Erik and Lyle Menendez will be eligible for release after spending over 30 years in prison for the brutal 1989 shotgun killings of their parents, a Los Angeles judge ruled on Tuesday. The Menendez brothers appeared in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, where Judge Michael Jesic reduced their sentence from life without parole to 50 years to life.
The decision on whether the Menendez brothers should be granted release now rests with the California state parole board and Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. The brothers shot dead their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, inside their upscale Beverly Hills home on August 20, 1989 and have since been in prison.
A Chance to Step Out of Jail
This change makes Menendez brothers immediately eligible to seek parole under California's youthful offender law, as they were both under 26 years old at the time of the crime. At the end of Tuesday's hearing, both brothers delivered emotional statements about the killings, claiming they acted after suffering years of sexual abuse by their father, Jose, with their mother, Kitty's help.
"My choices that night robbed my parents of their full lives," said Erik, who was only 18 when he fatally shot his parents. "I can only imagine the fear, the pain, and the trauma it caused [my family]." His brother echoed his sentiments.
"I committed an atrocious act against two people who had the right to live, my mom and dad," Lyle said.
"I take full responsibility for my choices ... I was a 21-year-old who believed I could fix what could not be fixed."
Prosecutors, however, argued the motive was financial — that the brothers killed their parents to gain access to a multimillion-dollar inheritance. The final decision on whether the brothers will be released from prison now lies with the state parole board.
"I'm not saying they should be released, it's not for me to decide," Jesic said. "I do believe they've done enough in the past 35 years, that they should get that chance."
Even Cousins Want Them to be Released
Attorneys cross-examined several witnesses during Tuesday's hearing, including relatives and a former inmate, all of whom testified that Lyle and Erik had recognized their past mistakes and had reformed during their time in prison.
Their cousin, Anamaria Baralt, told the court that the entire family had "universally forgiven" the brothers, insisting that they had been fully rehabilitated. "I would welcome them into my home with my family," she said.
Baralt also said that if granted parole, the brothers intend to become advocates for victims of sexual abuse.
However, Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian argued that the Menendez brothers lacked genuine understanding of their actions, calling their continued claim of self-defense after alleged years of sexual abuse "absurd."
However, their attorney, Mark Geragos, insisted that Erik and Lyle had completely changed. He pointed to programs they led while incarcerated—Erik's involvement in a hospice initiative and Lyle's leadership in creating green spaces—as evidence of their growth.
Rapper Anrae Brown, known as "X-Raided," testified that the brothers mentored him during his own time in prison for murder, helping him reflect on his past and navigate the parole system.
He described their positive influence on fellow inmates as "Menendez University."
Ultimately, Judge Michael Jesic ruled in favor of Geragos, the brothers' relatives, and the Menendez brothers themselves, who delivered emotional apologies and expressed deep remorse during the final moments of the hearing.
