Erik Menendez Returns to Prison After Being Hospitalized and Undergoing Surgery for Kidney Stones

Erik Menendez has returned to prison after being temporarily hospitalized in California for kidney stone treatment.

In an Instagram Stories update posted on Saturday, Aug. 2, his stepdaughter Talia confirmed that the 54-year-old was back in custody following surgery, according to TMZ.

“My dad is out of the hospital and back at the prison, preparing for our upcoming parole hearing,” wrote Talia, whose mother, Tammi Saccoman, married Erik while he was serving time at a prison in San Diego.

Previously, ABC News reported that Erik had been moved from the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego to a local hospital due to a medical issue. Talia later disclosed on social media that he was suffering from complications related to “both kidneys having multiple large stones.”

Mark Geragos, the attorney for Erik and his brother Lyle Menendez, told TMZ on July 22 that Erik had spent about a week hospitalized and described it as a “serious medical condition.” Geragos also advocated for Erik’s immediate release in light of the situation.

“Medical privacy laws restrict us from providing details,” the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in an email to PEOPLE.

The health scare comes just weeks before parole hearings for both Erik and 57-year-old Lyle, scheduled for Aug. 21 and 22. The brothers became eligible for parole after being resentenced to 50 years to life on May 13.

Erik and Lyle were convicted of killing their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, on Aug. 20, 1989, as the couple sat on the couch in their Beverly Hills home. At the time, Erik was 18 and Lyle was 21.

The brothers have long maintained that the murders were a result of years of sexual abuse by their father, a former RCA Records executive, and that their mother ignored the abuse. They claimed they acted out of fear for their lives after threats from their father.

Prosecutors argued instead that the motive was financial, pointing to the pair’s extravagant spending following the killings.

Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom may ultimately decide the brothers’ fate. He has indicated he will wait until after their final parole hearings to make a decision regarding potential clemency.

Previously, the governor asked the parole board to conduct a full risk assessment to determine whether the Menendez brothers would pose a threat to public safety if released.

“The Governor has ordered the Parole Board to conduct a Comprehensive Risk Assessment of both Erik and Lyle Menendez,” attorneys Mark Geragos and Cliff Gardner said in a February statement obtained by PEOPLE.

“Along with scores of Jose and Kitty Menendez’s family members who have fought for years to see Erik and Lyle have a chance to finally come home, we are grateful for the Governor’s decision,” the attorneys added.

They continued, “The family realizes that the Governor’s action does not mean he will commute the sentences. Instead, this initial step reflects the Governor’s considered decision to at least obtain the information required to make a fair decision as to whether Erik and Lyle, after 35 years in prison, have done the hard work necessary to have a chance at a life outside prison. Jose and Kitty’s family members, as well as Erik and Lyle, can ask for nothing more.”

In a virtual appearance during their May hearing, the Menendez brothers reportedly took “full responsibility” for their actions, according to Fox News.