Brad Mielke
Appearances
The Prosecutors
The Menendez Brothers' Fight for Freedom, from Crime Scene Weekly
And every week, we're bringing you the latest on what's big and what's new in the true crime scene. This week, we're talking to ABC chief national correspondent Matt Gutman, who's based in LA and has been following this case for years. He's with us now. Hey, Matt. Hey, Brad.
The Prosecutors
The Menendez Brothers' Fight for Freedom, from Crime Scene Weekly
Before we get into the recent news, I just want to revisit some important details here, because I grew up in Southern California, Matt. Like, I grew up on the OJ trial, the Tupac killing, and yet this still remains one of the most infamous double murders of its day. So Lyle and Eric Menendez, 18 and 21, gunned down and killed their parents, Jose Menendez and Kitty Menendez in Beverly Hills.
The Prosecutors
The Menendez Brothers' Fight for Freedom, from Crime Scene Weekly
That's not in dispute, right? They were convicted of murdering their parents. Can you take us back to that time? What was life like for this family?
The Prosecutors
The Menendez Brothers' Fight for Freedom, from Crime Scene Weekly
And so in 1993, their trials began. I think they were tried separately at the time, right? They both pleaded not guilty. What was the claim they were making?
The Prosecutors
The Menendez Brothers' Fight for Freedom, from Crime Scene Weekly
Well, and speaking of this moment, this was also the beginning of cameras in courtrooms, as we now know them. And there was footage from this trial that ABC has. And in fact, here's a clip of Lyle Menendez on the stand talking about what, again, at this moment was sort of earth shattering for us to hear. So let's listen to that.
The Prosecutors
The Menendez Brothers' Fight for Freedom, from Crime Scene Weekly
35 years after the gruesome double murder that gripped the nation, the Menendez brothers are back in the spotlight and fighting for their freedom. But it's not just what you know, it's who you know and who you can get on your side. Over the last couple weeks, that's all changing. Welcome to the crime scene. I'm Brad Milkey. I host ABC's daily news podcast, Start Here.