The Menendez Brothers Are One Step Closer to Being Released

Erik and Lyle Menendez have had their sentences reduced and are now eligible for parole. Per the BBC, Los Angeles judge Michael Jesic resentenced the brothers on Tuesday to 50 years to life in prison. The pair of convicted first-degree murderers were previously serving life sentences without the possibility of parole for killing their parents in 1989. The siblings, who were 18 and 21 at the time, have claimed that they committed the murders after experiencing years of abuse, including sexual abuse from their father. California’s state parole board will now need to review the case and make a decision on their potential release, in a process that NBC Los Angeles reports will likely take weeks or months (and still requires final approval from Governor Gavin Newsom). This is not the brothers’ only possible path to freedom; they could also be immediately released if Newsom grants their separate request for clemency. A June 13 board hearing was previously already scheduled as part of that process.

At their resentencing hearing, the Menendez brothers made a virtual appearance and reflected on the shotgun murders of their parents. “I killed my mom and dad,” Lyle, now 57, said. “I make no excuses. I take full responsibility.” He also apologized to “each and every one” of his relatives, stating, “I lied to you and forced you into a spotlight of public humiliation.” Erik, now 54, described his actions as “criminal, selfish, cruel, and cowardly.” He added that he’d had to “stop being selfish and immature to really understand” the “shock, confusion, and betrayal” his parents must have felt in their last moments. Several family members testified that the brothers deserve a second chance, arguing that they have changed during their decades in custody and worked to positively impact other inmates. If given the opportunity to start fresh, the Menendez brothers said they hope to dedicate time to helping sexual-abuse victims and incarcerated people. 

But prosecutors questioned whether the Menendezes are truly rehabilitated, suggesting they lied after the crime and have continued to “make excuses” in lieu of taking full responsibility. Los Angeles County district attorney Nathan Hochman said the preliminary results of a risk assessment — ordered by Governor Newsom as part of that separate clemency request — deemed the brothers to be at a “moderate risk of violence.” He also alluded to the high-profile nature of the case, which experienced a resurgence of public interest in 2024 following Ryan Murphy’s drama Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, a Netflix documentary, and support for the brothers from celebrities including Kim Kardashian. “This case, like all cases — especially those that captivate the public — must be viewed with a critical eye,” Hochman said in a statement. “Our opposition and analysis ensured that the Court received a complete and accurate record of the facts. Justice should never be swayed by spectacle.”