Di Menendez brothers who dem be plus three ways dem fit regain dia freedom

dem spend more dan 30 years behind bars for killing dia parents, Lyle and Erik Menendez get di chance to dey released from prison.

Di 1989 murder case, wey hold di attention of di nation for decades, open again dis autumn wen Los Angeles top prosecutor back di brothers bid for resentencing.

Di move fit allow dia immediate release if a judge and parole board approve am.

But dia path to freedom go first face a few roadblock first.

Di brothers go appear for court on Monday to discuss dia case .

Dis na more about wetin dey happun wit dia bid for resentencing, and two oda ways di Menendez brothers fit regain dia freedom.

Wetin di Menendez brothers do?

Jose and Kitty Menendez dey found dead inside dia Beverly Hills mansion afta dem shoot dem 13 times for August 1989.

Dia sons - Erik and Lyle - call police, dem tell authorities say dem reach house and find dia parents dead.

Di brutal nature of di crime lead authorities to think say maybe na mob hit.

But di brothers start to draw attention wit dia behaviour. Dem dey spend heavily including buying Rolex watches, and gambling and partying.

One confession to dia psychologist na wetin expose dem. Di doctor girlfriend secretly record dia confession and report am to authorities.

For March 1990, di brothers dey charged by police. Dem go for trial for 1993 and di brothers admit say na dem do di killings but argue say dem act out of self-defence.

Dem outline years of emotional, physical and sexual abuse - namely by dia father, Jose, wey be music and film executive for Hollywood.

Lyle and Erik testify say dem confront dia parents about di sexual abuse and tins become serious and dem believe say dia parents bin dey plan to kill dem.

Family members testify about abuse wey dem witnessed but nobody tok say dem use eye see di sexual abuse.

Prosecutors argue say dia motive na money - dia parents $14m (£10.8m) fortune.

Dia first trial end as judge no fit reach a verdict and a new judge take up di case, but a second trial for 1995 lead to how dem dey convicted of first-degree murder.

Who want make dem release di Menendez brothers?

Fast forward nearly three decades later, and public interest don come up again, afta a successful Netflix drama and docuseries. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Rosie O’Donnell don publicly support di release of di brothers..

More dan two dozen members of di Menendez family don issue a public plea make dem release Erik and Lyle.

Those family members allege say di boys endure horrific sexual abuse at di hands of dia father and dem no be a threat to society.

Kitty Menendez sister, Joan Anderson VanderMolen, argue say “di whole world no dey ready to believe say di boys fit dey raped, or say young men fit be victims of sexual violence".

She tok say now “we sabi better" and "a jury today no go deliver such a harsh sentence".

But di family no dey in total agreement.

One lawyer for Kitty Menendez brother, Milton Andersen, call di brothers "cold-blooded" and say dia "actions destroy dia family and leave a trail of grief wey don continue for decades."

"Dem shoot Jose six times, and Kitty ten times, including a shot to her face afta Erik reload."

Mr Andersen believe say im nephews need to stay for prison for dia "wicked act", according to im lawyer, Kathy Cady.

Resentencing fit lead to release

Current Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón agree to reexamine di case, and for late October, e recommend say make di brothers dey resentenced to a lower penalty wey fit make dem immediately qualified for parole.

Gascón say im decision dey influenced by several factors, including di brothers rehabilitation efforts during dia time for prison.

Court filings from im office highlight di brothers educational accomplishments - both of dem don earn multiple degrees - and dia contributions to di community, such as Lyle Menendez creation of di GreenSpace prison beautification program.

Gascón also note say wit today deeper understanding of di impact of sexual and physical abuse on children, e think say di trial fit likely get different approach.

But critics of Gascón say e only chose to get involved wit di case as a last-ditch effort to help im poll numbers wen e dey run for re-election.

As e lose to Nathan Hochman see say e don throw di case for air.

Di new district attorney promise to be tougher on crime. E take office on 2 December, and di important hearing to examine di Menendez brothers potential resentencing dey schedule for 11 December.

Di change for leadership for di district attorney office don raise questions about di future of di resentencing effort.

Mr Hochman say e no wan delay di 11 December resentencing hearing but e fit happun, so e go get enough time to review di case, wey include reading transcripts of di original trials and both brothers prison disciplinary records.

“We go ask for di minimal amount of time necessary to do dis work, becos we owe am to di Menendez brothers, we owe am to di victims family members, we owe am to di public to get dis decision right," e tok for one interview to ABC News for di US.

E also question di role politics fit play for Mr Gascon decision to back dia resentencing.

If di judge ultimately approve dia resentencing, di case go move forward to a parole board, wey go determine weda dem fit dey free on parole. Di panel go read dia psychological evaluations, review letters from investigating officers, and hear testimony from surviving family members.

Other routes to freedom?

Di Menendez brothers dey expected to appear virtually, on Monday.

Di case don gada widespread interest and lead di court to announce say dem go hold a lottery to determine which members of di public fit attend.

Di lottery dey expected to happun early Monday on di steps of di Van Nuys courthouse for north Los Angeles County.

Only 16 seats dey available. Di county na home to more dan 10 million pipo.

If dia bid for resentencing fail, dem go pursue oda avenues wey fit lead to dia release, including:

Clemency: Di Menendez brothers defence attorney Mark Geragos file a clemency request wit Governor Gavin Newsom, opening a second potential path to freedom.

Clemency fit mean a reduced sentence or even a pardon, but e no go overturn di brother convictions.

But di governor say any decision e make go dey based on wetin newly-elected district attorney determine afta reviewing di case in full.

Habeas Corpus: Di Menendez brothers last path to freedom dey based on a habeas corpus petition wey dem file last year, wey dey seek to review new evidence wey no dey presented for di trial.

E claim say dia convictions and prison sentences dey unconstitutional in light of, wetin dem allege and na newly uncovered evidence say di brothers na di victims of childhood sexual abuse by dia father, Jose Menendez.

Dis include allegations from former Menudo member Roy Rosselló, wey claim for di 2023 docuseries Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed say e dey raped by music executive Jose Menendez.

Anoda piece of evidence na a letter Erik Menendez write to im cousin eight months bifor di murders wey tok about alleged abuse, wey support im cousin trial testimony.

Using di new evidence, di petition seek to vacate dia first-degree murder convictions in pursuit of a lesser charge such as manslaughter, wey fit result for an early release from prison.

Dia life for prisonBoth brothers marry while dem dey serve dia life sentences without di possibility of parole.

Lyle Menendez marry two times. Im first marriage, to former model Anna Eriksson for 1996, end for divorce afta she reportedly discover say e dey tok to oda women.

For 2003, e marry Rebecca Sneed, a magazine editor, for prison ceremony. Sneed don mostly avoid di spotlight but dem describe am as a supportive and private partner.

Erik Menendez marry Tammi Saccoman for 1999, after a pen-pal relationship wey grow into romance. Tammi, wey bin marry before, dey tok well-well about her commitment to Erik.

For 2005, she publish one memoir titled They Said We'd Never Make It, wey tok about dia relationship. Despite di challenges of marrying man wey dey prison, Tammi refer to dia marriage as fulfilling, calling am a unique but strong partnership.

She dey court for LA wit di District Attorney Gascon wen e make im announcement on resentencing, and write for X formerly known as twitter, di next day.

“Yesterday na difficult and emotional day," she write on X on October 25. "I dey Grateful to DA [George] Gascón, for im courage to seek resentencing for Erik, I dey naturally disappointed e no go further to act on im own belief say Erik and Lyle don serve enough time in prison."