‘MENTAL GYMNASTICS’

Judge Rejects Menendez Brothers’ Bid for Retrial

Erik and Lyle Menendez killed their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in 1989 and were convicted at a second trial in 1996.

A Los Angeles judge rejected a “last-ditch” effort to grant a retrial to Erik and Lyle Menendez, the brothers responsible for the high-profile 1989 killing of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. L.A. Superior Court Judge William Ryan ruled Monday that the brothers lacked sufficient evidence to prove that their murder convictions warranted a retrial, despite a May 2023 filing of a letter that potentially confirmed that Erik was a victim of sexual abuse from his father. “The court finds that these two pieces of evidence presented here would not have resulted in a hung jury, nor in the conviction of a lesser instructed offense,” Judge Ryan said. “Neither piece of newly discover [sic] evidence is particularly strong,” Ryan continued. In response to the rejection, Lyle posted on Facebook, calling the decision “disappointing,” and vowed to continue fighting for his freedom. “To claim that another rape victim of Jose Menendez would not have affected the decision of at least one juror is quite the exercise in mental gymnastics,” Lyle wrote. In May, a separate judge resentenced the brothers to 50 years-to-life, making them eligible for parole hearings after spending decades behind bars. Both brothers held hearings last month, but were denied parole. The brothers are still awaiting a response on requests for clemency sent to California Gov. Gavin Newsom.