Erik Menendez was denied parole during his first-ever parole hearing on Thursday, 36 years and one day after he and his brother killed their parents.
Erik Menendez, 54, attended the hearing via video from the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. The parole hearing for his brother, 57-year-old Lyle Menendez, will be on Friday.
Erik Menendez, Oct. 10, 2024.
CDCR
The board members’ decision focused on one question: Will Erik Menendez pose an unreasonable risk to society if released?
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman opposes the Menendez brothers’ release, claiming they “have not demonstrated full insight into their crimes or shown that they have been fully rehabilitated, and therefore continue to pose a risk to society.”
A recently completed risk assessment said Erik and Lyle Menendez pose a moderate risk to the community if they’re released.
The assessment revealed the brothers possessed illegal cellphones in prison, among numerous other violations, though many are not recent. However, Erik Menendez had a phone as recently as January of this year, which Hochman stressed was during the resentencing effort when he should have been on his best behavior.
The defense noted Erik Menendez had one write-up for violence 25 years ago and Lyle Menendez has had none.
This combination of two booking photos provided by the California Department of Corrections shows Erik Menendez, left, and Lyle Menendez.
California Dept. of Corrections via AP
The brothers were initially sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. Lyle Menendez was 21 and Erik Menendez was 18 at the time, and the brothers said they committed the murders in self-defense after years of abuse by their father.
This May, Judge Michael Jesic resentenced Erik and Lyle Menendez to 50 years to life in prison, making them immediately eligible for parole under youth offender parole laws.
Jesic noted he was moved by the supportive letters from prison guards and was amazed by the work the brothers had accomplished to better the lives of their fellow inmates. The brothers, who watched the resentencing hearing from prison, gave their own statements to the judge, admitting their guilt.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.