Lyle Menendez has been denied parole just one day after a panel of California commissioners also rejected his brother Erik’s bid for freedom. They have both been imprisoned for decades for the murder of their parents in 1989 at their Beverly Hills mansion. The commissioners stated that both Lyle and Erik still pose a risk to the public if released.
During an 11-hour proceeding, the commissioners found Lyle’s remorse to be genuine and even described him as a “model inmate” showing potential for change. However, Commissioner Julie Garland stated that Lyle also displayed anti-social personality traits, including deception, minimization, and rule-breaking, beneath his positive exterior.
Lyle and Erik were convicted of killing their father, Jose, and mother, Kitty, and were sentenced to life in prison without parole in 1996. Initially, they blamed the killings on a mafia hit, but Erik ultimately confessed to his therapist. They claimed self-defense, citing years of abuse by their parents. Prosecutors argued that the killings were motivated by greed.
Garland also cited the “callous” nature of the killings and Lyle’s attempts to cover up his role in the crime as reasons for denying parole. The trial of the Menendez brothers captivated the US and garnered intense media attention, similar to the O.J. Simpson trial. Their story has since inspired numerous television dramas and has become the subject of films and series, including a Netflix production titled “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”
The brothers became eligible for parole in May when a Los Angeles judge reduced their sentence to 50 years to life.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/lyle-menendez-denied-parole-a-day-after-brother-erik/a-73739397?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
