On the day her husband faced his first parole hearing, Erik Menendez’s wife, Tammi, shared a heartfelt public message of support.
“Wishing my amazing husband all the love and strength for his parole hearing tomorrow,” she wrote on X. “I believe in you and can’t wait for this new chapter together. You’ve got this!”
Erik and his brother, Lyle Menendez, have spent more than 30 years in prison after being convicted of murdering their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, inside their Beverly Hills home in 1989.
At the time of the killings, the brothers were 18 and 21. They have never denied committing the murders but maintain the violence was a response to years of sexual abuse allegedly carried out by their father, which they say their mother knew about but failed to stop.
In recent years, momentum for their release has grown stronger. Their chances improved significantly in May, when a judge resentenced the brothers to 50 years to life. Because of their young ages at the time of the crime, that ruling made them immediately eligible for parole.
Erik’s parole hearing took place Thursday, Aug. 21, with Lyle scheduled to appear before the board the following day.
If parole is granted, the decision would next move to the parole board’s legal division, which has 120 days to complete its review. The final decision rests with California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Tammi and Erik first connected in 1996, while he was incarcerated. She had reached out after her then-husband admitted to sexually abusing their daughter and later died by suicide.
Tammi and Erik married in 1999, a little more than a year after meeting in person.
Speaking with PEOPLE in 2005, Erik described his wife as his greatest source of hope and resilience.
“Tammi’s love was a major step in my choosing life,” he said. “Having someone who loves you unconditionally, who you can be completely open with, is good for anybody — to know that this person loves me as I am.”
