Erik and Lyle Menendez will soon face California’s parole board, marking a significant moment almost 30 years after their conviction for murdering their parents, a case that drew widespread attention nationwide.
Erik’s parole hearing is organized for Thursday, with Lyle’s scheduled for the following Friday. Both sessions will be conducted via videoconference from the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.
This marks the first time the brothers have been eligible for parole, following a May decision by a Los Angeles judge to reduce their sentences.
From conviction to chance at release
The Menendez brothers were handed life sentences in 1996 without the chance of parole for the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home. Erik and Lyle were 18 and 21, respectively, at the time of the incident.
Before the hearings, Hochman’s office issued a statement and a 75-page report arguing against granting the Menendez brothers parole, citing their failure to fully acknowledge their role in their parents’ deaths.
“The Menendez brothers have never fully acknowledged their responsibility for the brutal murders of their parents, continuing to support a false self-defense claim that the jury dismissed decades ago,” the statement from Hochman’s office read. “We steadfastly oppose their release as they haven’t shown full understanding or rehabilitation regarding their crimes, and therefore remain a threat to society.”
Hochman said his office will evaluate their final stance based on the evidence presented at the hearing.
On the other hand, the brothers’ attorney, Mark Geragos, advocated for Erik’s release after he was recently hospitalized due to a severe but unspecified medical issue. Erik has since been returned to the prison facility.
The Justice for Erik and Lyle Coalition, a family-led initiative advocating for the brothers’ release, shared a statement ahead of the parole hearings, saying they remain hopeful, but understand the hurdles they still have to overcome.
“As always, our family remains cautiously optimistic, grounding ourselves in the reality that California’s parole process is incredibly rigorous, with low grant rates. We respect that and know Erik and Lyle are prepared for that level of scrutiny,” the statement read.
Erik Menendez, left, and his brother Lyle in front of their Beverly Hills home. (Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Renewed attention and cultural impact
Interest in the Menendez case has surged again in recent years, fueled by popular media portrayals and changing public sentiment. Netflix released “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” and a companion documentary, “The Menendez Brothers,” in 2024, drawing attention to the abuse allegations that played a central role in the brothers’ defense.
The series co-creator, Ian Brennan, shared what outcome he is hoping to see for the Menendez brothers during an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, calling it a complex case.
“What I believe about the truth of the case really changes from hour to hour. The further we went into researching this, the more confused I got, because their testimony and story throughout did involve a lot of lies. The fact that Erik was writing a screenplay that involved murdering your parents is just weird stuff,” Brennan explained.
“I think their story is a lot of lies, but there’s a lot of truth to it. If they were somehow not granted parole, I would be very sad. They’ve paid that debt,” Brennan said.
Support for the brothers gained momentum after former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón petitioned for their resentencing in 2023.
An undated photo of the Menendez family as it appears on screen during a panel at CrimeCon 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sunday, June 2. (Fox News Digital)
Despite these developments, prosecutors have resisted early release, arguing that the Menendez brothers have not fully accepted responsibility for their crimes.
Hochman’s office said that while recent documentaries and films have drawn renewed attention to the brothers’ case, “parole decisions must be based solely on the facts and the law.”
“In recent years, the defendants have continued to promote their fabricated defenses through popular media, including the 2024 Netflix documentary series. In that program, they repeated the same false narratives of abuse and self-defense that they manufactured after their arrests, and which multiple juries and courts have already rejected,” Hochman stated in the filing.
“Their willingness to appear in such productions, and to leverage them for public sympathy, demonstrates that even more than three decades later, they remain committed to perpetuating lies rather than accepting responsibility for their calculated crimes,” he continued.
A case at a crossroads
As Erik and Lyle Menendez face their first parole hearings, their future will be decided by the parole board and, ultimately, Newsom. The case, which has drawn national attention for more than three decades, now enters a new phase as the state weighs their potential release.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides, and migrant crime. Story tips: stepheny.price@fox.com.
