Kim Kardashian is celebrating the revisiting of the Menendez brothers’ case. On Thursday, October 25, 2024, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón recommended the resentencing of Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were were convicted in 1996 for the 1989 murders of their parents. They are currently serving life sentences without parole. Kardashian, who has previously advocated on behalf of the Menendez brothers, praised Gascón for his recommendation.
Per the Associated Press, Gascón filed a petition urging the court to resentence the Menendez brothers to 50 years to life. At the time of the murders, Erik Menendez was 18 years old and his brother Lyle was 21. They are now 54 and 56 years old, respectively. Under California law, they would be eligible for parole because they were younger than 26 when they committed the crime. Next, the petition will go before a judge. On October 24, Kim Kardashian took to Instagram to thank Gascón for revisiting the case.
“The Menendez brothers were granted a second chance at life and will wake up tomorrow finally eligible for a parole hearing,” Kardashian wrote in a post on her Instagram Stories. “They could be released as early as 6 months.” She praised Gascón’s “commitment to truth and fairness.”
“To the brother’s family, friends, and millions who have been vocal supporters — your voices were heard,” Kardashian continued. “The media’s focus, especially on the heels of Ryan Murphy’s TV show, helped expose the abuse and injustices in their case.”
More from LittleThings: Martha Stewart Alleges That She Was ‘Dragged Into Solitary’ During Her Prison Term
Earlier in October, Kim Kardashian wrote an essay calling for the Menendez brothers’ case to be revisited. In it, she argued that “Erik and Lyle had no chance of a fair trial” given that “the media turned the brothers into monsters and sensationalized eye candy — two arrogant, rich kids from Beverly Hills who killed their parents out of greed.”
She explained why the case is more complicated than it seems. “Both brothers said they had been sexually, physically and emotionally abused for years by their parents,” she wrote, adding that “following years of abuse and a real fear for their lives, Erik and Lyle chose what they thought at the time was their only way out — an unimaginable way to escape their living nightmare.”
Kardashian asserted that she was in no way making excuses — “the killings are not excusable,” she wrote at the time. But she has “spent time with Lyle and Erik” and believes that they are now “kind, intelligent, and honest men.”
“In prison, they both have exemplary disciplinary records. They have earned multiple college degrees, worked as caregivers for elderly incarcerated individuals in hospice, and been mentors in college programs — committed to giving back to others,” Kardashian explained in her essay.
Additionally, she believes that the outcome would be different if the Menendez brothers’ trial happened today given that “there were limited resources for victims of sexual abuse, particularly for boys” at the time. She reiterated this belief in her Instagram Stories post, writing that “society’s understanding of child abuse has evolved, and social media empowers us to question the systems in place.”
“This case highlights the importance of challenging decisions and seeking truth, even when guilt is not in question,” Kardashian continued. “I believe in the justice system’s ability to evolve, and I am grateful for a society where we can challenge decisions and seek justice. Never stop questioning.”
According to AP, if a Los Angeles Superior Court judge agrees with the district attorney’s resentencing recommendation, it will then move forward to a parole board. The parole board will determine “whether they are rehabilitated and safe to be released,” Gascón said, per USA Today.
