Lyle and Erik Menendez, who are serving life sentences without parole for murdering their parents, have had their resentencing hearing moved “due to the impact” of the Los Angeles wildfires.
Prosecutors and defence counsel met with LA Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic on Friday, where a new date of March 20-21 was agreed for the hearing.
“The continuance is due to the impact of recent wildfires on the parties’ extensive preparations for the hearings,” LA district attorney Nathan Hochman, who recently replaced George Gascon, announced.
The 1989 murder case has been in the headlines over the last few months after a Netflix drama series and documentary film were released.
The Menendez brothers have never disputed that they fired the fatal shots that killed their parents, Jose and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez, on August 20 1989 at their Beverly Hills home.
But the pair have always claimed their actions were an act of self-defence, rooted in physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their father.
After the series aired, then-district attorney Mr Gascon announced his recommendation for resentencing of the brothers, who have also received backing from the majority of their family and stars including Kim Kardashian.
Resentencing could mean immediate release from prison for the brothers, but it has to be approved by a judge.
At the last court hearing, family members of the pair made compassionate pleas advocating for the brothers’ freedom.
Joan VanderMolen, sister of Kitty Menendez, told the court that no child should have to endure what the brothers did “at the hands of their father”.
“I love Erik and Lyle and I want them to come home,” the 93-year-old added.
Terry Baralt, 85, the oldest sister of Jose Menendez, said: “Thirty-five years is a long time, I think it is time for them to go home.”
Defence counsel for the Menendez brothers, Mark Geragos and Bryan Freedman, were pictured exiting the court house on Friday.
It came after an initial mistrial with a hung jury for both brothers, as prosecutors claimed there was no evidence of any abuse and the pair had murdered their parents to inherit the family fortune.
Mr Gascon later supported the brothers’ request for clemency from California governor Gavin Newsom, which said all family members except for Milton Andersen – the brother of Kitty Menendez – supported the petition.
Netflix launched drama series Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story by co-creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan.
The nine-part series stars Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch as the brothers, while Oscar-winner Javier Bardem and Chloe Sevigny portray parents Jose and Kitty.
At the time, the real Erik Menendez criticised the series, calling it a “dishonest portrayal” of a time when prosecutors “built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused”.
Netflix also released a documentary film titled The Menendez Brothers which featured interviews with the pair.
