Menendez brothers given another chance at freedom much sooner than expected
Erik and Lyle Menendez could have another shot at freedom after their next parole hearing was brought forward.
The brothers have been granted an early parole suitability hearing, which is tentatively scheduled for March 2027, TMZ reports.
They had previously been told they would have to wait until August 2028 to apply for parole again after both were denied release last year.
But the parole board has since found they qualified under a provision to Proposition 9, a 2008 law that amended the California state Constitution and was meant to provide certain rights to crime victims.
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The brothers' family told TMZ in a statement: "For almost 40 years, Erik and Lyle have worked to take responsibility for their actions, confront and heal from the unimaginable abuse and trauma they endured, grow as individuals, and dedicate themselves to serving others."
The resentencing has also allowed Erik, 55, and Lyle, 58 the chance to be a part of each other’s lives again, with the family adding: "Time together is something none of us can take for granted."
They said they are ‘incredibly proud of the men they have become’ and ‘deeply grateful to the Parole Board for recognizing their efforts and allowing them to advance their parole hearing’.
Lyle and Erik fatally shot their mum and dad in the Beverly Hills family home back in August 1989.
45-year-old José and 47-year-old Kitty Menendez were hit by 15 rounds of bullets and police thought the killings looked like a mob hit.
During trial, the brothers claimed they were subject to years of sexual abuse as a reason for killing their parents.
Prosecutors, however, argued that their motive was money-related.
Months after the murders, the brothers spent a reported $700,000 on luxury cars, clothes and watches.
Meanwhile, the brothers, aged 18 and 21 at the time, agreed to go to therapy and the pair confessed on tape to killing their parents.
Their first trial ended without a verdict. At a second trial, they were convicted of murder in 1996 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Nearly 30 years later, a judge reduced their sentences to 50 years to life, making them eligible.
Both brothers were denied parole last year.
During his hearing, Erik apologized to his family and expressed regret for the pain he had caused.
The case has been back in the spotlight after Netflix released Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story in 2024.
Topics: Menendez Brothers, Crime, True Crime
Anish Vij