The Erik and Lyle Menendez case has turned a nondescript Los Angeles courthouse into the hottest ticket in Tinseltown – sparking the kind of frenzy usually seen at red-carpet Hollywood premieres.
The brothers – who shot and killed their wealthy parents in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989 – could win freedom after more than 30 years in prison.
On Monday the duo appeared in court via teleconference – the first time they’ve attended a hearing in years – to find out next steps in their bid for release.
Trial-watchers began queuing outside at 05:15 local time – more than five hours before the proceedings were due to start.
A heady mix of new evidence, a popular Netflix docuseries, and a dash of politics have turbocharged public interest in the case.
Several members of the Menendez family testified during Monday’s hearing, arguing for the brothers’ release.
But the judge overseeing the case postponed a hearing on whether they should be resentenced until January, after the county’s newly elected district attorney is sworn in and has time to review the case.
MORE: Menendez brothers’ resentencing hearing delayed until January
Only 16 seats were available on Monday for the several dozen members of the public who waited outside.
Officials handed out red raffle tickets and hosted a lottery on the steps of the courthouse to determine who those lucky individuals would be.
Peggy Savani, 60, was on holiday in nearby Venice Beach with her family from Ohio and decided she had to go. Her husband was working, and her daughter wasn’t interested in tagging along.
“I told them, ‘I’m going. I don’t care,'” she told the BBC after grabbing her red raffle ticket.
Ms Savani remembered all the hype surrounding the case when she watched the brothers’ two criminal trials in the late 1990s – one ended in a mistrial and the second with their conviction and sentence to life in prison.
She noted the new evidence into their claims of sexual abuse by their father – a key element to their defence – and how society had changed in its understanding of sexual violence against both males and females.
“I think that what happened to them is not right and so I’m really glad that this is happening,” Ms Savani said.
“I just thought I’d come down and see what it’s all about and maybe be part of it.”
As she took a photo of her red raffle ticket, she laughed and said it was almost “like a golden ticket” – a reference to the Roald Dahl book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Getty ImagesThe crowd was filled with a mix of local residents who remembered watching the original trials, students who were studying law or criminal justice and those who simply wanted a ringside seat to one of the most notorious criminal cases in US history.
“I think this might be a once-in-a-lifetime event for us to experience,” Elena Gordon, 43, told the BBC. “I feel like this is a historical moment for southern California.”
A lifelong resident of nearby Orange County, she said she remembered watching the case when she was young and “to see it just ripped back open is pretty incredible”.
“It’s not about gawking at the brothers,” she added. “It’s about witnessing history.”
Greta and Anna, international students from Italy and the United Kingdom who are studying at the University of California, Los Angeles, said they both watched the Netflix drama series about the case, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Anna, who is from Notting Hill, west London. “It will be interesting to see what happens behind the scenes.”
The group of hopefuls huddled in the Van Nuys courthouse square, which was littered with autumn leaves, to find out if they won. A hush fell over the boisterous crowd – including dozens of journalists – as officials drew tickets from a manila envelope.
As numbers were read, each person peered intently at their ticket and then glanced around at the crowd to see who was called.
Bursts of excited screams cut through the silence.
Some jolted forwards while others tried to scurry past the throngs of cameras and media equipment to grab one of the lucky yellow badges – their key to enter the court.
Christian Garcia won the last ticket.
“It was very emotional,” the social media influencer said after the hearing.
“Honestly, today’s been a rollercoaster, but I had a gut feeling I was going to enter,” he added.
“I told my followers I’m going to enter into that room and God opened the door.”
