Erik and Lyle Menendez could be freed from prison 'within weeks' as resentencing set to take place

The Menendez brothers could walk free from prison within a matter of weeks once their resentencing hearing finally gets underway.

Erik and Lyle were set to hear their fates at the end of January, three months after it was first announced that their life sentences could be re-evaluated.

But now, the brothers will have to hang on until March before they find out what lies ahead for them both.

The siblings currently remain behind bars at San Diego County's Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility for the 1989 murders of their parents, José and Mary Louise 'Kitty' Menendez.

The case which stunned Beverly Hills and culminated in one highest-profile trials of the 90s was revisited by Monster creator Ryan Murphy last year, who made it the subject of his second Netflix series.

Following its release, the brothers found themselves at the centre of a media frenzy once again, with fans of the show calling for them to be released.

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian also shared her support for Erik, now 54, and Lyle, now 57, prompting US prosecutors to take another look at the complicated case.

The hearing to determine if the brothers should be resentenced was scheduled to take place on 30 January, but has now been postponed due to the ongoing LA wildfires.

The resentencing hearing has been pushed back due to the LA wildfires (Ted Soqui/Sygma via Getty Images)

In a statement shared on Friday (17 January), Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the hearing will now begin on 20 March.

The newly elected DA said the devastating blazes, which have been raging since 7 January, have interfered with preparations.

At least 27 people have died in the wildfires, while thousands of homes and buildings have been decimated.

In October last year, former Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón recommended the Menendez brothers' punishments should be reconsidered.

He suggested that the brothers - who have maintained that the murders were an act of self-defence due to the abuse they allegedly suffered - be resentenced to 50 years to life.

As they were under the age of 26 at the time of the murders, this would make Erik and Lyle immediately eligible for parole.

Erik and Lyle will now have to wait until 20 March (Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Gascón told reporters during a press conference: "I believe the brothers were subject to a tremendous amount of dysfunction in their home and molestation."

Although he emphasised the fact that there is 'no excuse' for murder, he added: "I believe they have paid their debt to society."

Hochman replaced him as the county's top prosecutor late last year after defeating Gascón in the November elections.

He previously described his predecessor's decision to revisit the Menendez case as a 'desperate political move', according to the Associated Press.

"By releasing it now, Gascon has cast a cloud over the fairness and impartiality of his decision," he said at the time.

Hochman has not publicly declared his stance on the resentencing, however, he did have a 'productive' three-hour sit-down with Erik and Lyle's relatives earlier this month.

The Menendez brothers were convicted of killing their parents in 1996 and were sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole.