Cooper Koch Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Cooper Koch is applauding Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón after he officially recommended that Erik and Lyle Menéndez be resentenced due to new evidence in their murder convictions.
“I am overwhelmed with gratitude and hope for the progress we’ve seen today,” the Monsters star – who portrayed Erik on the hit Netflix series – wrote in a statement via his brother Payton Koch‘s Instagram Story on Thursday, October 24. “Gascón’s recommendation has ignited a renewed sense of possibility that Lyle and Erik could finally be released after decades behind bars.”
Cooper, 28, continued, “But, this journey is not over. There are still critical steps ahead: the judge must endorse the resentencing, and, if that happens, the parole board must recognize the time they have served as fitting for the crime. Our voices, our unwavering support, remain crucial—not just for the brothers to ensure their release, but also for every victim of sexual abuse fighting to be heard. I hope to see Erik and Lyle soon. Free from all of this.”
Koch’s statement comes at the same time Kim Kardashian spoke out about Garcón’s call for the siblings’ resentencing. Koch and Kardashian, 44, visited the pair in prison after the premiere of Monsters last month.
“To the brothers’ family, friends, and millions who have been vocal supporters — your voices were heard,” Kardashian wrote in part via her Instagram Story on Thursday. “The media’s focus, especially on the heels of Ryan Murphy’s TV show, helped expose the abuse and injustices in their case. Society’s understanding of child abuse has evolved, and social media empowers us to question the system in place. This case highlights the importance of challenging decisions and seeking truth, even when guilt is not in question.”
Gascón announced the recommendation to have the Menéndez brothers’ sentences reduced during a live press conference on Thursday afternoon, explaining that if his recommendation is accepted, Erik, 53, and Lyle, 56, would be “eligible for parole immediately” since they were under 26 years old when the crime occurred.
“They have been in prison for nearly 35 years. I believe that they have paid their debt to society,” he said, adding that they are “safe to be integrated into society.”
The suggestion is now making its way to a judge, who will have his suggestion go before the Board of Parole Hearings. The siblings would either have to serve the remaining balance of the new sentence or they could be eligible for parole.
Lyle and Erik’s story reentered the spotlight following the September releases of Netflix’s limited series Monsters and documentary The Menéndez Brothers.
The brothers were convicted of murdering their parents, José and Kitty Menéndez, in their Beverly Hills, California, home in 1989 when Erik and Lyle were 18 and 21, respectively. They were ultimately sentenced to life in prison without parole in 1996.
Earlier this month, Koch and his Monsters costar, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, opened up about how they really felt about the Menéndez brothers in an interview with Vanity Fair.
Though Chavez, 25, portrays Lyle in the controversial series, he kept his opinion on the twosome to himself.
“I came to a really unique conclusion, but I’ve also come to the conclusion that I don’t really want to share what that is with anyone, and that I really want to keep that part of my artistry and my interpretation to myself,” he told the outlet.
Meanwhile, Koch had no qualms about his stance.
“I believe both of them,” he said. “I believe everything that they said on the stand to be true.”
Of visiting the brothers in September with Kardashian, Koch added, “I got to give them [Erik and Lyle] a hug and look them in the eyes and just tell them that I believe them and I stand with them, and I’ll do everything I can to advocate for them.”
