The Menendez brothers are one step closer to walking free as the California parole board prepares to evaluate their cases individually, beginning on Thursday.
Lyle, 57, and Erik, 54, were initially sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1996 for murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in 1989 inside their Beverly Hills home. The brothers have justified the fatal shootings, claiming they endured sexual abuse from their father that went on for several years.
A Los Angeles judge resentenced both brothers to 50 years to life in May, making them eligible for parole.
Now, a panel of parole officers will hear each case individually to determine if either of the brothers poses an “unreasonable risk of danger to society.” Depending on the outcome, this could lead to Erik and Lyle being released, but not right away, according to the Associated Press.
Even if the convicted murderers are granted parole, their cases will next be passed to the chief legal counsel, who has 120 days to review them. The next step involves California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom affirming or denying their parole within 30 days. If Newsom affirms it, then the Menendez brothers would be able to leave prison.
The cases had received renewed interest after several high-profile entertainment projects were released, including a Netflix docuseries.
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Judge Michael Jesic said he had given the case “long thought.” While the judge described Lyle and Erik’s crime as “absolutely horrific,” he added that, in his opinion, they’ve been rehabilitated while incarcerated for the past three decades.
“Life without parole gives an inmate no hope, no reason to do anything good. And I give them a lot of credit. It’s remarkable what they did when they had no hope of getting out,” Jesic said.
Former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, often described as “the godfather of progressive prosecutors,” initiated the resentencing process before losing his re-election bid to Nathan Hochman. In March, the new DA filed a motion to withdraw the resentencing petition, saying the self-defense claims were nothing but “lies.”
“The Menendez brothers have failed to come clean with the full extent of their criminal conduct, their cover-up, their lies and their deceit,” Hochman said in May.
Public opinion is mixed on whether the Menendez brothers should be granted parole, with some arguing that Eric and Lyle have paid their debt to society and others insisting that some of the most incriminating details of the case are being undervalued.
