The Menendez brothers, Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez, will be evaluated for release by a parole board starting on August 21, 2025. Nearly 30 years ago in 1996, the siblings from California were sentenced to life in prison for killing their mother, Kitty Menendez, and father, Jose Menendez, at their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989.
Lyle Menendez was 21 and Erik Menendez was 18 at the time of sentencing. During the trial, the defense claimed the brothers shot their parents in self-defense after suffering alleged sexual abuse by their father for years. Prosecutors claimed the brothers killed them so they could inherit millions of dollars.
In May 2025, a judge resentenced the Menendez brothers. This reduced their sentences from life in prison without the possibility of parole to 50 years to life. Under California law, this made them eligible for parole because they were younger than 26 when the crimes were committed.
A parole hearing for Erik Menendez was to be held via videoconference on the morning of August 21, CBS News reported. Lyle Mendez’s parole hearing, meanwhile, is set for August 22, per CNN.
During the process, a panel of two or three parole hearing officers from a board of commissioners will evaluate Lyle and Erik Menendez’s cases individually. They will determine whether the Menendez brothers present an “unreasonable risk of danger to society” if released, CBS News noted. Additionally, the panel will take into consideration factors like their criminal history, the motivation for their crimes, prison behavior, future plans, and signs of remorse.
If parole is granted, California Governor Gavin Newsom still has the ultimate say on whether to deny, modify, or affirm the decision for convicted murderers, according to CNN. The Menendez brothers could still face additional months in prison if parole is granted, as the chief legal counsel has 120 days to review their case.
In 2024, the Netflix drama series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story shed light on the brothers’ case, sparking renewed public interest in their fate.
