LA County DA releases statement on eve of Menendez brothers parole hearings
DA objects to Menendez Brothers getting parole
Erik and Lyle Menendez are scheduled to go before the parole board this week.
LOS ANGELES - On the 36th anniversary of the day they gunned down their parents in their Beverly Hills home, Erik and Lyle Menendez were preparing Wednesday to appear before a state parole board panel in separate hearings in their bid to win their release from prison.
Hochman's message
What they're saying:
LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said his office will evaluate its final position on the Menendez brothers case based on the evidence presented at the hearings scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
In a statement, Hochman said the brothers have never fully accepted responsibility for the 1989 murders of their parents.
"The gravity of the murders cannot be minimized without undermining confidence in the justice system and how it treats other serious cases. As Governor Newsom recently made clear in denying parole to Sirhan Sirhan, the assassin of Robert F. Kennedy, failure to exhibit full insight and responsibility is a critical factor in determining parole eligibility. The same principle applies here," Hochman said.
"While recent documentaries and films have drawn renewed attention to this case, parole decisions must be based solely on the facts and the law. 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," he added.
What will happen at the parole hearings?
What we know:
Erik Menendez will have his hearing Thursday morning, followed by Lyle Menendez on Friday, over videoconference from the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.
The brothers became eligible for parole after a Los Angeles judge in May reduced their sentences from life in prison without the possibility of parole to 50 years to life, making them immediately eligible for parole under California law because they were under the ages of 26 when they committed their crimes.
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A panel of two or three parole hearing officers from a board of commissioners appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom will evaluate the brothers individually.
The board will assess whether the brothers pose an "unreasonable risk of danger to society" if released, considering factors like criminal history, motivation for the crime and signs of remorse, behavior while in prison and plans for the future, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Life sentences for the murder of their parents
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 Menendez 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.
Financial decision with Newsom
What's next:
The state parole board will rule on whether to release the brothers from prison.
While this is a crucial step, it isn't necessarily the final one.
Even if the board grants their parole, it could still be months before the brothers walk free — if at all. If the board grants each brother’s parole, the chief legal counsel has 120 days to review the case.
Newsom has 30 days to affirm or deny the parole. Only then, if Newsom affirms the parole, would the Menendez brothers be able to leave prison.
The Source: This report is based on information from official court filings and statements from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, including direct quotes from District Attorney Nathan Hochman. We also included details from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and a summary of the brothers' defense claims from their 2023 court petition.