Menendez-Brüder: After 35 years in prison-new hope for freedom?

Menendez-Brüder: After 35 years in prison-new hope for freedom?

Beverly Hills, Kalifornien, USA - On April 11, 2025, the Menendez brothers, Erik and Lyle, are again the focus of the public. The case of these two brothers, who murdered their parents in Beverly Hills in 1989, has been re-examined by a Netflix series in recent years. The brothers have been in custody for 35 years and have been sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of premature dismissal. While the public prosecutor's office leads to the fact that the men had acted out of financial motives, specifically from a heir of $ 14 million, their supporters believe that they acted in self-defense after being abused for years.

The lawyers of the Menendez brothers have developed several strategies to obtain their release. This includes the mitigation of the prison sentence, a new edition of the process and a request for pardon at the governor of California, Gavin Newsom. George Gascon, the former Supreme Public Prosecutor of Los Angeles, had initially campaigned for the mitigation of the prison sentence and submitted a corresponding application. However, his successor Nathan Hochman, who rejects the release of the brothers, has already announced that he will reject the application in court and criticized the brothers for their lack of insight and responsibility.

Current status of the procedures

with regard to the application for pardon, Governor Newsom has not set any deadlines. He clearly announces that he does not want to be influenced by cinematic representations. The dynamics of the case of the Menendez brothers therefore remain complex and tense.

An interesting social dimension becomes clear in the current discussions on the police force, even if it is not directly connected to the case. Studies show that at least 30,800 people were killed by police violence between 1980 and 2019. This number refers to a period in which the killing rate by police increased from 0.25 per 100,000 deaths in the 1980s to 0.34 in the 2010s - an increase of 38.4 percent. In addition, it was found that more than half of the fatal police collisions are not recorded in official statistics.

social effects of police violence

The number of unreported cases in police killings is alarming because over 17,000 deaths are not covered in official data. These inaccuracies can be attributed to documentation errors and the pressure on the coroner, which is sometimes also reinforced by social inequalities and the economic conditions in the country. Studies show that police force is almost always related to social disadvantage, regardless of ethnic origin. In 2020, 475 white, 241 African -American and 169 Hispanic people were counted among the victims of the police force. In summary, it can be said that the case of the Menendez brothers and the discussion about police violence are exemplary for the profound social and legal problems in the USA. While the brothers are fighting for their release, society faces the challenge of addressing the causes and consequences of police violence and social inequality.