Lyle Menendez Blocks Parole as Brother Erik's Release Is Rejected

Lyle Menendez Denied Parole Again, Faces Extended Incarceration

Lyle Menendez has been denied parole for a second time, as the California parole board rejected his request for early release on Friday night. This decision came just one day after his brother, Erik Menendez, was also turned down for an early release. The brothers will now have to wait three more years before they can apply for parole again. However, Parole Commissioner Julie Garland mentioned that Lyle Menendez may be considered for an administrative review within a year, and there is even a possibility he could be scheduled for a hearing as soon as 18 months from now.

Despite the disappointment, the Menendez family expressed their continued hope for the future. In a statement, they said, "While we are of course disappointed by today's decision as well, we are not discouraged." They emphasized that the parole process is extremely rigorous but praised the brothers for showing "honesty, accountability, and integrity."

According to statistics from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the parole board typically denies parole in the majority of cases. In 2024 alone, out of 3,764 hearings, 69% resulted in a denial.

The Menendez brothers were convicted in 1995 for the 1989 murders of their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home. In 1996, they received life sentences without the possibility of parole. However, in May, a judge reduced their sentences to 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole under California’s youth offender law since they were under 26 when they committed the crimes.

Throughout their time in prison, the brothers have maintained that they acted in self-defense due to years of alleged physical, sexual, and emotional abuse from their parents. Their appellate attorney, Mark Geragos, and several family members believe the brothers have changed over the past few decades.

However, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has publicly opposed the brothers’ possible release. He believes they lied about the abuse and have not taken full responsibility for their crimes. In a previous statement, Hochman said, “Justice should never be swayed by spectacle,” referring to various documentaries and television shows that have explored the brothers’ case.

Hochman emphasized that neither brother testified about sexual abuse during the trial. Instead, they claimed they believed their parents would kill them. He pointed out that the violent nature of the crimes, along with pre-planned alibis and evidence tampering, did not align with their claims of abuse.

“With respect to insight into the crimes, we have said repeatedly that the Menendez brothers have failed to accept full responsibility for their criminal actions and the lies that they've told,” Hochman said. “The self-defense defense lie is just that — a lie.”

He added that neither brother is yet ready for parole. “It's not a question of never, it's a question of not yet,” Hochman said.

Lyle Menendez Described as a Model Inmate

At the end of the nearly 12-hour hearing, the parole board described Lyle Menendez as a model inmate. However, they still believed he posed a risk to the public. Parole Commissioner Julie Garland expressed concerns about his actions during and immediately after the murders, including the lies he told police during the investigation. She also criticized the lack of self-control demonstrated during the killings, calling Lyle’s final shot at his mother “callous.”

Garland acknowledged Lyle’s susceptibility to the “negative and dysfunctional” environment created by his father, Jose. She also commended him for his lack of violence in prison, his participation in programs, and his positive relationships with other inmates and staff.

“We find your remorse is genuine,” Garland said. “In many ways, you look like you've been a model inmate. You have been a model inmate in many ways, who has demonstrated the potential for change. But despite all those outward positives ... you still struggle with anti-social personality traits like deception, minimization and rule breaking that lie beneath that positive surface.”

Garland concluded that Lyle is “set up for success” if granted parole in the future, due to his strong support network and plans for life outside of prison. “This denial ... it's not the end,” she said. “It's a way for you to spend some time to demonstrate, to practice what you preach about who you are, who you want to be.”

Erik Menendez's Parole Hearing

The panel presiding over Erik Menendez's hearing denied his bid for parole after a nearly 10-hour meeting on Thursday. Parole Board Commissioner Robert Barton explained that the panel understood the gravity of the hearing but could not recommend parole primarily because of Erik Menendez's “behavior in prison.”

“This is a tragic case,” Barton said. “I agree that not only two, but four people, were lost in this family.” He noted that the decision would have been different if Erik had not violated prison policies since 2013. These violations included inappropriate behavior with visitors, drug smuggling, misuse of computers, cell phone usage, and incidents of violence in 1997 and 2011.

Barton also discussed the brutal murders of Kitty and Jose Menendez. While expressing empathy for the brothers' claims of abuse, he argued that they did not have to kill their parents. He suggested that they could have left their parents, sought shelter with relatives, or gone to the police instead of committing the murders.

“I can't put myself in your place,” Barton said. “I don't know that I've ever had rage to that level, ever. But that is still concerning, especially since it seems she was also a victim herself of the domestic violence.” He added that the murder of Kitty Menendez was “devoid of human compassion.”

Barton also acknowledged the difficulty for victims of sexual assault to come forward, especially when the perpetrators are family members. However, he noted that victims usually do not kill their abusers.