Menendez brothers eligible for parole after serving more than 30 years behind bars
By Jared Downing
Erik and Lyle Menendez will be eligible to leave prison after serving more than 30 years behind bars for the vicious 1989 shotgun slayings of their parents, a Los Angeles judge ruled Tuesday.
The judge reduced the sentences for the killer siblings — who are now 54 and 57, respectively — from life without parole to 50 years to life with the possibility of parole.
It will now be up to the California state parole board and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to decide if the brothers deserve freedom after they gunned down their wealthy parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their lavish Beverly Hills home on Aug. 20, 1989.
Brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez, 54 and 57, both claim to have been rehabilitated during their 35 years in prison
AP
Defense attorney Mark Geragos addressing the press outside Van Nuys Superior Court after Menendez Brothers' resentencing hearing on 13 May 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
9
Defense attorney Mark Geragos speaks to the press out side court after a resentencing ruling Tuesday from a judge in Los Angeles at Van Nuys Superior Court, 13 May 2025, Los Angeles, California.
David Buchan/New York Post
Skip Ad
At the end of Tuesday’s hearing, both brothers gave emotional accounts of the murders, which they claimed came after years of sexual abuse by Jose with Kitty’s help.
“My choices that night robbed my parents of their full lives,” said Erik, who was only 18 when he shot his parents. “I can only imagine the fear, the pain, and the trauma it caused [my family].”
His older brother echoed the sentiment.
“I committed an atrocious act against two people who had the right to live, my mom and dad,” Lyle said, appearing to fight tears.
Explore More
EPA chief Lee Zeldin to kill car feature 'everyone hates'
Cassie Ventura reveals how Diddy's twisted 'freak-offs' began — and how they quickly 'became a job'
Cassie claims Diddy controlled 'freak-off' sessions down to the last disgusting detail, names ‘trusted assistants’ who arranged them
Lyle and Erik were convicted of executing their parents, Kitty and Jose, in 1989.
“I take full responsibility for my choices … I was a 21-year-old who believed I could fix what could not be fixed.”
Lawyers cross-examined several witnesses at Tuesday’s hearing, including family members and one former inmate, who all insisted Lyle and Erik had learned the error of their ways and had redeemed themselves in prison.
The brothers’ cousin, Anamaria Baralt, told the court that the pair have been “universally forgiven by everybody in our family,” insisting they had been fully rehabilitated.
Defense attorney Mark Geragos and lawyer Bryan Freedman speaking to the press outside Van Nuys Superior Court for the resentencing hearing of Erik and Lyle Menendez, Los Angeles, California, 13 May 2025.
9
Lawyers cross-examined several witnesses at Tuesday’s hearing, including family members and one former inmate.
David Buchan/New York Post
Lyle and Erik Menendez leaving the courtroom in Santa Monica, California, on August 6, 1990, after their trial for the 1989 murders of their parents.
9
Lyle and Erik Menendez leave the courtroom in Santa Monica, Calif., in this Aug. 6, 1990 file photo.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
“I would welcome them into my home with my family,” she said.
Baralt added that should the brothers be granted parole, they plan to work as advocates for victims of sexual abuse.
Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian argued that the brothers showed no “insight” by sticking to an “absurd” claim that they killed their parents in self-defense after years of sexual abuse.
But their lawyer, Mark Geragos, insisted the brothers have undergone full transformations.
The brothers -- who were sentenced to life in prison for fatally shooting their parents, Jose and Kitty, in their palatial home in 1989 -- will be going before a California state parole board in June after 35 years behind bars.
9
The brothers — who were sentenced to life in prison for fatally shooting their parents, Jose and Kitty, in their palatial home in 1989 — will be going before a California state parole board in June after 35 years behind bars.
AFP via Getty Images
Defense attorney Mark Geragos addressing the press outside the Van Nuys Superior Court in Los Angeles, California about the Menendez Brothers' resentencing.
9
Geragos insisted the brothers have undergone full transformations since being in prison.
David Buchan/New York Post
Geragos highlighted prison hospice and green space programs spearheaded by Erik and Lyle, respectively.
Rapper Anrae Brown, aka “X-Raided,” testified about how the brothers had acted as his mentor when he was jailed for murder and guided him through his own parole process, helping him understand the error of his ways.
He colloquially referred to the brothers’ mentorship of other inmates as “Menendez University.”
9
Anamaria Baralt, cousin of Eric and Kyle Menendez, speaks to press after the resentencing ruling at Van Nuys Superior Court, 13 May 2025, Los Angeles, California.
David Buchan/New York Post
Lyle and Erik Menendez sitting in Beverly Hills Municipal Court in 1990, suspected of their parents' murder
9
Lyle and Erik Menendez sit in Beverly Hills Municipal Court where their attorneys delayed making pleas on behalf of the brothers who are suspected in the murders of their parents on March 12, 1990.
AP
But Bailan questioned Brown’s remorse for his own crime and joked that the only thing he learned from “Menendez University” was how to fool a parole board.
In the end, Judge Michael Jesic sided with Geragos, the family members and the brothers themselves, who delivered emotional statements of remorse at the end of the hearing.
Now, their fate lies with the state attorney general and Newsom.
The final hearing of the state parole board has been scheduled for June 13.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings