A major decision has been made about the future of Lyle and Erik Menendez, the siblings who’ve been in prison for nearly 35 years following the shooting deaths of their parents. In addition to a Netflix show bringing renewed attention to their case, the push to free the Menendez brothers also followed new evidence being presented to L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón.

On Thursday, Gascón officially announced that he is recommending to the court that Lyle and Erik Menendez should be resentenced, which would make them eligible for parole immediately. The decision to actually set the brothers free will now have to go to court, but this is undoubtedly great news for the Menendez siblings and their supporters, marking a major step forward in getting the duo out of prison. The brothers were previously sentenced to life behind bars without the possibility of parole in 1996 following the murders of their parents in 1989.

“We’re going to recommend to the court that the life without the possibility of parole be removed and that they will be sentenced for murder, which, because there are two murders involved, that would be 50 years to life. However, because of their age under the law, since they were under 26 years of age at the time that this crimes occurred, they will be eligible for parole immediately,” the D.A. said, per Newsweek.

The story of the Menendez brothers has been in the spotlight in recent weeks following the release of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story on Netflix. The series served as the second season of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series that began with Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. In the case of the Menendez brothers, there had been a campaign for the two to be released, as it’s been argued that the duo murdering their parents had been the result of years of abuse. The Netflix series exponentially grew the movement by bringing more awareness to the case, leading to the escalation of the legal decision.

Will There Be New Episodes of Monsters?

Ryan Murphy recently hinted that there might be bonus episodes made of Monsters in light of the recent developments with the incarcerated siblings. While new episodes hadn’t been confirmed by Netflix, Murphy was open to extending the season to acknowledge the renewed bid to get the brothers released from prison. However, ahead of the decision, series star Cooper Koch, who played Erik Menendez in show, said he wouldn’t be interested in reprising his role, feeling that the story had already been told.

“I think what I would be interested in doing, if Nicholas [Alexander Chavez] and Cooper [Koch] would agree to do it, is maybe one or two episodes that continue the story,” Murphy had told Variety, suggesting that he’d like to make one or two more episodes.

In response, Koch would later tell Variety, “I think we told the story. We did it. I think I’m ready to go onto the next thing. I’ve loved talking about it and I’ve loved advocating for them and I’m really excited for them to get out hopefully, but in terms of being Erik again, I think I’m ready to let that go.”

The series had previously drawn controversy, sparking criticism from the Menendez brothers themselves along with their family members and supporters. It was argued that the portrayal of the brothers was problematic, though Ryan Murphy had insisted that the popularity of the show actually helped the pair, as it only increased the attention surrounding their case — perhaps leading to an influx of new supporters.

“I think that this show is the best thing that has happened to the Menendez brothers in 30 years in prison. They have said as much,” Murphy said of the controversy, per Netflix. “They’ve told lawyers as much. I think it’s very difficult to have your lives splashed all over the world, but I think that [the show is] doing a really wonderful job of having people talk about their case, talk about their innocence or their guilt, talk about [whether they] should have another trial, should they be freed?”

I think that this show is the best thing that has happened to the Menendez brothers in 30 years in prison.

The prolific TV series creator went on to add, “I don’t believe that anybody should spend their entire life in prison. I just don’t believe that, and the Menendez case is a perfect example of that. I think, if there is more evidence, and if there is a different perspective that the lawyers of the [brothers] have, I believe that that should be heard.”

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is streaming on Netflix.