Controversy Ignites As DA Hochman Opposes Menendez Brothers Resentencing

Empty courtroom with microphones and a podium

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman has withdrawn support for resentencing the Menendez brothers, declaring their self-defense claims “fabricated” and demanding they “come clean” about their parents’ murders before any clemency consideration.

Key Takeaways

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman has filed an 88-page motion to withdraw the resentencing request for Lyle and Erik Menendez, who are serving life sentences for murdering their parents in 1989.
Hochman stated the brothers “have lied to everyone for the last 30 years” and have not demonstrated full insight or accepted complete responsibility for their crimes.
The DA challenged the brothers’ claims of self-defense against parental abuse, calling these assertions “fabricated” and not mentioned in Erik’s original confession to his therapist.
Despite Hochman’s opposition, the scheduled March 20-21 resentencing hearing may still proceed, and the brothers’ attorneys continue to seek clemency from Governor Gavin Newsom.
Hochman indicated he might support future resentencing if the brothers “unequivocally, sincerely and fully accept complete responsibility” and acknowledge their self-defense claims were false.

Hochman Rejects Resentencing Motion Filed by Predecessor

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Monday his office is withdrawing support for the resentencing of Lyle and Erik Menendez, who have served over three decades in prison for the 1989 shotgun murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. The brothers, now 56 and 53, were convicted in 1996 and sentenced to life without parole after two trials. Hochman’s decision reverses the position taken by his predecessor, George Gascón, who had filed the resentencing motion believing the brothers were rehabilitated.

In his 88-page withdrawal motion, Hochman cited “the current state of the record and the Menendez brothers’ ongoing failure to demonstrate full insight and accept full responsibility for their murders.” The district attorney made his position unequivocal during a news conference, stating: “Our position is that they shouldn’t get out of jail.” However, he acknowledged the final decision rests with the court, which can “agree with it, disagree with it, or modify it in some respect.”

Claims of Abuse and Self-Defense Challenged

The Menendez case has returned to public attention following recent true crime documentaries and a Netflix series by Ryan Murphy. The brothers and their supporters have long maintained that the murders were driven by fear after enduring severe sexual abuse by their father. This claim forms the core of their self-defense argument. Hochman systematically dismantled this narrative in his filing, pointing to what he described as mounting evidence of premeditation, including the brothers’ purchase of firearms and creation of alibis before the killings.

“They have lied to everyone for the last 30 years,” Hochman said. “They convinced, not just the media, not just the police, but their family and their friends that they were 100 percent innocent of these crimes, until eventually these tapes came out.”

Hochman emphasized that Erik’s original confession to his therapist made no mention of sexual abuse or self-defense. The district attorney described the brothers’ claims as “fabricated” and part of a pattern of deception that continued through their trials and imprisonment. Family members supporting the brothers have disputed this characterization, arguing that new evidence supports their claims of abuse.

Path Forward and Political Implications

Despite withdrawing support for resentencing, Hochman laid out conditions under which he might reconsider. The district attorney said he would potentially support resentencing if the brothers fully acknowledged their deception and abandoned their self-defense claims. The scheduled March 20-21 hearing on the resentencing request may still proceed, though Hochman’s opposition significantly complicates the brothers’ chances for release.

The Menendez family responded by accusing Hochman of playing “political games” with the case. Meanwhile, the brothers’ attorneys have separately sought clemency from Governor Gavin Newsom, who has asked the state parole board to conduct a risk assessment to inform his decision. The Justice for Erik and Lyle Coalition continues to advocate for the brothers’ release, arguing they have changed and repeatedly apologized for their actions over the past three decades of imprisonment.