() A California state panel on Friday denied Lyle Menendez parole, following a decision by parole commissioners the day before to keep his younger brother, Erik, incarcerated for the Aug. 20, 1989, shotgun murders of their parents. The brothers were both critiqued for misconduct during their time in prison.

In an 11-hour hearing on Friday, Lyle Menendez and his advocates, including family members, argued that the 57-year-old would not pose a danger to the public if he were released. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, opposing parole for both brothers, presented extensive information about the brutal murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez.

Commissioner Julie Garland, in denying Lyle Menendez parole for at least three more years, acknowledged his efforts to better himself in prison. However, she also criticized him for disciplinary issues, such as possessing unauthorized cellphones, and implied he might violate rules upon release.

“We find your remorse is genuine,” Garland stated. “You have been a model inmate in many respects and have shown potential for change. However, despite these outward positives, we see … you continue to struggle with antisocial personality traits like deceit, minimization, and rule-breaking that lie beneath that positive exterior.”

Garland noted that Lyle Menendez could be considered for another parole hearing in as soon as 18 months through an administrative process. She advised him to use the intervening time “to genuinely demonstrate and practice what you claim to be about who you are and who you aim to become.”

Lyle Menendez told the parole board about the abuse he said he suffered under his parents. He cried, face reddened, while delivering his closing statement. He seemed to still want to protect his “baby brother,” telling commissioners he took sole responsibility for the murders.

“I will never be able to make up for the harm and grief I caused everyone in my family,” he said. “I am so sorry to everyone, and I will be forever sorry.”

A single reporter was allowed to watch the videoconference of the parole hearing and share information, including quotes, with the rest of the media.

Erik Menendez cited for prison violations, too

At Erik Menendez’s separate parole hearing Thursday, a California parole commissioner cited several instances of the younger brother breaking prison rules. Offenses ranged from violence to inappropriate behavior with visitors to unauthorized possession of a cellphone.

“Contrary to your supporters’ beliefs, you have not been a model prisoner,” Commissioner Robert Barton told the 54-year-old inmate.

Erik Menendez is next eligible for a parole hearing in three years but, like Lyle Menendez, can seek an earlier date before commissioners.

The Menendez brothers became eligible for parole earlier this year after a judge reduced their sentences from life in prison without the possibility of parole to 50 years to life. Relatives of the Menendez brothers say the two have consistently demonstrated remorse and personal growth behind bars over the past three decades.

The California Board of Parole previously assessed the Menendez brothers as having a “moderate risk” of committing violence if they are freed. California criminal defense attorney Brian Claypool said inmates with that risk assessment get paroled only 20% of the time, compared with the two-thirds of “low-risk” inmates who are granted release.

Lyle and Erik Menendez attended their parole hearings remotely from the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility near San Diego, where they are housed. Their bids for parole were heard by different lineups of commissioners.

“While we are of course disappointed by today’s decision as well, we are not discouraged,” representatives for the Menendez family said in a prepared statement. “The process for parole is exceptionally rigorous, but we are incredibly proud of how Erik and Lyle showed up with honesty, accountability, and integrity.”

Menendez brothers have never accepted responsibility: Prosecutor

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said his office submitted a more than 80-page analysis to state parole officials mapping out how the siblings plotted and carried out their parents’ brutal murders at the family home in Beverly Hills to acquire a large inheritance.

The information, he said, reflected prison records of the Menendez brothers, interviews with family members, trial transcripts and gruesome evidence about the way Jose and Kitty Menendez died. The prosecutor says the Menendez brothers have never told the truth about the murders.

“If they ever do it, they might be ready for parole. But they have not done it yet,” Hochman said earlier this week.

He has pushed back at allegations that advocates for the brothers have made, that Erik and Lyle were sexually abused by their father. Hochman said Erik and Lyle Menendez initially made broad self-defense claims that they feared their parents would kill them the day of the murders.

Final arbiter on Menendez case: Gov. Newsom

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat and potential 2028 presidential candidate, is considered the final arbiter in the Menendez brothers’ case. His office has broad clemency powers, and the governor is able to reverse decisions by the Board of Parole.

Observers, however, have speculated Newsom would be reluctant to free the brothers because it could negatively impact a bid for the White House.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.