A California parole board has denied Erik Menendez’s request for release, more than 36 years after he and his brother, Lyle, were convicted of murdering their parents inside the family’s Beverly Hills home. Both brothers were originally sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Erik, now 54, appeared by videoconference from the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego during Thursday’s hearing. Lyle, 57, is scheduled to face the parole board on Friday.
“While we respect the decision, today’s outcome was of course disappointing and not what we hoped for,” a spokesperson for the Menendez brothers said in a statement. “But our belief in Erik remains unwavering and we know he will take the Board’s recommendation in stride. His remorse, growth, and the positive impact he’s had on others speak for themselves. We will continue to stand by him and hold to the hope he is able to return home soon.”
The statement added: “Tomorrow, we turn our attention to Lyle’s hearing. And while it is undoubtedly difficult, we remain cautiously optimistic and hopeful that the commissioner will see in Lyle what so many others have: a man who has taken responsibility, transformed his life, and is ready to come home.”
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman praised the parole board’s ruling, saying it “does justice for Jose and Kitty Menendez, the victims of the brutal murders carried out by their sons on Aug. 20, 1989.” Hochman noted that Erik will be eligible to reapply for parole in three years.
The brothers were sentenced in 1996 to life in prison for killing their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, when they were 18 and 21. Their defense attorneys argued the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, which they claimed their mother ignored. Prosecutors countered that the murders were committed for financial gain, pointing to the family’s multimillion-dollar estate.
At their first trial in 1993, they were tried together but with separate juries. Both cases ended in mistrials after jurors could not reach verdicts. During the proceedings, the brothers described the alleged abuse by their father.
Their second trial took place under stricter conditions — the judge limited testimony about abuse, and cameras were banned. Both brothers were convicted of murder and sentenced to life without parole.
That sentence changed in May, when a Los Angeles judge reduced it to 50 years to life, making them immediately eligible for parole under California law. The ruling applied because both Erik and Lyle were under 26 when the killings occurred.
