Erik Menendez denied parole by California parole review board

SAN DIEGO –  Erik Menendez, one of the two brothers convicted in the 1989 shotgun slaying of their parents in Beverly Hills, has been denied parole by a California review board, officials confirmed.

The California Board of Parole Hearings denial of parole marks a significant development in the decades-long case that drew international attention, with the brothers’ televised trial becoming one of the most infamous of the 1990s. Erik, now 54, has spent more than 30 years behind bars.

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In a statement, the Menendez family said they are disappointed with the decision.

“While we respect the decision, today’s outcome was of course disappointing and not what we hoped for. But our belief in Erik remains unwavering and we know he will take the Board’s recommendation in stride. His remorse, growth, and the positive impact he’s had on others speak for themselves. We will continue to stand by him and hold to the hope he is able to return home soon,” the Menendez family said. “Tomorrow, we turn our attention to Lyle’s hearing. And while it is undoubtedly difficult, we remain cautiously optimistic and hopeful that the commissioner will see in Lyle what so many others have: a man who has taken responsibility, transformed his life, and is ready to come home.”

Next steps

With the California Board of Parole Hearings not recommending Erik Menendez for parole, he will remain incarcerated.

The decision came on the heels of a bombshell resentencing hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court in May, where Judge Michael Jesic reduced their life-without-parole sentences to 50-to-life, making them eligible for parole consideration.

In a news conference following the ruling on Wednesday, May 14, Newsom explained the multi-layered process of considering the Menendez brothers’ eligibility for release.

The governor explained that, before any decision was finalized, a team of forensic psychologists conducted individualized risk assessments on each brother. 

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“We thought that would be prudent to do,” he said, saying that those assessments have been “debated” not only by Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman and the victims’ family, but also by the judge “both publicly in another conversation, some of it behind closed doors.”

The topic of the brothers’ Comprehensive Risk Assessments (CRA) has been a sticking point for Hochman.

The brothers were marked as “moderate risk,” an increase from their previous “low risk” assessment. The moderate risk increase came after each report found that Erik and Lyle, in recent months, had been cited for breaking prison rules for contraband violations, specifically the possession of cell phones.

Hochman shared the findings on Lyle Menendez first, whose “actions perpetrated deceit,” speaking about the contraband phone. 

He added that Lyle had “downplayed his rule-breaking” and that his report showed his “entitlement and willingness to meet his own needs.”

MENENDEZ BROTHERS ASK CALIFORNIA GOV. NEWSOM FOR CLEMENCY

Along with the illicit cellphone usage, Erik was flagged for possessing and dealing drugs, as well as helping other inmates with tax fraud. Hochman, who ran on a tough-on-crime platform, has been vocal about the brothers’ lack of rehabilitation.

In August 1989, Beverly Hills socialites José and Kitty Menendez were shot to death in their home. 

Hochman previously called the murders “mafia-like hits,” remarking on the violent nature of the repeated rounds that were fired at the parents.

The boys, then 18 and 21, were convicted in 1996. 

The defense’s assertion was that the brothers had been driven to violence by years of physical and sexual abuse at their father’s hands. 

Despite the first trial resulting in a hung juror, leading to their eventual conviction in 1996, the public has remained divided on whether the brothers acted in greed or in self-defense.