Menendez Brothers: What George Gascon’s Election Loss Means for Taking Revenge

Outgoing Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon has taken a stand Menendez brothers in the final days of his failed re-election campaign.

Nathan Hochman, the former federal prosecutor who will take his place after a 25-point victory, could now become the key to their quest for freedom.

“Before I can make a decision on the Menendez brothers’ case, I will need to become thoroughly familiar with the relevant facts, evidence and law,” the elected district attorney told Fox News Digital.

“I will need to review each brother’s confidential prison records, the transcripts of both trials, and speak with prosecutors, law enforcement, defense counsel and the victims’ family members. Only then can I make a decision. Since I need additional time, I will ask the court for that time.”

KEY PLAYERS IN THE RESISTANCE OF MENENDEZ BROTHERS WHOSE KILLERS WERE RELEASED THROUGH THANKSGIVING

Lyle Menendez, left, and his brother Erik pictured in their most recent CDCR mugshots taken on October 10, 2024. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)

The hearing is Dec. 11 and the new prosecutor will take office Dec. 2, he said.

His campaign has not committed to freeing or imprisoning the Menendez brothers.

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Joseph Menendez, who goes by his middle name Lyle, and younger brother Erik Menendez have been in California prisons since 1996, serving life sentences without the possibility of parole for their sentences. massacres of parents in 1989.

An undated photo of the Menendez family as it appears on screen during a panel at CrimeCon 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sunday, June 2. Brothers Lyle and Erik were convicted of fatally shooting both of their parents in 1989. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)

The brothers claim they shot their father, former RCA Records executive Jose Menendez, in self-defense, arguing they thought he would kill them after warning him they planned to expose him as a child sex abuser.

They also killed their mother, Mary “Kitty” Menendez, who was sitting next to Jose eating ice cream in their Beverly Hills living room when they opened fire.

Hochman could pick up where Gascon left off and ask for a resentencing, ask the judge to withdraw the previous administration’s resentencing request, or file additional documents to give the judge more material to work with while the court investigates the case.

THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS District Attorney ANNOUNCES THE DECISION

Nathan Hochman, who has been elected the next district attorney in Los Angeles County, speaks during a news conference in Los Angeles, Monday, September 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, file)

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“As a candidate, Nathan has made it clear that he will approach every case with the dedication and integrity that every victim and defendant deserves,” campaign spokesman Stuart Pfeifer told Fox News Digital. “This includes thoroughly reviewing the facts and the law before making any findings.”

Without being in office, Hochman does not have access to all files.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon speaks to the media during a press conference on developments in the case of brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez, Thursday, October 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

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“Nathan understands how important this case is to many Angelenos, and as prosecutor he will absolutely give it the attention it deserves and ensure that justice and fairness are served,” Pfeifer said.

TIMELINE OF THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS MURDER CASE

Under a new California law that gives state prosecutors the authority to recommend new sentences in old, settled cases, Gascon urged a Los Angeles judge just days before the election to consider the life sentence to reduce the brothers’ prison sentences without the possibility of parole. up to 50 years to life in prison.

Lyle, left, and Erik Menendez sit with attorney Leslie Abramson, right, in Beverly Hills Municipal Court during a hearing, November 26, 1990. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Under other California laws, the reduction would make them immediately eligible for parole hearings, even though they would have to spend another 20 years behind bars to reach 50 for the shotgun murders of their parents.

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Gascon, after explaining to reporters that the process would go through multiple layers of review, from the judge to the parole board and ultimately to Gov. Gavin Newsom, Days later, he asked the governor to skip all these steps and grant the brothers immediate clemency.

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No matter what happens, Newsom will have the final say on the parolees and their clemency request.

There is also a separate habeas corpus petition moving through the court, which if successful would provide an additional path to freedom.