Christina Randall: Should Killers Erik & Lyle Menendez Be Released From Prison?

Source:Christina Randall talking about the Menendez Brothers.

"Erik and Lyle Menendez captured national attention in 1989 and beyond after the siblings killed their parents, but the two gained new widespread interest thanks to a Netflix special. In the months following the premiere of “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” relatives of the brothers came forward in support of a reduced sentence. Following an initial mistrial, the Menendez brothers were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1996 without possibility of parole." article by News Nation News

CA v. MENENDEZ (1993): Erik Menendez Takes the Stand Court TV:    • CA v. MENENDEZ (1993): Erik Menendez ...  

CA v. MENENDEZ (1993): Lyle Menendez Takes the Stand (Part 1):    • CA v. MENENDEZ (1993): Lyle Menendez ... 

From Christina Randall

With all due respect: Christina Randall sounds like an example of someone who spends way too much time at coffee houses and at the very least drinks way too much coffee from coffee houses. This is what happens to you, when you are addicted coffee and caffeine. She shows a lack discipline and can come off as a rambling politician, perhaps in fear that she might offend someone. Perhaps that's part of her appeal in today's social media culture. She seems to want to talk about a lot of things at once and almost sounds like she's yelling into her computer. 

But having said all that, I'm going to give you my thoughts about the Menendez Brothers and what I think should be done in their case from here. 

Just to put it all put there: both Lyle and Erik Menendez are guilty of murdering their parents Jose and Kitty. End of statement, case closed as far as their guilt of murder here. Even if you believe the sexual abuse by their father, (and I do) that doesn't justify murdering your parents. Especially doing that after the sexual abuse happened, not during it. So they should've been convicted of murder and been given a long prison sentence because of that. 

Now the question here for me, at least, has never been whether they're guilty or not. They even know they're guilty. The question was what their sentence should be. 

Under 1st degree murder in California, you either get life without parole, or get sentenced to death. 

Under 2nd degree murder in California, you get a minimum of 15 years to life in prison. 

The definition of 1st degree murder is:

"First-degree murder is the intentional killing of a person with premeditation and malice, or in the commission of a felony. The exact definition of first-degree murder varies by state, but generally involves premeditation and deliberation."

The definition of 2nd degree murder is: 

"Second-degree murder is the unlawful killing of a person without premeditation, but with intent to cause death or serious bodily harm: 

Intent to kill

The offender intentionally kills someone, or causes the death of an unborn child 

Intent to cause serious bodily harm

The offender intends to cause serious bodily harm, but doesn't intend to kill." 

So if you hate your spouse and decide that you are going murder your spouse on Thursday evening when your spouse gets home from work, to collect the life insurance policy that you have on your spouse and keep your joint investments for yourself, that would be 1st degree murder. 

But if you get into a fight at nightclub or bar and get the upper hand and the other person is no longer a threat to you, but you keep hitting that person anyway and break a few beer bottles over the person's head, that would be 2nd degree murder. You didn't set out to murder the person. But you took the altercation too far and killed that person as a result. 

I see 2nd degree murder in the Menendez Brothers case and believe that they should've gotten 30 to life, because they murdered two people each. And I think this case is a 2nd degree murder case, because you could easily argue, if you believe the sexual abuse testimony that their father did that to them and that their mother knew about it and covered it up, (and I do) that this experience with their parents, especially their father, sent them over the edge (so to speak) and they murdered their parents because of that.

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