Menendez brothers' uncle blasts LA district attorney's 'absolutely criminal' move as killers get one step closer to freedom

The uncle of Erik and Lyle Menendez slammed Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon aft helium called for the brothers person a caller condemnation connected Thursday. 

Milton Andersen, whose sister Kitty Menendez was slain by the duo successful 1989, called it 'extremely offensive' that Gascon failed to pass him earlier making the bombshell decision. 

'Mr. Gascón's disdain for Mr. Andersen is perfectly criminal,' an lawyer for the uncle, 90, said successful a statement.

'He didn't spot acceptable to fto Mr. Andersen cognize what helium was going to bash earlier helium told the wide public, and that is highly offensive,' helium continued. 

Erik and Lyle became 1 measurement person to state Thursday after Gascon recommended they beryllium resentenced for sidesplitting their parents. 

Andersen has said helium 'firmly believes that his nephews were not molested.'

The connection from his attorney, Kathleen Cady, claimed the uncle was vehemently against letting the infamous duo free. 

'Mr. Andersen remains convinced that the condemnation that was primitively imposed by the justice was the due one, and helium hopes the justice does not spell on with Gascon's recommended sentence,' the connection read. 

The lawyer said past week that Andersen wants his nephews to service their beingness sentences successful full, adjacent if it was conscionable for sidesplitting his sister. 

'At the clip of the trial, astatine slightest according to the tribunal of entreaty opinion, 1 of the brothers said that sidesplitting her was - punctuation - a mercy killing', she said. 

Gascon held a property league connected Thursday day wherever helium recommended Erik and Lyle person a caller condemnation - 35 years aft they murdered their parents Kitty and Jose wrong their Beverly Hills mansion. 

His proposal is that they beryllium eligible for parole immediately.

'I judge they person paid their indebtedness to society... and the strategy provides a conveyance for their lawsuit to beryllium reviewed by a tribunal of law,' Gascon said.

It volition beryllium up to a tribunal to yet find the last condemnation for the brothers.

Lyle and Erik were convicted of the execution of their parents, Jose and Kitty, successful 1996 aft their archetypal proceedings was declared a mistrial.  

The brothers ne'er denied sidesplitting their parents by shooting them 14 times with 12-gauge shotguns successful their million-dollar Beverly Hills location successful August 1989 erstwhile they were conscionable 18 and 21.

But Lyle and Erik, present aged 53 and 56, claimed they acted successful self-defense. 

They said they were lifelong victims of intersexual maltreatment astatine their hands of their father, a high-flying businessman who worked crossed respective industries, and that they were terrified that their parents were astir to termination them to forestall the allegations from coming out.

The announcement comes connected the backmost of mounting assemblage unit to reconsider the beingness sentences without parole Erik and Lyle received astatine their 1996 trial.

The brothers person ne'er denied sidesplitting their parents, but person agelong claimed they were driven to bash truthful aft suffering years of intersexual and carnal maltreatment astatine the hands of their businessman father. 

The nationalist was unconvinced by their claims successful the 1980s, believing alternatively they were ruthless monsters. 

But successful caller months, a TikTok question of much sympathetic fans and a duo of Netflix shows has won them favor. 

Now equipped with Gascon's recommendation, the Menendez case volition instrumentality to court, wherever a justice volition yet determine their fate.

Gascon approached the Menendez brothers' relatives erstwhile helium made his mode into the property league connected Thursday afternoon, greeting Kitty's sister Joan, 92, who has agelong advocated for her nephews' release. 

A sympathetic Gascon told the packed room: 'I bash judge they were molested. They person been successful situation for astir 35 years. I judge that they person paid their indebtedness to society.

'After cautious review, I came to a spot wherever I judge that resentencing is appropriate.

'I americium going to urge that to a tribunal tomorrow. What that means, is that we're going to urge to the tribunal that beingness without anticipation of parole beryllium removed, and they beryllium sentenced for murder, which, due to the fact that determination were 2 murders involved, that's 50 years to life.

'But nether the law, due to the fact that astatine the clip they were nether 26 astatine the clip these crimes occurred, they volition beryllium eligible for parole immediately.'

Gascon had the accidental to urge the charges beryllium reduced to manslaughter, but helium opted against that due to the fact that 'these were intelligibly murders.'

'I don't judge manslaughter would person been the due complaint fixed the premeditation,' helium said.

'I judge these were intelligibly murders. I don't deliberation it would beryllium due to spell each the mode down to manslaughter.'

In an bonzer twist, helium revealed the brothers weren't fixed a informing astir the announcement, and said they were apt 'watching the TV' oregon learning astir their caller lifeline from down bars.

While Gascon hopes the Menendez brothers volition soon beryllium freed, helium acknowledged that his bureau is profoundly divided implicit the case. 

'We don't person a cosmopolitan agreement. There are radical successful the bureau that powerfully judge they should enactment successful situation the remainder of their life, they bash not judge they were molested,' helium said.

'And determination are radical successful the bureau that powerfully judge they should beryllium released immediately.

Gascon's determination has been wide welcomed, but critics suggested helium is utilizing the Menendez lawsuit to triumph favour up of his reelection bid this November. 

He is seeking re-election connected a level of sentencing reform, and is presently trailing his opponent, erstwhile US Assistant Attorney General Nathan Hochman.

Cady claimed that Gascón is utilizing the lawsuit to rise governmental superior arsenic helium nears an unfastened contention for the DA relation successful LA County. 

'Mr. Andersen conscionable wants to marque definite that immoderate determination is made, that it's not politically driven, that it truly is done due to the fact that of the close reasons,' Cady said.

She besides claimed that Andersen has been locked retired of discussions with the DA's bureau and that helium has been denied input connected the destiny of his sister's killer, which she says is against California law. 

'Mr. Andersen understands that he's not going to beryllium the 1 who's going to beryllium capable to marque the last decision, but helium wants to marque definite that the idiosyncratic who does marque that last determination doesn't hide astir him', she added.

But the immense bulk of the Menendez household person been supportive of the brothers. 

Last week, they held a property league wherever they spoke retired successful hopes that caller grounds volition exculpate them. 

Defense lawyer Mark Geragos, representing the household astatine a property league successful LA, said: 'If they were the Menendez sisters they would not beryllium successful custody.' 

Kitty's sister Joan Andersen VanderMolen besides spoke astatine the property conference, describing the symptom the household has felt for implicit 30 years.

'Their actions, portion tragic, were the hopeless effect of 2 boys trying to past the unspeakable cruelty of their father,' Vandermolen said.

She added: 'The information is, Lyle and Erik were failed by the precise radical who should person protected them—their parents, the system, and nine astatine large.'

The household introduced a conjugation called 'Justice for Eric and Lyle' and spoke of however the brothers person lived a beingness of intent successful their 35 years successful situation - adjacent though they did not expect to ever beryllium freed.

They besides said they person started a petition for radical to enactment the brothers' resentencing and release.