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

The Menendez brothers may be released from prison soon; this was a possibility that did not exist more than a decade ago when they exhausted all their applications.

Joseph Menendez, whose middle name is Lyle, and his younger brother Erik Menendez have been in California prisons since 1996, serving life sentences without the possibility of parole. 1989 murders of parents.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón this week took a big step towards reducing the sentences, and if the court approves them, they will be eligible for parole immediately.

The brothers claim they shot their father, Jose Menendez, a former RCA Records executive, in self-defense after warning him that they planned to expose him as a child sexual abuser, claiming they thought he was going to kill them. When they opened fire, they also killed their mother, Mary “Kitty” Menendez, who was sitting next to Jose eating ice cream in his Beverly Hills living room.

DECISION HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED AGAIN FOR THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS’ PROSECUTOR

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

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

He told reporters on Thursday that new evidence that could corroborate the sexual abuse allegations had not yet been reviewed by the court, but that the allegations had led Gascón to seek a reduced sentence for the brothers.

WATCH: Los Angeles DA to recommend reduced sentences for Menendez brothers

TIMELINE OF THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS’ MURDER CASE

The prosecutor formally requested in court Friday to reduce the sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole from 50 years to life in prison.

Here’s what happens next:

• The judge will either accept or reject Gascón’s recommendation, depending on whether he believes the brothers have been rehabilitated or whether it is in the interests of justice that they be released.
• If he agreed to a new sentence, he would not be bound by the sentence offered to him and could choose a different sentence.
• If the judge reduces the sentence, the brothers would be eligible for parole because they were under 26 at the time of the crime and have served more than 25 years in prison.
• State corrections officials said the parole board will have six months to schedule parole hearings.
• If the parole board agrees to release them, the case goes to: Governor Gavin NewsomWho will have the final say?

An undated photo of the Menendez family appears 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 get out, the next logical step is to figure out how to make a living. Although state law prohibits them from collecting any inheritance from their victims, they already have a few chances.

“The Menendez murders are among the high-profile, almost legendary—if that is an apt description—murders in American history at Mount Rushmore, right up there with the JFK assassination, the Manson/Mansfield murders, and Robert Durst,” said Doug Eldridge. celebrity branding expert and founder of Achilles PR.

“It has name recognition across at least two generations and could even appeal to a younger audience who may not be familiar with the back story but are curious about the genre.”

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

The pop culture expert said the siblings would be better off financially and emotionally if they controlled the narrative themselves and took responsibility for their projects Pérez HiltonHe said he would miss the chance to interview either of the brothers if they came out.

The Menendez brothers – Erik, 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 they might divorce after at least one of them signed up for social media, which did not exist when they were imprisoned in the summer of 1996. They both got married behind bars.

“Imagine suddenly being in prison for over 34 years. You married someone because you never thought about getting out. Then suddenly you’re free,” Hilton said. he told Fox News Digital. “You’re on social media. You learn the ways of social media quickly, and the thing is, even when they were in prison, there were women sending them letters. That’s how they met their spouses. … Their DMs will be flooded.”

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

Lyle Menendez previously gave a hint to the public about what he plans to do if released.

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

“Well, hopefully… I’ve had these conversations with corrections officers who are tasked with allowing formerly incarcerated people to return to prisons to do good work, and they’re certainly open to continuing to work, and they want me to continue to work. Lyle said, “The life that will produce better neighbors “We focused on the idea of ​​transforming prison yards to create environments and communities,” he said.

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

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He added that he worked on therapy groups with other inmates while in prison and plans to continue his advocacy work for victims of childhood sexual abuse.

“I talked to these Rosie O’Donnell “It’s about creating a foundation from which we can go to forums in these groups and try to help in this area,” Lyle added. “This is an area where I spend most of my time.”