Menendez brothers: Lyle Menendez denied parole

LOS ANGELES – A California parole board panel on Friday, Aug. 22 voted to reject the release of Lyle Menendez, who, alongside his brother Erik, has spent more than 35 years behind bars for the murders of their parents in 1989.

In a separate parole hearing just a day ago, Erik Menendez was denied release. Commissioners cited his behavior in prison, including the use of a cellphone, as the primary reason for the denial.

What we know:

Because parole was denied, the panel must provide a reason for the denial and set a new hearing date.

The proposed decision of the hearing panel is not final until it goes through a review process by the Board of Parole Hearings.

If there is a tie, the full board will review the transcript and records to determine the outcome. 

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If the parole grant stands, it is then sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom for final approval.

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 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.

Final review

What’s next:

Under California law, in the cases of inmates convicted of murder, like the Menendez brothers, parole granted by the board is subject to review by the governor. 

Newsom has the authority to affirm, modify, or reverse the parole decision during a review that can last up to 150 days. 

His decision is the final step in the parole hearing process.

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