The Menendez brothers are all smiles in the latest mugshots as the Los Angeles DA recommends reduced sentences

California authorities have released a couple of new mugshots of Menendez brothers because they’ve crossed a major threshold in their bid to have their sentences reduced to life in prison without parole—and they’re all smiles.

Erik and Joseph “Lyle” Menendez killed their parents, Jose and Mary “Kitty” Menendez, in a bloody shotgun massacre in 1989, opening fire from behind while the two watched TV in their Beverly Hills living room.

According to their defense team, the brothers killed their father because they were afraid he would be the one to kill them after they threatened to expose him as a child sex abuser.

Watch on Fox Nation: Menendez Brothers: Victims Or Villains?

Erik with gray hair and Lyle Menendez, bald, in his latest mugshots — Lyle Menendez, left, and his brother Erik pictured in their latest CDCR mugshots, taken Oct. 10, 2024.

Prosecutors at the trial convinced jurors in 1995 that the motive was greed, not fear for their lives, but today’s Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon said Thursday he would ask a judge to reduce their sentences, paving the way for potential release from prison.

Menendez Brothers’ Prosecutors Announce Plea Decision

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“After a very careful review of all the arguments… I came to a place where I believe that under the law, resentment is appropriateand I will recommend it to a court tomorrow,” Gascon told reporters Thursday afternoon.

Menendez family photo from the 1980s — An undated photo of the Menendez family as it appears on screen during a panel at CrimeCon 2024 in Nashville, Tenn., on June 2. Brothers Lyle and Erik were convicted of fatally shooting their parents in 1989.

A judge must approve his new recommendation before it goes to the state parole board, which must then schedule hearings within six months. If the parole board approves their release, Gov. Gavin Newsom has the final say.

Letter at center of Menendez Brothers’ bid for freedom questioned

Kitty Menendez’s brother and sister, now both in their 90s, are on opposite sides of their nieces’ fight for freedom.

Joan Andersen VanderMolen, sister of Kitty Menendez, speaks at a press conference — Joan Andersen VanderMolen, sister of Kitty Menendez, speaks as family members of Erik and Lyle Menendez, the Beverly Hills brothers convicted of killing their parents, hold a press conference at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles, California, U.S., October 16, 2024.

Milton Andersen, 90, vehemently opposes a reduced sentence and on Wednesday asked the judge overseeing the case to keep his nephews in prison for the rest of their lives.

Joan Andersen VanderMolen, 92, is among two dozen relatives who have publicly called for the brothers’ release.

Original article source: The Menendez brothers are all smiles in the latest mugshots as the Los Angeles DA recommends reduced sentences