2023 a letter from Erik Menendez written to his cousin Andy Canon describe Erik hardships and the abuse he was going through eight months before the murders even took place. It was a legal injustice to put these abused boys in jail. “I think it's cause the justice system failed, we need to get them out of jail,” (Marley Nelson). Mia Hoage, a tenth grader at Hillgrove, states, “They shot their parents and hid it and when they got caught people just jumped to conclusions that they killed their parents out of cold blood and nor for any real reason." In 1986 the residents of Beverly Hills did not know how to react, so fear flooded the daily gossip. In fear of these “murders” the state painted them as monsters, separated them, and then threw them in jail. 

Though, there is light for a better future for these victims that were misjudged. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office is reviewing the case based on a new testimony from Roy Rosello, a member of the Cuban band Menudo, says he was also abused by Jose Menendez. This along with the letter has caused the case to be reexamined, meaning the brothers might get a fair trial this time around.