Monsters star Cooper Koch was spotted attending Friday’s pivotal court hearing for convicted murderers Erik and Lyle Menendez.
The Menendez brothers, who are serving life sentences for the 1989 murders of their parents, José and Kitty, returned to the public eye in 2024 with the premiere of Ryan Murphy’s show, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
The Netflix series, which featured 28-year-old Koch as Erik and 25-year-old Nicholas Chavez as Lyle, garnered renewed support for the brothers, who have been fighting for their release for the past 30 years.
On Friday, Koch — who has been an outspoken advocate for the brothers’ release since his portrayal of Erik — was photographed arriving at the Van Nuys Courthouse with Erik’s wife, Tammi Saccoman, and stepdaughter, Talia Menendez, for the brothers’ resentencing hearing.
Footage of the actor proudly walking arm in arm with his partner, Stuart McClave, ahead of Saccoman and Talia, was also captured by Fox Local.
The latest hearing comes after Los Angeles’ new district attorney, Nathan Hochman, opposed his predecessor, George Gascón’s, original request for a judge to change the brothers’ sentence to 50 years to life. Doing so would make them immediately eligible for release under California law because they committed the crime when they were younger than 26.
However, last month Hochman submitted a motion to withdraw Gascón’s request, stating that he did not support the brothers’ resentencing because they had not admitted to lies they told as the case unfolded about why they killed their parents and did not “fully recognize, acknowledge, and accept complete responsibility” for their crime.
Erik and Lyle were 18 and 21 respectively, when they stood trial for the brutal murders of their parents. At the time, the defense argued the brothers acted in self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, while prosecutors argued they killed their parents for a multimillion-dollar inheritance.
Cooper Koch at the menendez hearing with Eriks wife and daughter 🥹 pic.twitter.com/Su4xvOSsUN
— Steph (@letoalways01) April 11, 2025
At Friday’s hearing, the court will decide whether to allow prosecutors to withdraw their resentencing motion. Should that request be granted, the judge will also decide whether to proceed independently with the brothers’ resentencing hearings, which are tentatively scheduled for April 17 and 18.
Hochman’s opposition poses a major hurdle for the brothers, whose path to resentencing was all but certain with Gascón's support.
Last October, after Gascón called for the brothers’ resentencing, Koch released a statement, saying: “I am overwhelmed with gratitude and hope for the progress we’ve seen today. Gascón’s recommendation has ignited a renewed sense of possibility that Lyle and Erik could finally be released after decades behind bars.
“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.”
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