Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Lyle and Erik Menendez are set to face a judge Monday as the campaign to free them from their life sentences for the shotgun murders of their parents gathers pace. The pair have been in prison since a blockbuster trial in the 1990s that became almost compulsory viewing for millions of Americans. Television audiences were riveted by the gruesome details of the slayings of Jose and Kitty Menendez at the family’s luxury Beverly Hills mansion.
Prosecutors painted the crime as a cold-hearted bid by the then-young men — Lyle was 21 and Erik was 18 — to get their hands on their parents’ $14 million fortune. But their attorneys described the 1989 killings as an act of desperate self-defense by young men subjected to years of sexual abuse and psychological violence at the hands of an abusive father and a complicit mother. The case saw a huge surge of renewed interest this year with the release of the Netflix hit “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”
The brothers are set to appear Monday by video link in a Los Angeles court, their lawyer told local media. “We expect that some interesting things will happen,” attorney Bryan Freedman told AFP. The hearing comes after a campaign to secure their release, supported by Kim Kardashian and other celebrities. “Set them free before the Holidays!” wrote Tammi Menendez, Erik’s wife, on social media last week.
Public interest is such that the court where the case will be heard will hold a lottery for the 16 seats in the public gallery, with competition for the spots expected to be fierce. Nick Bonanno, a former high school classmate of Erik’s, was the first to arrive at the court, taking his place at the head of the line at 4:30 am (1230 GMT). “I wanted to show support to…Eric and Lyle,” he told AFP. “It’s all about supporting and healing, not just for the families, but for us as a culture.”
Elena Gordon, 43, said she wanted “to witness a part of our local history.”
The hearing is a starting point for lawyers working on three routes to free Erik Menendez, 53, and Lyle Menendez, 56. Attorney Mark Geragos has filed a writ of habeas corpus, an attempt to effectively vacate the brothers’ first-degree murder conviction, which could free the brothers immediately. Another route is an effort to get the men re-sentenced on the same conviction, which would open the way for them to request parole. Finally, Geragos has submitted a clemency request to California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Journalist Robert Rand, who wrote a book about the case, and who is in regular touch with the brothers, said the family was optimistic. But, he said, no one was expecting any quick fixes. “They’re hopeful,” he said. “They don’t know what’s going to happen. I believe this could take much longer than was originally anticipated. It could be six months, could be eight months, could be a year, but eventually they will get out.”
With excitement over the case near fever pitch, tourists are regularly making pilgrimages to the Beverly Hills home where the killings took place. Australian Christian Hannah, who was born almost two decades after the double murders, made sure the home was a stop on his tour of celebrity hotspots because of his fascination with the Netflix show. “It’s really awesome seeing it in person,” he told AFP. “It’s just because you see it on TV and you see it in person, just feels really cool.”
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