What’s next for the Menendez brothers after the Los Angeles District Attorney pushes for a retrial?

The Menendez brothers could soon be released from prison, but that possibility didn’t exist when they exhausted all their appeals more than a decade ago.

Joseph Menendez, known 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 murders of parents in 1989.

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón took a major step this week to commute the sentences, and if the court approves, they will be immediately eligible for parole.

The brothers claim they shot their father, former RCA Records executive Jose Menendez, in self-defense, claiming they thought he was going to kill them after they warned 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.

PROSECUTOR MENENDEZ BROTHERS ANNOUNCES RETRIEVAL DECISION

Lyle Menendez (left) and his brother Erik Menendez in recent photos taken on October 10, 2024. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)

Their first trial ended in a mistrial when the jury could not agree on their fate. After a second trial in the mid-1990s, in which some evidence of alleged sexual abuse was excluded, jurors agreed with prosecutors that their motive was greed.

New evidence that could support their claims of sexual abuse has not yet been reviewed by the court, but the allegations helped Gascón seek reduced sentences for the brothers, he told reporters on Thursday.

WATCH: Los Angeles prosecutors recommend reduced sentences for Menendez brothers

Timeline of the Menendez brothers murder case

On Friday, the district attorney formally asked the court to reduce the sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole to 50 years to life.

Here’s what happens next:

• The judge will either accept Gascón’s recommendation or reject it, depending on whether he believes the brothers have been rehabilitated or whether their release is in the interests of justice.
• If he had agreed to a new sentence, he would not have been bound by what was charged and could have chosen something else.
• If the judge commutes the sentence, the brothers will be eligible for parole because they were under 26 years old at the time of the crime and have already served more than 25 years.
• State corrections officials say the parole board will have six months to schedule a parole hearing.
• If the parole board agrees they should be released, the case goes to trial. Governor Gavin Newsomwho has the last word.

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

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If they do get out, the next logical step is to figure out how to make a living. Although state law prohibits them from receiving any inheritance they might receive from their victims, they already have some prospects.

“The Menendez murders at Mount Rushmore are among the most notorious, almost legendary – if that’s even an appropriate description – of murders in American history, right up there with JFK, the Manson and Mansfield murders and Robert Durst,” Doug Eldridge said. , celebrity brand expert and founder of Achilles PR.

“The name is recognizable across at least two generations, and it will appeal to even younger audiences who aren’t familiar with the backstory but are leaning towards the genre.”

He told Fox News Digital that they could immediately sign a documentary deal with a streaming giant like Netflix for their first paycheck.

The brothers may be in a better place financially and emotionally if they control the narrative and take ownership of whatever projects they do, a pop culture expert said. Perez Hiltonwho said he would take the opportunity to interview any of the brothers if they came out.

The Menendez brothers – Eric (left) and Lyle – on the steps of their Beverly Hills home in November 1989. (Ronald L. Soble/Los Angeles Times)

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Hilton also predicted that at least one of them might get divorced after joining social media sites that didn’t exist when they went to prison in the summer of 1996. They both got married while behind bars.

“Imagine suddenly being locked in prison for more than 34 years. You married someone because you never thought you would leave her. And suddenly you are free,” Hilton. told Fox News Digital. “You are on social media. You quickly learn the power of social media, and the fact is that even in prison, women sent them letters. This is how they met their wives. … Their private messages will be flooded. “

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

Lyle Menendez has previously publicly hinted at what he plans to do if he is released.

Menendez’s older brother said he was studying for a master’s degree and working on how to reintegrate into society when he called live interview with attorney Mark Geragos at CrimeCon 2024 in Nashville.

“Well, I hope that… I’ve had these discussions with the corrections officers who are responsible for making sure that ex-prisoners can come back to prisons to do good work, and they are definitely open and would like me to continue working. on this idea of ​​transforming prison yards to create habitats and communities that create better neighbors,” Lyle said.

Joan Andersen VanderMolen, sister of Kitty Menendez, speaks at a news conference for family members of Erik and Lyle Menendez, the Beverly Hills brothers convicted of killing their parents, at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles on October 16, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Blake)

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While in prison, he worked in therapy groups with other inmates and plans to continue his work advocating for victims of childhood sexual abuse, he added.

“I had discussions with Rosie O’Donnell about creating a foundation where we could go and try to talk on the forums of these groups and help in that space,” Lyle added. “This is an area I spend a lot of time in.”