Menendez Brothers Case

Lyle Menendez was constantly injured during his early days in jail, his ex-wife says ... but, he kept a sense of humor through it all and never spilled on exactly what happened to him.

We spoke with Anna Eriksson -- Lyle's wife from 1996 to 2001 -- who tells TMZ she went to visit Lyle quite a bit when he was first incarcerated ... and, he was clearly suffering from a series of injuries when she saw him.

Eriksson says she once saw the white of his eye was blood-red ... and, another time he couldn't even walk properly. Anna says she sent Lyle new shoes but later noticed he was wearing some old ones she didn't recognize -- and, she believes the new ones were taken from him by force.

Erik Menendez owned his past by acknowledging he was a "spoiled brat" growing up, but things have radically changed.

Erik and Lyle Menendez were on TMZ's "2 Angry Men" podcast with Mark Geragos and Harvey Levin, and Harvey was blunt ... telling Erik when he covered their trial many years ago, his impression -- which was shared by many others -- was that they were spoiled brats.

Erik was clear ... guilty as charged, saying back then he thought he could mask his insecurities with expensive clothes and fancy cars. He went on to say measuring success by the stuff he acquired was ridiculous.

Erik and Lyle Menendez may have been badly beaten and broken in their early days of prison, before falling into relative obscurity in recent years ... but, all that changed when Ryan Murphy and Netflix got involved with their story.

A source in the California Department of Corrections tells TMZ ... when "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story" came out in the fall, the brothers became high profile inmates again.

We're told their prison pod was buzzing with excitement when it looked like they were definitely getting out of prison, when former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón was still in charge ... though the November election of Nathan Hochman has dampened the celebratory mood.

Erik and Lyle Menendez's relatives aren't saying much about their first meeting with the new L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman ... and he isn't either.

Hochman held a news conference Friday but he didn't get into any specifics of his conversations with Menendez family members ... only saying he felt the meeting was "productive."

While dozens of Erik and Lyle's family members -- who are also victims in the case -- support their release, Hochman says the number of relatives supporting their freedom doesn't matter ... it's more about the content of what they have to say, among other things.

Big day for Erik and Lyle Menendez ... relatives are set to meet with new Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman to discuss resentencing the brothers for the notorious murders of their parents decades ago.

Twenty family members of Jose and Kitty Menendez -- who were shot-gunned to death by their children in 1989 -- will sit down today with Hochman to ask the DA for a reduced sentence for Erik and Lyle.

As you know, the brothers were convicted of the slayings in their second trial in 1996 and sentenced to life without parole. Their first trial ended in a mistrial.

The lawyer representing Erik and Lyle Menendez's victims, who are also family members, is ripping the new District Attorney handling their case ... and calling the prosecutor a liar.

Attorney Bryan Freedman, who represents over 20 family members of Jose and Kitty Menendez, joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday and took some shots at new L.A. County D.A. Nathan Hochman.

Bryan is taking issue with Nathan's recent interview on CNN, where he claimed he was open to meeting with the family members and Freedman.

The lawyer representing Erik and Lyle Menendez's victims who are also family members says the handwriting is already on the wall with the new L.A. County District Attorney ... and the writing he saw reeks of bias against the bros.

Bryan Freedman wrote a scathing email, obtained by TMZ, to new D.A. Nathan Hochman, calling him out for meeting with only one Menendez family member ... the one who has gone on the record calling the 2 men cold-blooded killers and advocating that they rot in jail.

Freedman wrote, "Nathan, as I mentioned to you the day after the election ... I represent over 20 family members of Jose and Kitty Menendez ... There is concern however that your process of gathering information from the victims has been unfair."

Los Angeles County’s new District Attorney, Nathan Hochman, is wasting no time after being sworn into the high-profile gig -- he's kicking things off with a case that’s been on everyone's mind -- the Menendez Brothers.

Hochman chatted with TMZ outside the Hall of Justice in downtown L.A. Tuesday after he was sworn in by Arnold Schwarzenegger, making it clear that, despite the public's obsession with Erik and Lyle's case, he's not going to treat it any differently than others.

Hochman explained to us that while he's sticking to his no-special-treatment approach, he sees the public interest as a win. Why? Because it helps shine a spotlight on the bigger issues in criminal justice and reform.

Los Angeles County's new District Attorney Nathan Hochman was sworn in by Arnold Schwarzenegger Tuesday at the Hall of Justice in downtown L.A.

Hochman is replacing outgoing D.A. George Gascón, who Nathan says was way too soft on violent and repeat offenders during his 4-year term ... and apparently voters agreed.

It's fitting ... Hochman says he's going to terminate a lot of the policies he calls lenient that Gascón was known for ... like not prosecuting drug possession and trespassing offenses ... and he's turning to the "Terminator" star -- and former California governor -- to get his first day in office started.

The Menendez brothers are going to spend at least one more Thanksgiving behind bars ... and TMZ has the cranberry sauce on what their gobble-gobble day is going to look like.

A source in the California Department of Corrections tells TMZ ... Lyle and Erik -- who've been in prison nearly 35 years for the double murder of their parents -- will feast on turkey slices, mashed potatoes, greens, and peach pie this Thanksgiving.

InTouch was the first to report on the Thanksgiving menu.

Erik and Lyle Menendez don't appear to be getting out of prison before the holidays ... because their upcoming resentencing hearing has been delayed.

The Menendez Brothers joined a status hearing Monday in Van Nuys from the San Diego area prison where they are serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. They tried to join by video, but encountered technical issues and had to listen in over the phone ... but never spoke.

Still, it was their first time in court in decades.

The Menendez Brothers are taking their first big step toward possibly getting out of prison ... and their family is feeling good about their chances ahead of Monday's hearing.

We caught up with Bryan Freedman, the attorney representing Erik and Lyle Menendez's family, this morning outside the Van Nuys Courthouse, where he expressed optimism regarding their case ... teasing "some developments" are likely to come through after the controversial siblings appear, by Zoom, in court.

Watch the video, Freedman made it clear he was "feeling good," confidently predicting "success" for Erik and Lyle in their bid for release.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has kicked the can down the road in the direction of the new L.A. County District Attorney ... regarding Erik and Lyle Menendez.

Newsom's office just released a statement ... "The Governor respects the role of the District Attorney in ensuring justice is served and recognizes that voters have entrusted District Attorney-elect Hochman to carry out this responsibility. The Governor will defer to the D.A.-elect's review and analysis of the Menendez case prior to making any clemency decisions."

As we reported, the outgoing D.A., George Gascón, has supported resentencing Erik and Lyle and is in favor of their release. The newly-elected D.A., Nathan Hochman, has said he won't weigh in on how he wants to proceed until he fully reviews the case.

A hearing is set for December 11, where a judge will hear arguments on whether to re-sentence the Menendez brothers ... and that could trigger a parole board hearing that could set them free.

TMZ broke the story ... Erik and Lyle's lawyer, Mark Geragos, will ask the judge to change the conviction from murder to manslaughter. Since Erik and Lyle have served 3 times the maximum sentence for manslaughter, they would be immediately free men.

Erik and Lyle Menendez and their legal team are making a full court press for freedom at next month's hearing ... and we've learned their star witnesses are people inside the prison.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the Menendez Brothers lawyer, Mark Geragos, will call six key witnesses to the stand at their Dec. 11 resentencing hearing ... and they all work for the California Department of Corrections.

The witnesses are two correctional officers, one education officer, a prison guard, a correctional lieutenant and another employee from the Dept. of Corrections ... all of whom have crossed paths with Erik and Lyle during their three-plus decades behind bars.

Incoming Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman says one of his first orders of business is tackling Erik and Lyle Melendez's bid for freedom ... and the clock's ticking.

Hochman, who just defeated incumbent George Gascón at the ballot box, tells TMZ ... if the Menendez brothers' resentencing case lands on his desk on his first day as D.A., on December 2, he will hit the ground running, poring over documents and talking to all parties involved.

While Gascon has recommended resentencing, Hochman says he's got to review the case and the law before coming to a decision ... but time is of the essence because the resentencing hearing is set for Dec. 11 ... giving Hochman a little over a week to work with.

Los Angeles County D.A. George Gascón is setting the record straight, saying his push to recommend resentencing for the Menendez brothers isn’t about public buzz or winning an election -- it’s about doing what he personally believes is right.

On "TMZ Live," Harvey didn’t hold back on grilling Gascón about all the renewed public interest playing into the Menendez brothers’ case -- saying the considerations of their case are purely based on the evidence.

Gascón shot down the hype factor, telling us his decision came down to what he feels is right -- and not because of public opinion, or an effort to win votes.