Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman pushed against parole for Erik and Lyle Menendez, saying the brothers have “never fully accepted responsibility for the horrific murders of their parents.”
He accused them of continuing to promote a “false narrative of self-defense that was rejected by the jury decades ago.”
“We have consistently opposed their release because they have not demonstrated full insight into their crimes or shown that they have been fully rehabilitated, and therefore continue to pose a risk to society,” Hochman said in a statement Wednesday. “We will evaluate our final position based on the evidence presented at the hearing.”
Hochman also warned that “the gravity of the murders cannot be minimized without undermining confidence in the justice system and how it treats other serious cases.”
Pointing to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2022 denial of parole for Robert F. Kennedy’s assassin Sirhan Sirhan, Hochman added: “Failure to exhibit full insight and responsibility is a critical factor in determining parole eligibility. The same principle applies here.”
Addressing renewed public interest in the case fueled by documentaries and dramatizations, Hochman cautioned that media attention cannot dictate justice.
“While recent documentaries and films have drawn renewed attention to this case, parole decisions must be based solely on the facts and the law,” he said. “This case, like all cases — especially those that captivate the public — must be viewed with a critical eye. Justice should never be swayed by spectacle. My personal opinions are irrelevant. What matters and what guides my office is the evidence, the facts of the case, and the application of the law.”
SAN DIEGO – Erik Menendez, one of the two brothers convicted in the 1989 shotgun slaying of their parents in Beverly Hills, has been denied parole by a California review board, officials confirmed.
The California Board of Parole Hearings denial of parole marks a significant development in the decades-long case that drew international attention, with the brothers’ televised trial becoming one of the most infamous of the 1990s. Erik, now 54, has spent more than 30 years behind bars.
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While California Gov. Gavin Newsom has avoided taking a side in the Menendez brothers' parole, he said that a decision would be made shortly after the parole board concludes their hearings.
Here's what Newsom has said about the Menendez brothers' parole case:
In February 2025, Newsom ordered the state parole board to complete a "comprehensive risk assessment investigation" in order to determine if both Erik and Lyle Menendez would pose an "an unreasonable risk to the public" if they are released.
"The question for the board is a simple one — do Erik and Lyle Menendez, do they pose a current, what we call `unreasonable risk to public safety,"' Newsom said. "The risk assessment will be conducted as they typically are conducted — by experts in public safety as well as forensic psychologists."
During a July episode of his podcast, "This is Gavin Newsom," the California governor said he intentionally didn't watch the Netflix series about the Menendez brothers to keep his decision free from outside influence.
"I kept having a temptation to want to see it, but with the recognition always in the back of my mind that this thing may land on my desk," Newsom said. "I don’t want to be persuaded by something that’s not in the files."
Newsom also said in July that he'd make a final decision on parole for the Menendez brothers, if that's recommended by the parole board, by Labor Day. The California governor has final say in the matter.
Fox News' Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and Stepheny Price contributed to this report
{{#rendered}}Since their 1996 conviction for the murders of their parents, Erik and Lyle Menendez have spent nearly 30 years in California prisons.
Following sentencing, the brothers were housed in different institutions. Lyle served time at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, Calif. while Erik was held at Folsom State Prison and Pleasant Valley State Prison.
In 2018, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation approved both brothers’ transfer to Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RDC) in San Diego.
For the first time since their first trial, they were reunited in the same prison and eventually allowed to live in the same housing unit. At RDC, they’ve participated in Echo Yard, a program for inmates who’ve maintained a strong record of good behavior.
Erik and Lyle Menendez have the support of their relatives in their bid for freedom.
“For more than 35 years, they have shown sustained growth,” their family said in a statement. “They’ve taken full accountability. They express sincere remorse to our family to this day and have built a meaningful life defined by purpose and service.”
{{#rendered}}A 1990 basketball card of former NBA star Mark Jackson, which was photo-bombed by Erik and Lyle Menendez, skyrocketed in value following the infamous brothers' 1996 conviction in their parents' Beverly Hills, California, double murder.
The trading card featuring New York Knicks guard Mark Jackson, obtained by Fox News Digital, gained notoriety after eagle-eyed collectors noticed that the Menendez brothers were sitting in a pair of floor seats at the game.
The discovery of their presence on the card sparked significant interest among collectors and true crime aficionados. Previously valued at mere cents, the card's price surged, with some listings reaching hundreds of dollars.
Along with purchasing courtside seats for a New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden during the 1989–1990 NBA season, the brothers lavishly spent their parents' fortune following the August 1989 murders of Kitty and José Menendez.
In the months following the brutal murder of their parents, Erik and Lyle Menendez began living an extravagant lifestyle that starkly contrasted with their earlier claims of grief and trauma.
While the defense would later frame the spending as part of a psychological escape from years of alleged abuse, prosecutors alleged that the brothers' crimes had been due to their efforts to gain access to the family's fortune.
Lyle, the older brother, indulged in high-end purchases, including designer clothing and a Porsche. He also invested heavily in a Princeton, New Jersey, restaurant called Chuck's Spring Street Café.
This is an excerpt from Sarah Rumpf-Whitten piece. Read it's entirety here.
The Menendez brothers are newly eligible for parole after a Los Angeles judge in May reduced their sentences from life without parole to 50 years to life. Because both Erik and Lyle were under 26 at the time of the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, California law allows them to seek parole immediately.
Still, parole is just one of several potential paths to freedom.
In October, their attorney Mark Geragos filed clemency documents with Gov. Gavin Newsom after Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón urged a judge to reduce the brothers’ sentences.
“I strongly support clemency for Erik and Lyle Menendez, who are currently serving sentences of life without possibility of parole,” Gascón said.
In response, Gov. Newsom directed the state parole board to carry out a “comprehensive risk assessment investigation” of the Menendez brothers.
“There’s no guarantee of outcome here,” Newsom said. “This process simply provides more transparency, which I think is important in this case, as well as provides us more due diligence before I make any determination for clemency.”
Alongside their parole hearings and clemency bid, the brothers also have a habeas corpus petition still pending with Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
For Erik and Lyle Menendez, this week’s parole hearings will determine whether they are considered suitable for release after more than three decades in prison.
In California, hearings are run by the Board of Parole Hearings (BPH) and focus on whether an inmate still poses a risk to public safety.
A board of parole hearing officers evaluates inmates individually. Erik Menendez, on Thursday, and Erik Menendez, on Friday, will appear before the panel via videoconference from Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.
The California BPH, which operates under the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), has 21 full-time commissioners. Each commissioner is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate, serving three-year terms.
In parole proceedings like these, the Menendez brothers each meet with a panel of two or three commissioners, who review their prison records, disciplinary history, psychological evaluations, and a comprehensive risk assessment previously ordered by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
At the end of each hearing, the panel issues an initial decision. But even if parole recommendation is granted, the ruling undergoes further review.
Ultimately, Gov. Newsom has the final word on whether Erik and Lyle Menendez will be released.
{{#rendered}}Unlike a typical court proceeding, today’s parole hearing for Erik Menendez is not open to live media coverage.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has imposed strict rules, meaning no updates can be shared while the hearing is underway.
A pool reporter from the Los Angeles Times is allowed to observe the video conference from a CDCR office and will provide information once the session concludes.
According to CDCR, media access to parole suitability hearings is governed by the California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Division 2, Sections 2031 and 2032. Officials say the restrictions are designed to prevent any “miscarriage of justice” that could arise from partial information sparking reaction before the hearing is complete.
The parole board is expected to issue an initial ruling at the end of each Menendez hearing. But even if the brothers are granted a recommendation for parole, their release will not be immediate.
By California law, the parole board has up to 120 days to review and finalize its decision before forwarding the case to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Once it lands on his desk, Newsom has 30 days to either grant or deny parole.
The high-profile parole hearings for Erik and Lyle Menendez begin Thursday and Friday in San Diego, marking the first time the brothers are eligible for release in nearly three decades.
Each brother will appear separately before a California Board of Parole Hearings panel via video conference.
Erik’s hearing is set to begin 8:30 a.m. PST. Thursday. Lyle’s hearing is set to begin 8:30 a.m. PST Friday.
{{#rendered}}Erik Menendez is set to appear before California’s parole board on Thursday, a pivotal moment nearly three decades after he and his brother were convicted of murdering their parents.
Erik’s parole hearing is scheduled for Thursday, followed by Lyle’s on Friday, with both proceedings held via video conference from Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.
This marks the first time either brother has been eligible for parole, following a Los Angeles judge’s May decision to reduce their life-without-parole sentences.
The Menendez brothers were sentenced in 1996 for the 1989 shotgun killings of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, inside the family’s Beverly Hills mansion. Erik was 18 and Lyle was 21 at the time of the crime.
Their televised trials in the 1990s captivated the nation, sparking debate over wealth and abuse allegations. Now, more than 30 years later, the brothers’ bid for freedom will hinge on the parole board’s decision, and ultimately on California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
This is an excerpt from Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price's article.
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