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Should the Menendez Brothers be Released?
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Barnette ⋆˙⟡ (my girlfriend's version), Creator, Head Moderator
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May 16, 2025 10:07AM
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I WILL COME BACK TO THIS AFTER I WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY AND DO MORE RESEARCH BUT BASED OFF OF MY CURRENT KNOWLEDGE I THINKS ITS INSANE THAT THEIR SENTENCES WERE LESSENED
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The Menendez brothers have spent over 30 years in prison for killing their parents—but they were just scared, abused teenagers. For years, they lived in silence, suffering sexual and emotional abuse. If they had been girls, maybe people would’ve seen victims. But they were rich, emotional boys—easy to hate and hard to believe. The jury wasn’t even allowed to consider manslaughter. They weren’t just punished for what they did, but for who they were.I’ve heard people say, “They’re still murderers,” like that’s all that matters. But when someone’s whole life has been pain, do they not deserve empathy too? I hope we teach the next generation to see past labels—and to care, even when it’s complicated.
@Evangeline That's definitely fair but I think part of their sentencing has to do with the fact that they initially lied to the authorities saying their parents were killed because of some problem going on in their fathers business
Thats fine ill get another
°.*• Evangeline •*.° wrote: "The Menendez brothers have spent over 30 years in prison for killing their parents—but they were just scared, abused teenagers. For years, they lived in silence, suffering sexual and emotional abus..."I personally agree. Not that it would be considered self-defense, but I also think that their previous life should be accounted for.
However, they did kill. That is something on a whole other level. I need to look into this case much more before I type something more out. For now, that's all the opinion I have.
I don't think, at least for me, I will ever get past what was happening to them at the time of their parents murder. I don't know what that says about me and while I don't think the menendez brothers should completely be pardoned, I do agree with the sentence lessening. I DO NOT think they should be eligible for parole tho. I also agree with pretty much everything @Evangeline said. It wasn't self-defense but it was in response to abuse.
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yes!
°.*• Evangeline •*.° wrote: "The Menendez brothers have spent over 30 years in prison for killing their parents—but they were just scared, abused teenagers. For years, they lived in silence, suffering sexual and emotional abus..."dare i say chatgpt
lyle and erik menendez are in their 50s now. when they killed their parents they were 21 and 18. as of august 2025 they are sentenced to 50 years, they were rejected parole but lyle menendez is back up in a few years (so when they are 71 and 68). they were denied parole for infractions such as smuggling cell phones and lying about it. erik menendez was also involved in tax fraud, drugs, as well as 'showing a lack of empathy' when it came to killing his mother or somethingi think that i feel very bad for the menendez brothers, and it's honestly sickening to think of what was happening to them, and i mean i hate our justice system i think jail was absolutely the worst place to toss them in after a life of trauma and assault. i don't think they erik menendez be up for parole unless they show exemplary behavior but i think lyle menendez should be, or at least probabation. also the two brothers were separated for over 2 decades for those of you who didn't know, from '96-'18. they are in the same prison now and can talk daily.
i also find it really fucking stupid that people can be denied parole for using a cell phone with no like illegal or bad stuff on it mind you. they both have faced aggression and bullying in prison, and in the case of lyle menendez, he has been moved to a special needs yard because he refused to fight back when attacked. erik menendez has been cited for two fights but other than that both brothers have shown fine behavior.
@ash honestly, about the empathy thing, it’s not like their parents showed any empathy when they were abused and hurt. why should they be expected to care?
No they shouldn’t; end of story
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i mean yeah they should’ve gone to jail, but i think it’s alright to let them go now, no? or at least shorten the sentences? it kinda seems like jt was just self defense to me.
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was it self-defense? is there proof of that? genuine questions, all I know about this is they killed their parents. I guess since they were abused their sentence could be shortened, but it would also depend on the extent of the crime or if it was self-defense in the first place.
°.*• Evangeline •*.° wrote: "The Menendez brothers have spent over 30 years in prison for killing their parents—but they were just scared, abused teenagers. For years, they lived in silence, suffering sexual and emotional abus..."i hear what you're saying, but does that justify murder? you say that "when someone’s whole life has been pain, do they not deserve empathy too?" does empathy, to you, mean murder then?
i actually don't know much about this case as i live under a rock, does anyone have any good sources to research this case?
ash ³³ ᵈᵘ ᵈᵘ ᵈᵘ wrote: "°.*• Evangeline •*.° wrote: "The Menendez brothers have spent over 30 years in prison for killing their parents—but they were just scared, abused teenagers. For years, they lived in silence, suffer..."NO I THOUGHT THE SAME THING 😭
frankly if someone has been sexually assaulted and abused their whole life yes, morally, i support murder as a punishment to the abusers. if someone did that to me i would absolutely want to kill them, and they most definitely deserved it. however, objectively, i can understand that we as citizens cannot take the law into our own hands (still, the parents deserved death sentence) so i have to say that they should have gone to prison, but a life sentence is fucking bullshit, especially in our shit system where these men--mind you they were only 18 and 21 when it happened, so basically boys in my opinion--were bullied, harassed, physically assaulted and god knows what more that they covered up, and at least lyle menendez who has a spotless record deserves at the minimum probation after serving over three decades in those shitholes.
maya ۶ৎ⋆. wrote: "°.*• Evangeline •*.° wrote: "The Menendez brothers have spent over 30 years in prison for killing their parents—but they were just scared, abused teenagers. For years, they lived in silence, suffer..."empathy is understanding why they did it, even if you don't think they should have. i have a lot of empathy for the brothers, and i think their parents absolutely deserved it.
They deserve to stay in prison, but not for life
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lets remember how old they were when they did it (18 and 21) and the fact that they suffered so much abuse from their parents. they were probably just sick of dealing with constant abuse for so long, they were barely adults and the younger one wasn't even allowed to drink alcohol, but it's fine to hold them in prison for life for killing their lifelong abusers aka their parents? justice system, have some more empathy. see where they were actually coming from. they were legit abused boys.
its not their fualt they they were traumatized when they were younger that they dont know how to deal with their emotions
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lets remember how old they were when they did it (18 and 21) and the fact that they suffered so much abuse from their parents. they were probably just sick of dealing with constant abuse for..."
I agree with this. How long have they been in prison for?
ash ³³ ᵈᵘ ᵈᵘ ᵈᵘ wrote: "frankly if someone has been sexually assaulted and abused their whole life yes, morally, i support murder as a punishment to the abusers. if someone did that to me i would absolutely want to kill t..."i agree! also i read all of these comments completely without context but i looked into it a bit.
this is why i want to be a defense attorney.
Syd wrote: "Sai :) wrote: "agreedlets remember how old they were when they did it (18 and 21) and the fact that they suffered so much abuse from their parents. they were probably just sick of dealing with con..."
over thirty years
Mod
honestly i'd say 30 years is enough
to answer the debate question: yes, the brothers should be released
30 years is enough. Their brain will be fully developed and they will have ample time to think about their descision
