Erik Menendez given major update at parole hearing decades after parents’ murder
All eyes have been on the Menendez brothers again this week, following months of campaigning for them to be released from prison.
The pair became unlikely cult figures when they were the subjects of Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which landed last September and charted the 1989 murder of their parents Kitty and Jose Menendez – and the highly publicised trial that followed.
The brothers initially tried to pin the gruesome crime on the mafia, but were apprehended by police and made to stand trial in a highly publicised court case.
They argued they had acted in self-defence, claiming their father planned to harm them, but the duo were eventually handed life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
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The renewed interest sparked by the Netflix series set off a widespread conversation about whether or not their life sentences were justified, with many fans arguing that, if their case went to trial today, their punishment would have been different.
After two new pieces of evidence supporting the brothers' abuse claims came to light, prosecutors finally agreed to a resentencing hearing, but in May this year a judge ruled that that the duo did not pose an ‘unreasonable risk’ and resentenced them to 50 years to life.
However, this meant they both became eligible for parole - although it's already not looking good after Erik had his denied yesterday (Thursday 21 August).
A spokesperson for the brothers said: “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."
It will be Lyle’s turn today, with hopes that he may welcome a different fate to his brother.
The spokesperson continued: "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.”
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman praised the decision, made by the California Board of Parole Hearing, arguing that it ‘does justice for Jose and Kitty Menendez, the victims of the brutal murders carried out by their sons on Aug. 20, 1989’.
He said in a statement: "For more than three decades, both Erik and Lyle Menendez have advanced a false claim of self-defense, alleging they feared their parents were going to kill them, to justify the brutal murders of their parents - including shotgun blasts to their father’s back, a point-blank shot to their mother’s face, and shots to their kneecaps staged to mimic a Mafia killing.
"The record shows they suborned perjury, including soliciting others to make false claims that their father violently raped Lyle’s girlfriend and that their mother poisoned the family.
"The Board correctly determined that Erik Menendez’s actions speak louder than words, and that his conduct in prison and current mentality demonstrates that he still poses an unreasonable risk of danger to the community. Importantly, the Board did not bow to public spectacle or pressure, a restraint that upholds the dignity and integrity of the justice system."
Hochman added that Erik will be eligible for parole again in three years.
Topics: Menendez Brothers, News, US News
Jess Hardiman