“I believe they have paid their debt to society,” Gascón said. “The final decision will be made by the judge.”

Lyle and Erik were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 and sentenced to life without parole for the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. About a dozen of their relatives were present, according to the press conference LA times. “We know this wasn’t the easy decision, but it’s the right one,” said their aunt Joan VanderMolen. “This is about truth, justice and healing.”

During the press conference, Gascón also said: “I will never suggest that what we are doing here is to excuse their behavior… if you are being abused, the right thing to do is to call the police. Even though they didn’t think If they ever were released, they went on another journey – a journey of redemption and a journey of rehabilitation.”

The Menendez brothers’ case has received renewed attention this fall thanks to Netflix’s Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez and the Menendez brothers documentary, but the timing of this news – as Gascón is running for re-election – has called the decision into question.

His opponent in the DA race, former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman, said in a statement: “DA George Gascon received the Menendez habeas corpus petition in May 2023 and the request for resentencing in February 2024. Yet he waited until days before the November 5. election, down 30 points in the polls with articles about how his failed policies have led to additional murders of innocent people, to release his resentencing recommendation. By releasing it now, Gascon has cast a cloud over the fairness and impartiality of his decision, leaving Angelenos to wonder whether the decision was correct and whether it was just another desperate political move by a prosecutor running a losing campaign and tried to make headlines with a made-for-TV decision. Angelenos and everyone involved deserve better.

Gascón responded to criticism that it was politically motivating, saying, “There is nothing political about this. We have resented more than 300 people. We will continue to resent people.”

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals and a range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was deputy editor-in-chief at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Tweet and Instagram.