LOS ANGELES – A California parole board panel on Friday, Aug. 22 voted to reject recommending the release of Lyle Menendez, who, alongside his brother Erik, has spent more than 35 years behind bars for the murders of their parents in 1989.
In a separate parole hearing just a day ago, Erik Menendez was denied release. Commissioners cited his behavior in prison, including the use of a cellphone, as the primary reason for the denial.
What we know:
In the Friday hearing, Lyle Menendez described the abuse he suffered at the hands of both his parents, which the brothers have maintained for years was the motivation for the murders.
In his closing statement, Lyle Menendez took sole responsibility for the killings.
“I will never be able to make up for the harm and grief I caused everyone in my family,” he said. “I am so sorry to everyone, and will be forever sorry.”
Lyle Menendez denied parole
A state parole board panel on Friday denied parole for Lyle Menendez, just a day after doing the same for his brother Erik.
Just like with his brother Erik, commissioners questioned Lyle Menendez’s use of cellphones in prison.
Lyle Menendez said that prison staff were monitoring his communications with his family and selling them to tabloids, so he used cellphones to communicate with his wife and family privately.
However, while Erik Menendez’s panel on Thursday ruled he was still a risk to public safety, the panel on Friday noted that a psychologist found Lyle Menendez at “very low” risk for violence if he were to be released.
What they’re saying:
“I would never call myself a model incarcerated person,” Lyle Menendez said. “I would say that I’m a good person, that I spent my time helping people. … I’m the guy that officers will come to resolve conflicts.”
Attorney Mark Geragos, who has represented both brothers for years, decried both brothers’ hearings as unfair.
“I’m disappointed,” Geragos told FOX 11. “It’s not the worst day that they’ve had, but at the very least, they should have gotten a fair hearing and they did not… It was atrocious.”
The other side:
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who has been adamantly against the brothers getting parole for months, issued a statement Friday night that read, in part:
“For decades, Lyle Menendez has refused to accept full responsibility for his actions. Along with his brother, he has clung to a fabricated self-defense story, repeatedly shifting narratives and enlisting others to bolster false claims. Although the brothers have participated in rehabilitative programs, rehabilitation is only one factor in determining parole suitability. The rules violations conducted inside prison raises serious concerns about how he might behave if released.”
What’s next:
Because parole was denied, the panel must provide a reason for the denial and set a new hearing date.
The proposed decision of the hearing panel is not final until it goes through a review process by the Board of Parole Hearings.
If there is a tie, the full board will review the transcript and records to determine the outcome.
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If the parole grant stands, it is then sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom for final approval.
The backstory:
The brothers are serving life sentences without parole for the murder of their parents, Jose and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez, in 1989.
Erik, then 18, and Lyle, then 21, claimed that the murders came after their father — the chief operating officer of RCA Records — sexually abused them for years and their mother ignored the abuse. They have maintained that they feared for their lives and that José had threatened to kill them if they told anyone about the alleged sexual abuse.
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Meanwhile, prosecutors said the two brothers’ motive was greed and cited their lavish spending spree after the murders.
In a 2023 court petition, attorneys for the brothers pointed to two new pieces of evidence they contend corroborate the brothers’ allegations of long-term sexual abuse at the hands of their father — a letter allegedly written by Erik to his cousin Andy Cano in early 1989 or late 1988, eight months before the August 1989 killings, and recent allegations by Roy Rosselló, a former member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, that he too was sexually abused by José as a teenager.
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The case has captured the attention of true crime enthusiasts for decades and spawned documentaries, television specials and dramatizations. The Netflix drama “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” and the documentary “The Menendez Brothers,” both released in 2024, have been credited for bringing new attention to the brothers.
Final review
What’s next:
Under California law, in the cases of inmates convicted of murder, like the Menendez brothers, parole granted by the board is subject to review by the governor.
Newsom has the authority to affirm, modify, or reverse the parole decision during a review that can last up to 150 days.
His decision is the final step in the parole hearing process.
The Source: The information in this report is based on the outcome of a California parole board panel hearing regarding the Menendez brothers and previous FOX 11 reports. The details of the review process and the next steps are a matter of public record under California law. The Associated Press contributed.