for doing whatever it took. >> you guys haven't been fair to these boys, and you're not fair to them now. >> and she had an unusual strategy for defending the brothers. a lot known as imperfect self-defense. >> that is to say, under all the circumstances, it was reasonable to the person to think that they were acting in self-defense. but the reality is that, that wasn't the case at all. >> in other words, an honest but unreasonable belief that once life is in danger. the defense argued that the brothers weren't spoiled, they were damaged. subject to years of abuse that made the decision to kill their parents seem to them, like an act of self-defense against imminent danger. if the jury agreed, the menendez brothers would get manslaughter instead of murder. >> our witnesses will paint a portrait of jose and mary louise menendez as parents, that will make understandable to you how they could've died at the hands of their children.