Erik Menendez denied parole; brother appears before board

By Dave Mason
The Center Square

Lyle Menendez faced a California Board of Parole hearing Friday, after two commissioners Thursday evening denied parole to his younger brother Erik Menendez after a 10-hour hearing that focused on Erik’s prison record.

The brothers, who made national headlines when they were convicted of murdering their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez in 1989 at the family’s Beverly Hills home, are incarcerated at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, a state prison in San Diego.

They were originally sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. But in May, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic reduced the brothers’ sentence to 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole.

The brothers claimed the murders followed years of abuse by their father and have contended the killings were in self-defense. They also said their mother was aware of the abuse but did nothing to stop it.

But Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who opposed the resentencing, has called the brothers’ claims of self-defense lies and contended they didn’t take full responsibility for the murders. Hochman took office in December, succeeding D.A. George Gascón, who petitioned for resentencing hearings.

Prosecutors handling the case in 1989 said the brothers killed their parents for a multimillion-dollar inheritance.

During Thursday’s hearing, two parole commissioners in Los Angeles asked about Erik Menendez’s prison violations in areas such as illegal cellphone use, tax fraud, and possessing and dealing drugs. Menendez, 54, who appeared virtually from the San Diego prison during the hearing, can seek parole again in 2028. The parole board’s decision is subject to review by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the board’s legal division.

According to media reports, Parole Commissioner Robert Barton said Erik Menendez still posed “an unreasonable risk to public safety.”

Barton also noted Erik Menendez didn’t separate his mother from the allegedly abusive father. He said the killing of Kitty Menendez “especially showed a lack of empathy and reason.” Barton added Erik Menendez could have left his parents’ home since he was 18 and gone to police or stayed with relatives.

In a statement, Hochman praised the California Board of Parole for doing “justice for Jose and Kitty Menendez, the victims of the brutal murders carried out by their sons on Aug. 20, 1989.”

But the Menendez family members, who included those who testified Thursday in support of Erik Menendez, expressed their disappointment with the parole denial in a statement released through The Justice For Erik and Lyle Coalition. The family expressed hope that parole board commissioners will see Lyle Menendez, 57, as “a man who has taken responsibility, transformed his life and is ready to come home.”

Erik Menendez could still be released if he gets clemency from Newsom or new evidence is brought before a court.