The beginning of 2025 will be a crucial moment for the Menéndez brothers, but this past Monday, the decision of the new Los Angeles prosecutor, Nathan Hochman, was announced that the sentences of Erik Menéndez and Lyle Menéndez will be handled separately from now on.
The new district attorney of Los Angeles addressed the decision during his first interview on a network, telling NBC News on Monday, December 16th: "This is an important decision, although that decision will not receive a more rigorous review of the facts and the law than any other decision."
What did the new Los Angeles prosecutor say about the Menendez brothers case?
Hochman, whose plans seem to differ from those of his predecessor George Gascón, explained that separately is the correct way to handle the high-profile case: "Although they are called the Menendez Brothers case, there is a case for Erik Menendez and a case for Lyle Menendez," he pointed out. "So we will look at each case separately, which is the way they should really be handled."
Despite having his own approach, the 61-year-old man has been intrigued by the recent support for the Menendez brothers, adding: "What I really hope about the Menendez case is that people use it as a springboard to become interested in criminal justice issues".
Hochman continued: "You know, there are a lot of people who have heard a little about the Menendez case. I want them to learn a lot about the Menendez case, and not just stop at the Menendez case. There are many cases out there that, if the public is interested, will really help the process of bringing justice through this county, this state, maybe even this nation."
Erik, 53, and Lyle, 56, are both at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility while they await news of a possible new sentence, but the support they have received from the outside has only increased in recent years, especially in 2024 following the release of materials such as Ryan Murphy's dramatic series 'Monsters' on Netflix, or the subsequent documentary also produced by Netflix, where the brothers offered unprecedented interviews.
In October, Gascón recommended that a judge reevaluate the sentence for Erik and Lyle to 50 years, which could make them eligible for parole and release from prison.
"I will not talk about whether Erik and Lyle have a plan (after their possible release from prison). I just believe that to get through each day, you have to stay strong," their lawyer Mark Geragos said exclusively to Us Weekly at that time. "It's a long way from a life without parole for almost 17 years to being hopeful."
The request became more complicated, however, when Gascón lost his bid for re-election in November. Erik and Lyle also requested clemency, but Governor Gavin Newsom said he will postpone the decision to allow Hochman to review the case upon taking office.