Menendez Brothers Resentenced, Now Eligible for Parole Decades After Parents’ Murders

More than three decades after the brutal murders of José and Kitty Menendez shocked the nation, their sons—Lyle and Erik Menendez—have been resentenced, making them immediately eligible for parole, as per The AP.

A Los Angeles County judge on Tuesday reduced the brothers’ original sentences of life without parole to 50 years to life, a decision that could lead to their release after 34 years behind bars. The ruling followed a hearing in which family members and supporters testified to the brothers’ rehabilitation and called for their release.

The Menendez brothers were convicted in the mid-1990s of fatally shooting their wealthy parents in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. Lyle, then 21, and Erik, 18, initially claimed the slayings were tied to Mafia threats. Their defense later shifted to claims of years of sexual and psychological abuse by their father, a prominent entertainment executive.

Resentencing and Immediate Eligibility for Parole

During Tuesday’s hearing, both brothers appeared virtually and delivered emotional statements to the court. Erik Menendez addressed his family, saying, “You did not deserve what I did to you, but you inspire me to do better.”

Judge Michael Jesic granted the new sentences immediately after their remarks. Prosecutors, who have opposed the resentencing, declined to present any witnesses and argued that the brothers have not fully accepted responsibility for their actions.

Under California’s youthful offender law—which provides parole opportunities for people who committed crimes under the age of 26—both brothers are now eligible for parole. According to state policy, their first suitability hearing must be scheduled within six months of their eligibility date.

A parole board hearing is already scheduled for June 13 as part of a clemency petition submitted to Governor Gavin Newsom. It remains unclear whether this hearing will serve as their formal parole review or if another will be required.

Gov. Newsom has ordered a comprehensive risk assessment to help determine whether the brothers pose a danger to public safety. He has the authority to reverse or uphold the parole board’s decision if parole is granted.

The case has long captivated the American public, with the brothers’ first trial becoming one of the earliest nationally televised courtroom dramas on Court TV. Their story has been revisited through documentaries and dramatizations, most recently in Netflix’s Monsters: Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and the 2024 documentary The Menendez Brothers, which renewed public interest in the case.

In addition to their parole effort, the Menendez brothers’ legal team filed a habeas corpus petition in May 2023, seeking a new trial based on newly surfaced evidence of abuse. Los Angeles prosecutors have opposed the motion, though its current status remains pending.

Should the brothers be denied parole at their initial hearing, they would continue to receive additional hearings at regular intervals, per California law.

If parole is granted and not overturned by the governor, the Menendez brothers could soon walk free for the first time in more than 30 years.