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Judge says he needs more time to review Menendez brothers' case

Erik and Lyle Menendez will have to wait until at least January 2025 before learning whether they will be released from prison.
File photo of brothers Lyle Menendez, left, and Erik Menendez at a 1991 court hearing.
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Erik and Lyle Menendez, the brothers convicted of murdering their parents in their Beverly Hills home nearly 35 years ago, will remain in prison at least through the holidays.

The pair was due to appear virtually in court on Monday for a status hearing after Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón advocated for re-sentencing in light of new evidence — including a letter written by Erik Menendez, alluding to abuse he endured prior to the murders.

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However, The Associated Press reports that the hearing was cut short after the judge said he needed more time to review the case and give the incoming district attorney an opportunity to weigh in.

Gascón recently lost his reelection bid to Nathan Hochman. Following the election, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said a decision on whether to resentence the Menendez brothers won't happen until Hochman reviews the case.

A new hearing is scheduled for January 30, 2025.

The Menendez brothers were found guilty in the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

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Lyle and Erik were 21 and 18 years old at the time of the killings. If resentenced, it's possible that the brothers, who are now in their 50s, could be released due to time served.

Both brothers remain incarcerated at California's RJ Donovan Correctional Facility, according to the California Department of Corrections.

In the decades since their arrest, their case has continued to transfix the true-crime world — most recently with a Netflix series titled "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story."