Lyle Menendez was denied parole for his role in the 1989 murders of his parents, just one day after the California parole board also denied the release of his brother, Erik. California Governor Gavin Newsom will have the final say on whether the 57-year-old will be released.
Lyle and Erik Menendez have spent nearly 30 years in prison for the murders of their parents. The brothers, who were 18 and 21 at the time of the killings, claim they shot their parents after years of molestation by their father. They were sentenced to life in prison in 1996, after prosecutors argued they committed the violence to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance.
The case has drawn international attention and has been featured in several TV dramas and documentaries.
Erik and Lyle had hope for release last year when the then Los Angeles district attorney announced he would recommend they be resentenced. However, the new district attorney, Nathan Hochman, opposed their release, arguing that they never fully accepted responsibility for the crimes.
The parole board denied Erik’s bid for freedom, citing his misbehavior in prison as a risk to public safety. They also denied him parole despite support from family members. Hochman praised the board’s decision, stating that Erik’s actions in prison demonstrated he still poses a risk to the community. Erik will be eligible for parole again in three years.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/23/lyle-menendez-parole-board
