Jill Lansing Declined to Represent Lyle Menendez During His Second Trial — Where Is She Now?

Brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez were arrested and charged with murdering their parents in March 1990, seven months after the killings occurred. The brothers' behavior during those seven months would later come back to haunt them during their trials. The wealthy siblings from Beverly Hills went on a spending spree that the state used to establish a motive. Prosecutor Pamela Bozanich argued that the murders were motivated by money.

The trial became a media circus, with certain people taking center stage. One of them was Erik's attorney, Leslie Abramson, who was widely regarded as one of the best criminal defense lawyers in the country. She was smart, driven, and never shied away from sharing her opinion. Lyle's attorney was also talented, though she preferred to remain out of the spotlight. Where is Jill Lansing now? Here's what we know.

Not much is known about what happened to Jill Lansing after she defended Lyle Menendez. According to the Los Angeles Times, she declined to defend him again after their first trial ended in a hung jury. The then 47-year-old wanted to spend more time with her daughter, and who can blame her? The Menendez brothers trial was an international sensation. According to The State Bar of California, Jill's license was inactive beginning in January 2007. She would have been about 60 years old.

During his second trial, Lyle was represented by Charlie Gessler, a man who had worked in the public defender's officer for nearly 30 years, per the Los Angeles Times. Charlie was known for making sure his clients stayed off death row and was able to do the same for Lyle. "He has the admiration and respect of everyone who has tried cases, either with him or against him," Jill told the outlet. "That is a remarkable accomplishment in a rather combative business."

In a March 2021 Facebook post from his account written by his wife Rebecca, Lyle discussed how much he appreciated Jill. He loved her very much and felt "safe with her to reveal his most painful, deeply-hidden, humiliating secrets in front of the entire world." He went on to say that testifying about his alleged abuse was "excruciating" but he did it to "give voice to the multitudes of silenced victims."

Obviously, Jill leaving was incredibly painful for Lyle, and while Charlie was a more than adequate replacement, he said the "emotional connection was just not there." This is primarily why Lyle said he did not testify during the second trial. "The idea of having to retell these horror stories to the world with a person who did not provide the same emotional safety to Lyle was just not tenable," wrote his wife.

Lyle added that though he understood how effective his testimony was in the first trial, he couldn't handle another round of ridicule without Jill by his side. The post reads, "Erik still had Leslie. Lyle did not have Jill."