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The Menendez brothers continue to seek their release from prison 36 years after they shot and killed their parents.
Erik, 54, and Lyle Menendez, 57, are scheduled to face the California parole board later this month as they seek freedom once more. The brothers have been serving time for the 1989 killing of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, California.
For over three decades, the brothers were sentenced to life without parole after being found guilty of first-degree murder during a notable retrial concluded in March 1996. However, in May 2025, Judge Michael Jesic decided to reduce their sentences to life with the possibility of parole, taking into account that Lyle and Erik were only 21 and 18 years old, respectively, when the crimes occurred.
Keep reading to learn more about the Menendez brothers’ ongoing efforts and to find out when their parole hearings are.
Can the Menendez brothers be paroled?
Erik and Lyle Menendez can now be paroled following Jesic’s ruling, though the California Parole Board will ultimately make the final determination.
In determining parole eligibility, the board considers various factors, such as time served and credits for good behavior. Additionally, they will review input from victims’ families, the district attorney, and other sources to assess whether “the incarcerated person currently poses an unreasonable risk of danger to society if released from prison,” as noted by the parole board.
If parole is denied, the individual can appeal the decision. If approved, the case advances to the governor’s office, currently that of Gov. Gavin Newsom, who may choose to affirm, reverse, modify, or return the case to the board based on his evaluation.
Several Menendez family members and members of the public, including celebrities like Kim Kardashian, have expressed support for the brothers’ release.
When are the Menendez brothers’ parole hearings?
Erik, recently recovering from a short hospital stay, is set to appear before the parole board on Thursday, Aug. 21, while Lyle’s session is planned for the following day, Friday, Aug. 22.
The brothers are also making a bid for new trials related to their parents’ killings. They filed a petition for habeas corpus in the hopes of having a new trial which includes new evidence of the alleged abuse Erik and Lyle experienced at the hands of their father, Jose. Such evidence includes a letter Erik wrote to his cousin, Andy Cano, in the 1980s in which he details being abused.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has opposed the brothers’ efforts. Most recently, he wrote in a statement that the new letter does not justify a third trial, according to ABC7 News.
“The central defense of the Menendez brothers at trial has always been self-defense, not sexual abuse,” Hochman’s statement reads. “The jury rejected this self-defense defense in finding them guilty of the horrific murders they perpetrated; five different appellate state and federal courts have affirmed those convictions, and nothing in the so-called ‘new’ evidence challenges any of those determinations.”
“Our opposition to this ‘Hail Mary’ effort to obtain a new trial over 30 years later makes clear that justice, the facts, and the law demand the convictions stand,” Hochman continued.
To learn more about the case, watch Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed on Peacock.
