Lyle Menendez has been denied parole for his role in the 1989 killings of his parents, just a day after the California parole board rejected the release of his brother Erik. The decision on Friday means California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, will have the final say on whether the 57-year-old will ever be freed.
The brothers, who were 18 and 21 at the time of the killings, have spent nearly 30 years in prison for fatally shooting José and Kitty Menendez. They have long maintained that they acted after years of sexual abuse by their father. In 1996, they were sentenced to life in prison after prosecutors argued the murders were committed to secure a multimillion-dollar inheritance.
The case has drawn renewed public interest in recent years, with social media, documentaries and TV dramas focusing on the brothers’ abuse allegations and claims of unfair treatment by prosecutors and the media. Their family members have publicly supported them and backed their allegations.
Last year, the then Los Angeles district attorney, George Gascón, recommended they be resentenced, saying, “They have been in prison for nearly 35 years. I believe that they have paid their debt to society.” In May, a judge reduced their sentences to 50 years with the possibility of release. The current district attorney, Nathan Hochman, opposed their release, arguing they never fully accepted responsibility.
On Thursday, Erik Menendez was denied parole, with the board citing his prison misbehaviour, including the use of a cellphone, as evidence he still poses a public safety risk. Commissioner Robert Barton noted, “Two things can be true. They can love and forgive you, and you can still be found unsuitable for parole.” Hochman praised the board’s “careful, evidence-based” assessment.
Friday’s hearing, closed to the public, lasted 11 hours and was held separately from Thursday’s. Both brothers appeared by video link from the San Diego prison. The panel quizzed them on their behaviour and attitude towards the murders, but its members' identities were not released.
