Menendez brothers granted earlier parole hearing for March 2027

LOS ANGELES - Erik and Lyle Menendez have been granted a parole hearing tentatively scheduled for March 2027, more than one year earlier than previously expected.

What we know:

The California Board of Parole Hearing granted the earlier date due to a provision in Proposition 9, a 2008 law that amended the state Constitution and was meant to provide certain rights to crime victims. Included in the law are two provisions allowing a person's next parole hearing date to be moved up if there is a change in circumstances or new information indicating the person may be suitable for parole.

The brothers, who were convicted in 1996 of the Aug. 20, 1989, killings of their parents, Jose and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez, had been eligible to apply for a parole suitability hearing in August 2028.

What they're saying:

The family released the following statement Monday: "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. Through efforts such as helping to establish a hospice program and creating Green Space, they have sought to build an environment that reminds people serving life sentences that their lives still have meaning and that, regardless of their circumstances, they can choose each day to grow, heal, accept accountability, and contribute something of value to the world around them."

"Erik and Lyle were once sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. We will always be profoundly grateful that they have been resentenced and that our family can now imagine a future in which they are once again part of our everyday lives. Time together is something none of us can take for granted, particularly as the elderly members of our family, including their aunts Joan, Terry, and Marta grow older and face serious health challenges. That makes today's decision especially meaningful and brings us immeasurable joy as we move one step closer to a future with them that once seemed impossible. We 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."

The backstory:

The two brothers were initially sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the murders. The brothers claim the killings were committed after years of abuse, including alleged sexual abuse by their father.

In May 2025, they were re-sentenced to 50 years to life, automatically making them eligible for parole consideration because they were younger than 26 when the crime occurred. In August 2025, they were both denied parole by the California Board of Parole Hearings.

Two separate parole panels ruled they should stay behind bars citing disciplinary violations and questions about their behavior. Erik Menendez's panel ruled he was still a risk to public safety. Meanwhile, the panel noted that a psychologist found Lyle Menendez at "very low" risk for violence if he were to be released. 

Both are imprisoned at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.

Lyle Menendez is now 58 years old. Erik is 55.