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Menendez brothers: Family of Erik and Lyle Menendez speaks at press conference in Los Angeles

Menendez brothers: Family of Erik and Lyle Menendez speaks at press conference in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Family members of Erik and Lyle Menendez, the brothers serving life sentences for killing their parents in Beverly Hills more than 35 years ago, will speak out as prosecutors examine new evidence in the case.

Nearly two dozen relatives will hold a news conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday to pressure the district attorney to formally recommend a resentencing in the brothers' case.

Earlier this month, L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón announced that his office would review new evidence and make a decision on whether resentencing is warranted in the infamous case that drew national attention.

New evidence presented in a petition includes a letter from Erik Menendez that his lawyers say corroborates allegations that he was sexually abused by his father.

The brothers said they killed their parents in self-defense after suffering a lifetime of physical, emotional and sexual abuse from them. Their lawyers argue that because of society's changing views on sexual abuse today, the brothers may not have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

The brothers' lawyers said the family assumed from the start that they should be charged with manslaughter rather than murder. Geragos said manslaughter was not an option for the jury in the second trial, which ultimately led to the murder conviction.

Lyle Menendez, then 21, and Erik Menendez, then 18, admitted they fatally shot their father Jose Menendez, the entertainment executive, and their mother Kitty Menendez in 1989, but said they feared their parents would They kill to prevent the disclosure of Erik's long-term sexual abuse by his father.

Prosecutors at the time claimed there was no evidence of harassment. They said the sons were after their parents' multi-million dollar estate.

The jury rejected a death sentence in favor of life in prison without parole.

The case has gained new attention after Netflix began airing the true crime drama “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”

Gascón said he believes the issue of sexual assault would have been treated more sensitively if the case had taken place today.

“We haven’t decided on a result yet. We are checking the information,” Gascón said earlier this month.

He said his office knew the “validity” of what was presented in the trial.

Gascón, who is seeking re-election, noted that during his time in office more than 300 people were re-convicted and only four committed crimes again.

A hearing was scheduled for November 29th.

Lyle Menendez recently earned a degree in sociology from the University of California, Irvine through a prison program. Geragos said they were model prisoners even though they believed they would never be released.

“I think it’s time,” Geragos said. “The family feels it’s time.”

Reality TV star and celebrity personality Kim Kardashian, who has advocated for criminal justice reform, also spoke out, writing in a personal essay shared with NBC News that the outsized media attention to the first trial, which was held nationwide televised, denied them justice.

She noted that with “their suffering and stories of abuse ridiculed in skits on 'Saturday Night Live,'” they were portrayed as “two arrogant, rich kids from Beverly Hills who killed their parents out of greed. There was no room for empathy, let alone sympathy alone.”

“With this in mind, Erik and Lyle had no chance of a fair trial,” Kardashian wrote.

The Associated Press and ABC News contributed to this report.

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