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  • Menendez brothers resentenced to 50 years to life, opening the door for possible parole, judge rules

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    A judge resentenced Erik and Lyle Menendez to 50 years to life in prison for the 1989 murders of their parents, ruling Tuesday the brothers will be eligible for parole. The brothers have been serving life without parole for the killings.The stunning decision came at the end of the first day of what was scheduled to be a two-day hearing about resentencing for the brothers, who were convicted of first-degree murder for the killings in the living room of the family’s Beverly Hills home.Judge Michael Jesic said during the resentencing that a horrific crime was committed, but he was equally shocked by the letters from prison and corrections officers, saying it’s remarkable what the brothers have done.While they are immediately eligible for parole, Jesic said he is not suggesting they should be released, but “one day they should get that chance.”The state parole board and governor must still decide whether to grant parole. A hearing with the board is already scheduled for June 13 as part of a separate bid by the brothers.They’re also seeking clemency from the governor, which could allow for their immediate release, and they have filed a habeas petition for a new trial.“It’s now up to the parole board and the governor of California,” Jesic said. CNN has reached out to the governor’s office and the state parole board for comment on the ruling.The parole board could either deny their request or recommend to the governor that they be granted parole. If the board recommends parole be granted, the decision will go to Gov. Gavin Newsom.In California, the governor has “executive authority to affirm, reverse, or modify any Board decision to grant or deny parole to a convicted murderer,” according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He’ll have 120 days to do that.In 2022, Newsom used that authority to deny parole for Sirhan Sirhan, the man convicted of assassinating Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, after the board recommended Sirhan for parole.Last fall, former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón recommended resentencing for the brothers, but his successor, Nathan Hochman, has fought against it.“The decision to resentence Erik and Lyle Menendez was a monumental one that has significant implications for the families involved, the community, and the principles of justice,” Hochman said in a statement Tuesday evening. “Our office’s motions to withdraw the resentencing motion filed by the previous administration ensured that the Court was presented with all the facts before making such a consequential decision.”The hearing moved much more quickly than expected. Jesic had given no indication about when or in what form he would rule, acknowledging the complicated nature of the case in which the family members are victims who also support the defense. It was even thought a decision wouldn’t come before the end of proceedings Wednesday, he said.Brothers take ‘full responsibility’ for the murdersThe high-stakes hearing began Tuesday with arguments about whether Erik and Lyle Menendez should be resentenced in the first place.The brothers appeared remotely from prison before the judge made the decision, and both took “full responsibility” for the murders.“I committed an atrocious act against two people who had every right to live, my mom and dad,” Erik said, adding that he “created a crushing sadness” for his family and there was “no excuse” for his behavior.“I will never stop trying to make a difference whether I am inside or outside of prison,” he said.Lyle also admitted to killing his parents, saying he “was immature” and “filled with rage.”“Had I trusted others to help me, I wouldn’t have committed these crimes,” he said. “I didn’t think anyone would believe me about my sexual abuse.”If he was let out of prison, he would “continue to serve sexual abuse victims,” he said.After court, defense attorney Mark Geragos said, “I just know that on a day like today, that redemption is possible.”“The fact is, the Menendez brothers have done remarkable work, and today is a great day after 35 years,” he said. “They are a real family, real people who have lived through unimaginable horrors, and I’m hopeful and glad that we’re one, one huge step closer to bringing the boys home.”The brothers were hoping the judge would reduce that sentence to life with parole; Geragos said earlier Tuesday he hoped the judge would go even further and reduce the charge to voluntary manslaughter, with a sentence of time served.Family members and close supporters testifyFamily members who have long supported the brothers were in court Tuesday, with several taking the stand to plead for the brothers’ release.“We just want this to end,” cousin Anamaria Baralt testified.Relatives say the brothers have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, and that the severity of the sentence should be revisited because of an evolving understanding of childhood sexual abuse. The brothers have maintained they carried out the murders in self-defense after years of abuse by their father, and continued to say that Tuesday.Diane Hernandez, another cousin who testified Tuesday, lived with the Menendez family in their Beverly Hills home and viewed herself as an older sister to the boys. On the stand, she described how Jose Menendez intimidated and terrorized the house, and testified about his “hallway rule” that when he was with the brothers, no one else could be.“Please be merciful,” Hernandez told the judge. The brothers, she said, “are remarkable human beings at this point.”Hochman, the current Los Angeles County district attorney, had said he was not opposed to resentencing, but doesn’t feel it’s justified yet. The brothers, he says, have “fabricated” their claims of abuse and self-defense and must admit it first.“The Menendezes have had numerous chances to come clean with all their actions and if and when they do, they’ll be ready for resentencing,” Hochman told CNN earlier Tuesday.Prosecutors pressed family members on whether they were aware of the brothers having lied to them over the years.“Were you aware the brothers lied to the family, to law enforcement and to the media?” Seth Carmack asked Tamara Goodell, another cousin. She said she was, but that the brothers never spoke about it to her one way or another and they talk about the murders with her only to say sorry.Baralt was also asked whether the brothers had ever admitted to lying and trying to manipulate the case. She said Lyle had recently admitted asking a girlfriend to lie about his father’s abuse.Retired Judge Jonathan Colby, who knew the brothers through a prison program, also testified they were great inmates, calling them “peacemakers” in prison. Anare Brown, who met the brothers while he was in prison, said they have remorse and insight, and have helped “dozens” of people they were imprisoned with.Another factor Hochman cited in opposing resentencing is the recent finding the brothers would pose a “moderate” risk of violence if released. That came in a pair of comprehensive risk assessments conducted by the state parole board.Both brothers had committed cell phone violations while in prison, he said – Lyle in November 2024 and Erik in January 2025.Prosecutor Habib Balian asked Baralt on Tuesday about the cell phones, and she acknowledged some of her conversations with Lyle had taken place on an illegal burner phone he had in prison.Efforts toward releaseUnlike a new trial, which would focus on the facts of the case, resentencing allowed the judge to consider a variety of factors, including the brothers’ rehabilitative efforts.The brothers have founded a long list of prison programs, with Erik starting at least five, including a support group for disabled and elderly inmates. Lyle founded a massive beautification program, raising more than $250,000 to install greenery to help prison life to resemble the outside world.Besides authority to change parole board decisions, Newsom also has the power to commute the brothers’ sentences, which would immediately free them – but he has so far refrained from doing so. The “comprehensive risk assessments” the judge requested ahead of the resentencing hearing were commissioned by the state’s Board of Parole after Newsom asked them to investigate whether the brothers would pose an “unreasonable risk” to the public if released.Attorneys for the Menendez brothers are also pursuing a new trial, formally known as a habeas corpus petition. Attorneys claim to have new evidence against the brothers’ father, including a 1988 letter from Erik Menendez to a relative referencing the alleged abuse.

    LOS ANGELES —

    A judge resentenced Erik and Lyle Menendez to 50 years to life in prison for the 1989 murders of their parents, ruling Tuesday the brothers will be eligible for parole. The brothers have been serving life without parole for the killings.

    The stunning decision came at the end of the first day of what was scheduled to be a two-day hearing about resentencing for the brothers, who were convicted of first-degree murder for the killings in the living room of the family’s Beverly Hills home.

    Judge Michael Jesic said during the resentencing that a horrific crime was committed, but he was equally shocked by the letters from prison and corrections officers, saying it’s remarkable what the brothers have done.

    While they are immediately eligible for parole, Jesic said he is not suggesting they should be released, but “one day they should get that chance.”

    The state parole board and governor must still decide whether to grant parole. A hearing with the board is already scheduled for June 13 as part of a separate bid by the brothers.

    They’re also seeking clemency from the governor, which could allow for their immediate release, and they have filed a habeas petition for a new trial.

    “It’s now up to the parole board and the governor of California,” Jesic said. CNN has reached out to the governor’s office and the state parole board for comment on the ruling.

    The parole board could either deny their request or recommend to the governor that they be granted parole. If the board recommends parole be granted, the decision will go to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

    In California, the governor has “executive authority to affirm, reverse, or modify any Board decision to grant or deny parole to a convicted murderer,” according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He’ll have 120 days to do that.

    In 2022, Newsom used that authority to deny parole for Sirhan Sirhan, the man convicted of assassinating Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, after the board recommended Sirhan for parole.

    Last fall, former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón recommended resentencing for the brothers, but his successor, Nathan Hochman, has fought against it.

    “The decision to resentence Erik and Lyle Menendez was a monumental one that has significant implications for the families involved, the community, and the principles of justice,” Hochman said in a statement Tuesday evening. “Our office’s motions to withdraw the resentencing motion filed by the previous administration ensured that the Court was presented with all the facts before making such a consequential decision.”

    The hearing moved much more quickly than expected. Jesic had given no indication about when or in what form he would rule, acknowledging the complicated nature of the case in which the family members are victims who also support the defense. It was even thought a decision wouldn’t come before the end of proceedings Wednesday, he said.

    Brothers take ‘full responsibility’ for the murders

    The high-stakes hearing began Tuesday with arguments about whether Erik and Lyle Menendez should be resentenced in the first place.

    The brothers appeared remotely from prison before the judge made the decision, and both took “full responsibility” for the murders.

    “I committed an atrocious act against two people who had every right to live, my mom and dad,” Erik said, adding that he “created a crushing sadness” for his family and there was “no excuse” for his behavior.

    “I will never stop trying to make a difference whether I am inside or outside of prison,” he said.

    Lyle also admitted to killing his parents, saying he “was immature” and “filled with rage.”

    “Had I trusted others to help me, I wouldn’t have committed these crimes,” he said. “I didn’t think anyone would believe me about my sexual abuse.”

    If he was let out of prison, he would “continue to serve sexual abuse victims,” he said.

    After court, defense attorney Mark Geragos said, “I just know that on a day like today, that redemption is possible.”

    “The fact is, the Menendez brothers have done remarkable work, and today is a great day after 35 years,” he said. “They are a real family, real people who have lived through unimaginable horrors, and I’m hopeful and glad that we’re one, one huge step closer to bringing the boys home.”

    The brothers were hoping the judge would reduce that sentence to life with parole; Geragos said earlier Tuesday he hoped the judge would go even further and reduce the charge to voluntary manslaughter, with a sentence of time served.

    Family members and close supporters testify

    Family members who have long supported the brothers were in court Tuesday, with several taking the stand to plead for the brothers’ release.

    “We just want this to end,” cousin Anamaria Baralt testified.

    Relatives say the brothers have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, and that the severity of the sentence should be revisited because of an evolving understanding of childhood sexual abuse. The brothers have maintained they carried out the murders in self-defense after years of abuse by their father, and continued to say that Tuesday.

    Diane Hernandez, another cousin who testified Tuesday, lived with the Menendez family in their Beverly Hills home and viewed herself as an older sister to the boys. On the stand, she described how Jose Menendez intimidated and terrorized the house, and testified about his “hallway rule” that when he was with the brothers, no one else could be.

    “Please be merciful,” Hernandez told the judge. The brothers, she said, “are remarkable human beings at this point.”

    Hochman, the current Los Angeles County district attorney, had said he was not opposed to resentencing, but doesn’t feel it’s justified yet. The brothers, he says, have “fabricated” their claims of abuse and self-defense and must admit it first.

    “The Menendezes have had numerous chances to come clean with all their actions and if and when they do, they’ll be ready for resentencing,” Hochman told CNN earlier Tuesday.

    Prosecutors pressed family members on whether they were aware of the brothers having lied to them over the years.

    “Were you aware the brothers lied to the family, to law enforcement and to the media?” Seth Carmack asked Tamara Goodell, another cousin. She said she was, but that the brothers never spoke about it to her one way or another and they talk about the murders with her only to say sorry.

    Baralt was also asked whether the brothers had ever admitted to lying and trying to manipulate the case. She said Lyle had recently admitted asking a girlfriend to lie about his father’s abuse.

    Retired Judge Jonathan Colby, who knew the brothers through a prison program, also testified they were great inmates, calling them “peacemakers” in prison. Anare Brown, who met the brothers while he was in prison, said they have remorse and insight, and have helped “dozens” of people they were imprisoned with.

    Another factor Hochman cited in opposing resentencing is the recent finding the brothers would pose a “moderate” risk of violence if released. That came in a pair of comprehensive risk assessments conducted by the state parole board.

    Both brothers had committed cell phone violations while in prison, he said – Lyle in November 2024 and Erik in January 2025.

    Prosecutor Habib Balian asked Baralt on Tuesday about the cell phones, and she acknowledged some of her conversations with Lyle had taken place on an illegal burner phone he had in prison.

    Efforts toward release

    Unlike a new trial, which would focus on the facts of the case, resentencing allowed the judge to consider a variety of factors, including the brothers’ rehabilitative efforts.

    The brothers have founded a long list of prison programs, with Erik starting at least five, including a support group for disabled and elderly inmates. Lyle founded a massive beautification program, raising more than $250,000 to install greenery to help prison life to resemble the outside world.

    Besides authority to change parole board decisions, Newsom also has the power to commute the brothers’ sentences, which would immediately free them – but he has so far refrained from doing so. The “comprehensive risk assessments” the judge requested ahead of the resentencing hearing were commissioned by the state’s Board of Parole after Newsom asked them to investigate whether the brothers would pose an “unreasonable risk” to the public if released.

    Attorneys for the Menendez brothers are also pursuing a new trial, formally known as a habeas corpus petition. Attorneys claim to have new evidence against the brothers’ father, including a 1988 letter from Erik Menendez to a relative referencing the alleged abuse.

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  • California judge denies Menendez brothers’ petition for new trial

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    LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California judge has rejected a request for a new trial for Erik and Lyle Menendez, shutting down another possible path to freedom for the brothers who have served decades in prison for killing their parents in 1989 at their Beverly Hills mansion.

    The ruling Monday by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan comes just weeks after the brothers were denied parole. Ryan denied a May 2023 petition seeking a review of their convictions based on new evidence supporting their claims of sexual abuse by their father.

    The judge wrote that the new evidence that “slightly corroborates” the allegations that the brothers were sexually abused does not negate the fact that the pair acted with “premeditation and deliberation” when they carried out the killings.

    “The evidence alleged here is not so compelling that it would have produced a reasonable doubt in the mind of at least one juror or supportive of an imperfect self-defense instruction,” the judge wrote.

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    Associated Press

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  • Erik Menendez Denied Freedom in His First Appeal to the California Parole Board  – LAmag

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    Photo: Courtesy California Parole Board Pool

    Erik Menendez was denied parole during his first hearing in front of the state agency on Thursday, a disappointment to his extended family that came 36 years and one day after he and his older brother Lyle killed their parents in a spurt of violence in Beverly Hills.

    “Today is the day all of my victims learned my parents were dead,” he said. “So today is the anniversary of their trauma journey,” Erik Menendez, 54, said of his extended family, many of whom were in attendance as he addressed members of the Parole Board Thursday for nearly ten hours at the hearing where more than a dozen relatives testified in favor of his release, along with his older brother Lyle. Erik participated in the hearing via video from the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. 

    The younger Menendez brother was grilled for hours, asked about why he killed his mother, Kitty, when it was his father whom he had accused of barbaric sexual abuse that had started when he was a young child. Menendez said he shot his mother because she had “betrayed him” by not stopping the abuse. “I saw my mother and my father as one person after I learned that she knew, so when I was running into the den, I was in a state of terror, of panic, of rage,” he said. State Parole Board Commissioner Robert Barton heard evidence of Menendez’s rehabilitative efforts behind bars, his unflinching remorse, and noted the lack of family members pushing for him to stay behind bars. He was also sympathetic to what he says he suffered at the hands of his father. “We recognize and understand that many sexual assault victims find it hard to come forward, especially when the perpetrators are family members,” Barton said.

    Still, he wanted to know why Erik, who was 18 at the time of the crimes, didn’t just leave the home or go to the police. By the end of the long, grueling day of testimony, Barton denied Erik his freedom, saying: “You have two options: one is to have a pity party … and then you become a self-fulfilling prophecy, probably not getting granted [parole] next time. Or you can take to heart what we discussed. I hope that the people that are out there supporting you continue to motivate you.” The board said he can next be eligible for parole in three years.

    The decision was disappointing to the brothers’ family, who issued a statement: “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,” they wrote. “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.”

    The hearing was covered by a single pool reporter from the Los Angeles Times, who provided updates to other media outlets. James Queally wrote that the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation allowed him as the sole reporter to watch the hearing on a projector screen in a room inside the agency’s headquarters, just outside Sacramento.

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    Michele McPhee

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  • Board denies parole for Erik Menendez despite reduced sentence for his parents’ 1989 murders

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    Erik Menendez was denied parole Thursday after serving decades in prison for murdering his parents with his older brother in 1989.A panel of California commissioners denied Menendez parole for three years, after which he will be eligible again, in a case that continues to fascinate the public. A parole hearing for his brother Lyle Menendez, who is being held at the same prison in San Diego, is scheduled for Friday morning.The two commissioners determined that Menendez should not be freed after an all-day hearing during which they questioned him about why he committed the crime and violated prison rules.The brothers became eligible for parole after a judge reduced their sentences in May from life without parole to 50 years to life.The parole hearings marked the closest they’ve been to winning freedom from prison since their convictions almost 30 years ago for murdering their parents.The brothers were sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for fatally shooting their father, Jose Menendez, and mother, Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. While defense attorneys argued that the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said the brothers sought a multimillion-dollar inheritance.A judge reduced their sentences in May, and they became immediately eligible for parole.Erik Menendez made his case to two parole commissioners, offering his most detailed account in years of how he was raised, why he made the choices he did, and how he transformed in prison. He noted the hearing fell almost exactly 36 years after he killed his parents — on Aug. 20, 1989.”Today is August 21st. Today is the day that all of my victims learned my parents were dead. So today is the anniversary of their trauma journey,” he said, referring to his family members.The state corrections department chose a single reporter to watch the videoconference and share details with the rest of the press.Erik Menendez’s prison recordMenendez, gray-haired and spectacled, sat in front of a computer screen wearing a blue T-shirt over a white long-sleeve shirt in a photo shared by officials.The panel of commissioners scrutinized every rules violation and fight on his lengthy prison record, including allegations that he worked with a prison gang, bought drugs, used cellphones and helped with a tax scam.He told commissioners that since he had no hope of ever getting out then, he prioritized protecting himself over following the rules. Then last fall, LA prosecutors asked a judge to resentence him and his brother — opening the door to parole.”In November of 2024, now the consequences mattered,” Menendez said. “Now the consequences meant I was destroying my life.”A particular sticking point for the commissioners was his use of cellphones.”What I got in terms of the phone and my connection with the outside world was far greater than the consequences of me getting caught with the phone,” Menendez said.The board also brought up his earliest encounters with the law, when he committed two burglaries in high school.”I was not raised with a moral foundation,” he said. “I was raised to lie, to cheat, to steal in the sense, an abstract way.”The panel asked about details like why he used a fake ID to purchase the guns he and Lyle Menendez used to kill their parents, who acted first and why they killed their mother if their father was the main abuser.Commissioner Robert Barton asked: “You do see that there were other choices at that point?””When I look back at the person I was then and what I believed about the world and my parents, running away was inconceivable,” Menendez said. “Running away meant death.”His transformation behind barsErik Menendez’s parole attorney, Heidi Rummel, emphasized 2013 as the turning point for her client.”He found his faith. He became accountable to his higher power. He found sobriety and made a promise to his mother on her birthday,” Rummel said. “Has he been perfect since 2013? No. But he has been remarkable.”Commissioner Rachel Stern also applauded him for starting a group to take care of older and disabled inmates.Since the brothers reunited, they have been “serious accountability partners” for each other. At the same time, he said he’s become better at setting boundaries with Lyle Menendez, and they tend to do different programming.More than a dozen of their relatives, who have advocated for the brothers’ release for months, delivered emotional statements at Thursday’s hearing via videoconference.”Seeing my crimes through my family’s eyes has been a huge part of my evolution and my growth,” Menendez said. “Just seeing the pain and the suffering. Understanding the magnitude of what I’ve done, the generational impact.”His aunt Teresita Menendez-Baralt, who is Jose Menendez’s sister, said she has fully forgiven him. She noted that she is dying from Stage 4 cancer and wishes to welcome him into her home.”Erik carries himself with kindness, integrity and strength that comes from patience and grace,” she said.One relative promised to the parole board that she would house him in Colorado, where he can spend time with his family and enjoying nature.The board brushed off prosecutor’s questionsLA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said ahead of the parole hearings that he opposes parole for the brothers because of their lack of insight, comparing them to Sirhan Sirhan, who assassinated presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom denied him parole in January 2022 because of his “deficient insight.”During the hearing, LA prosecutor Habib Balian asked Menendez about his and his brothers’ attempts to ask witnesses to lie in court on their behalf, and if the brothers staged the killings as a mafia hit. Commissioners largely dismissed the questions, saying they were not retrying the case.In closing statements, Balian questioned whether Menendez was “truly reformed” or saying what commissioners wanted to hear.”When one continues to diminish their responsibility for a crime and continues to make the same false excuses that they’ve made for 30-plus years, one is still that same dangerous person that they were when they shotgunned their parents,” Balian said.What happens nextLyle Menendez is set to appear over videoconference Friday for his parole hearing from the same prison in San Diego.The case has captured the attention of true crime enthusiasts for decades and spawned documentaries, television specials and dramatizations. The Netflix drama ” Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story ” and a documentary released in 2024 have been credited for bringing new attention to the brothers.Greater recognition of the brothers as victims of sexual abuse has also helped mobilize support for their release. Some supporters have flown to Los Angeles to hold rallies and attend court hearings.

    LOS ANGELES —

    Erik Menendez was denied parole Thursday after serving decades in prison for murdering his parents with his older brother in 1989.

    A panel of California commissioners denied Menendez parole for three years, after which he will be eligible again, in a case that continues to fascinate the public. A parole hearing for his brother Lyle Menendez, who is being held at the same prison in San Diego, is scheduled for Friday morning.

    The two commissioners determined that Menendez should not be freed after an all-day hearing during which they questioned him about why he committed the crime and violated prison rules.

    The brothers became eligible for parole after a judge reduced their sentences in May from life without parole to 50 years to life.

    The parole hearings marked the closest they’ve been to winning freedom from prison since their convictions almost 30 years ago for murdering their parents.

    The brothers were sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for fatally shooting their father, Jose Menendez, and mother, Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. While defense attorneys argued that the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said the brothers sought a multimillion-dollar inheritance.

    A judge reduced their sentences in May, and they became immediately eligible for parole.

    Erik Menendez made his case to two parole commissioners, offering his most detailed account in years of how he was raised, why he made the choices he did, and how he transformed in prison. He noted the hearing fell almost exactly 36 years after he killed his parents — on Aug. 20, 1989.

    “Today is August 21st. Today is the day that all of my victims learned my parents were dead. So today is the anniversary of their trauma journey,” he said, referring to his family members.

    The state corrections department chose a single reporter to watch the videoconference and share details with the rest of the press.

    Erik Menendez’s prison record

    Menendez, gray-haired and spectacled, sat in front of a computer screen wearing a blue T-shirt over a white long-sleeve shirt in a photo shared by officials.

    The panel of commissioners scrutinized every rules violation and fight on his lengthy prison record, including allegations that he worked with a prison gang, bought drugs, used cellphones and helped with a tax scam.

    He told commissioners that since he had no hope of ever getting out then, he prioritized protecting himself over following the rules. Then last fall, LA prosecutors asked a judge to resentence him and his brother — opening the door to parole.

    “In November of 2024, now the consequences mattered,” Menendez said. “Now the consequences meant I was destroying my life.”

    A particular sticking point for the commissioners was his use of cellphones.

    “What I got in terms of the phone and my connection with the outside world was far greater than the consequences of me getting caught with the phone,” Menendez said.

    The board also brought up his earliest encounters with the law, when he committed two burglaries in high school.

    “I was not raised with a moral foundation,” he said. “I was raised to lie, to cheat, to steal in the sense, an abstract way.”

    The panel asked about details like why he used a fake ID to purchase the guns he and Lyle Menendez used to kill their parents, who acted first and why they killed their mother if their father was the main abuser.

    Commissioner Robert Barton asked: “You do see that there were other choices at that point?”

    “When I look back at the person I was then and what I believed about the world and my parents, running away was inconceivable,” Menendez said. “Running away meant death.”

    His transformation behind bars

    Erik Menendez’s parole attorney, Heidi Rummel, emphasized 2013 as the turning point for her client.

    “He found his faith. He became accountable to his higher power. He found sobriety and made a promise to his mother on her birthday,” Rummel said. “Has he been perfect since 2013? No. But he has been remarkable.”

    Commissioner Rachel Stern also applauded him for starting a group to take care of older and disabled inmates.

    Since the brothers reunited, they have been “serious accountability partners” for each other. At the same time, he said he’s become better at setting boundaries with Lyle Menendez, and they tend to do different programming.

    More than a dozen of their relatives, who have advocated for the brothers’ release for months, delivered emotional statements at Thursday’s hearing via videoconference.

    “Seeing my crimes through my family’s eyes has been a huge part of my evolution and my growth,” Menendez said. “Just seeing the pain and the suffering. Understanding the magnitude of what I’ve done, the generational impact.”

    His aunt Teresita Menendez-Baralt, who is Jose Menendez’s sister, said she has fully forgiven him. She noted that she is dying from Stage 4 cancer and wishes to welcome him into her home.

    “Erik carries himself with kindness, integrity and strength that comes from patience and grace,” she said.

    One relative promised to the parole board that she would house him in Colorado, where he can spend time with his family and enjoying nature.

    The board brushed off prosecutor’s questions

    LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said ahead of the parole hearings that he opposes parole for the brothers because of their lack of insight, comparing them to Sirhan Sirhan, who assassinated presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom denied him parole in January 2022 because of his “deficient insight.”

    During the hearing, LA prosecutor Habib Balian asked Menendez about his and his brothers’ attempts to ask witnesses to lie in court on their behalf, and if the brothers staged the killings as a mafia hit. Commissioners largely dismissed the questions, saying they were not retrying the case.

    In closing statements, Balian questioned whether Menendez was “truly reformed” or saying what commissioners wanted to hear.

    “When one continues to diminish their responsibility for a crime and continues to make the same false excuses that they’ve made for 30-plus years, one is still that same dangerous person that they were when they shotgunned their parents,” Balian said.

    What happens next

    Lyle Menendez is set to appear over videoconference Friday for his parole hearing from the same prison in San Diego.

    The case has captured the attention of true crime enthusiasts for decades and spawned documentaries, television specials and dramatizations. The Netflix drama ” Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story ” and a documentary released in 2024 have been credited for bringing new attention to the brothers.

    Greater recognition of the brothers as victims of sexual abuse has also helped mobilize support for their release. Some supporters have flown to Los Angeles to hold rallies and attend court hearings.

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  • LA County district attorney sends letters requesting clemency for Menendez brothers

    LA County district attorney sends letters requesting clemency for Menendez brothers

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    Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón “strongly supports” Erik and Lyle Menendez’s bid for clemency and has written letters on behalf of each brother to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, he announced Wednesday.The letters, published by Gascón’s office, describe the 1989 murders by the Menendez brothers of their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, as well as “credible allegations” that Erik and Lyle were each “the victim of sexual and physical abuse at the hands of (their) father.”The brothers’ 34 years spent in custody and “dedication to rehabilitation” make them “exemplary” candidates for clemency, Gascón wrote. The district attorney adds that his office has communicated with several family members of Kitty and Jose Menendez and all family members except one, Kitty Menendez’s brother, support commutation.CNN has reached out to the brothers’ attorney, Mark Geragos, to confirm a formal clemency request has been sent to the governor’s office. Newsom’s office declined to comment on the case, saying “pending clemency applications are confidential and we’re not able to discuss individual cases.”If approved by the governor, the Menendez brothers could see their sentence – life in prison without the possibility of parole – reduced, or they could be released immediately.“I strongly support clemency for Erik and Lyle Menendez,” Gascón said in a statement Wednesday. “They have respectively served 34 years and have continued their educations and worked to create new programs to support the rehabilitation of fellow inmates.”Gascon’s announcement comes days after the district attorney filed a motion recommending a judge resentence the siblings –– from life in prison without parole to life in prison with parole.Under California law, the brothers would be immediately eligible for parole because they were 26 or younger when they committed their crimes.A hearing for the resentencing request has been set for Dec. 11, according to a court official and Holly Baird, a spokesperson for the brothers’ lawyer Mark Geragos.“They were appropriately sentenced at the time when they were tried,” Gascón said in an earlier interview with CNN. “I just think that given the current state of the law and given our assessment of their behavior in prison, they deserve the opportunity to be reevaluated and perhaps reintegrated into the community.”

    LOS ANGELES —

    Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón “strongly supports” Erik and Lyle Menendez’s bid for clemency and has written letters on behalf of each brother to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, he announced Wednesday.

    The letters, published by Gascón’s office, describe the 1989 murders by the Menendez brothers of their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, as well as “credible allegations” that Erik and Lyle were each “the victim of sexual and physical abuse at the hands of (their) father.”

    The brothers’ 34 years spent in custody and “dedication to rehabilitation” make them “exemplary” candidates for clemency, Gascón wrote. The district attorney adds that his office has communicated with several family members of Kitty and Jose Menendez and all family members except one, Kitty Menendez’s brother, support commutation.

    CNN has reached out to the brothers’ attorney, Mark Geragos, to confirm a formal clemency request has been sent to the governor’s office. Newsom’s office declined to comment on the case, saying “pending clemency applications are confidential and we’re not able to discuss individual cases.”

    If approved by the governor, the Menendez brothers could see their sentence – life in prison without the possibility of parole – reduced, or they could be released immediately.

    “I strongly support clemency for Erik and Lyle Menendez,” Gascón said in a statement Wednesday. “They have respectively served 34 years and have continued their educations and worked to create new programs to support the rehabilitation of fellow inmates.”

    Gascon’s announcement comes days after the district attorney filed a motion recommending a judge resentence the siblings –– from life in prison without parole to life in prison with parole.

    Under California law, the brothers would be immediately eligible for parole because they were 26 or younger when they committed their crimes.

    A hearing for the resentencing request has been set for Dec. 11, according to a court official and Holly Baird, a spokesperson for the brothers’ lawyer Mark Geragos.

    “They were appropriately sentenced at the time when they were tried,” Gascón said in an earlier interview with CNN. “I just think that given the current state of the law and given our assessment of their behavior in prison, they deserve the opportunity to be reevaluated and perhaps reintegrated into the community.”

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  • Erik and Lyle Menendez are a step closer to leaving prison, but freedom won’t come quickly

    Erik and Lyle Menendez are a step closer to leaving prison, but freedom won’t come quickly

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    Erik and Lyle Menendez still have a long way to go before they can walk out of prison, even though the Los Angeles County district attorney has recommended their life-without-parole sentences be thrown out and the brothers be resentenced and immediately eligible for parole.The brothers, convicted in the 1989 killings of their parents at the family’s Beverly Hills mansion, will need to get a judge to go along with the recommendation Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón made Thursday and then a parole board must approve their release. The final stop is with Gov. Gavin Newsom, who could reject the board’s decision.It’s an uncertain process likely to stretch out over months.Lyle Menendez, then 21, and Erik Menendez, then 18, admitted they fatally shot their entertainment executive father, Jose Menendez, and their mother, Kitty Menendez. The brothers said they feared their parents were about to kill them to stop people from finding out that Jose Menendez had sexually abused Erik Menendez for years.Prosecutors at the time contended that there was no evidence of molestation. The brothers’ first trial ended in a hung jury, and prosecutors secured a conviction in the second after much of the evidence of abuse was disallowed from the trial. The district attorney’s office also said back then that the brothers were after their parents’ multimillion-dollar estate.Now, the DA and relatives say the world better understands the role of trauma in sexual abuse cases.Critics accuse DA of playing politicsMeanwhile, Gascón faces fights over his resentencing recommendation: His opponent in his bid for reelection next month, as well as some of his own prosecutors, have called the latest development in the case politically motivated and the result of a recent Netflix documentary about the notorious crime.Michele Hanisee, president of the Association of Los Angeles Deputy District Attorneys, on Wednesday said Gascón’s decision smacks of “opportunism” to get headlines.“Throughout his disastrous tenure as DA, Gascón has consistently prioritized celebrity cases over the rights of crime victims, showing more interest in being in the spotlight than in upholding justice,” Hanisee said in a statement.But the district attorney said he made the final decision only an hour before Thursday’s news conference and it was separate from politics.Since their sentencing in 1996, the brothers have been model prisoners, Gascón and their attorney say, and committed themselves to rehabilitation and redemption.“I came to a place where I believe, under the law, resentencing is appropriate,” Gascón said during the news conference.What comes next?Gascón’s office filed paperwork Thursday that recommends the brothers — now 54 and 56 years old — receive a new sentence of 50 years to life. Because they were under 26 years old at the time of the crimes, they would be eligible for parole immediately.“I believe that they have paid their debt to society,” the DA said.A hearing before a judge could come within the next month or so. If the judge agrees to the resentencing, the state parole board will hold its own proceeding to determine whether they should go free. If the board recommends parole, Newsom would have 150 days to review the case. The governor could green-light parole, or overrule the board and deny their release.Despite Gascón’s goal of freeing the brothers, Laurie Levenson, a professor of criminal law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, warned that the judge would not likely be a “rubber stamp” due to dissent within the DA’s office.“That puts the judge actually in a very challenging position,” Levenson said, noting she had not heard of any cases until recently where the head of the office disagreed with other lawyers involved in the case. Ultimately, Gascón chose the “safest route” for his decision — leaving it up to the court and parole board, she said.Mark Geragos, an attorney for the brothers, has said he’s hopeful the brothers could be freed by Thanksgiving. Levenson called that deadline “awfully hopeful.”Family largely unites to call for brothers’ freedomThe brothers’ extended family has pleaded for their release. Several family members have said that in today’s world — which is more aware of the impact of sexual abuse — the brothers would not have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.Anamaria Baralt, a niece of Jose Menendez, said the district attorney’s “brave and necessary” decision means “Lyle and Erik can finally begin to heal from the trauma of their past.”Not all Menendez family members support resentencing. Attorneys for Milton Andersen, the 90-year-old brother of Kitty Menendez, filed a legal brief seeking to keep the brothers’ original punishment.“They shot their mother, Kitty, reloading to ensure her death,” Andersen’s attorneys said in a statement Thursday. “The evidence remains overwhelmingly clear: the jury’s verdict was just, and the punishment fits the heinous crime.”DA’s challenger weighs inThe LA district attorney is in the middle of a tough reelection fight against former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman, who has blamed Gascón’s progressive reform policies for recent high-profile killings and increased retail crime.Gascón said Thursday that his office has recommended resentencing for some 300 offenders, including people behind bars for murder.Hochman questioned the timing of the Gascón’s announcement, coming less than two weeks before the election and calling it a “desperate political move.”He said he is unable to form his own opinion on the case without access to confidential records and relevant witnesses.“If I become DA and the case is still pending at that time, I will conduct a review consistent with how I would review any case,” Hochman said.Geragos said the DA took the case seriously before there was any talk of him losing reelection.New attention to caseThe case has gained new traction in recent weeks after Netflix began streaming the true-crime drama “ Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”Roy Rossello, a former member of the Latin pop group Menudo, also recently came forward saying he was drugged and raped by Jose Menendez when he was a teen in the 1980s.Rossello spoke about his abuse in the 2023 Peacock docuseries “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed.” His allegations are part of the evidence listed in the petition filed last year by the Menendez brothers’ attorney in seeking a review of their case.Menudo was signed under RCA Records, which Jose Menendez headed at the time.

    LOS ANGELES —

    Erik and Lyle Menendez still have a long way to go before they can walk out of prison, even though the Los Angeles County district attorney has recommended their life-without-parole sentences be thrown out and the brothers be resentenced and immediately eligible for parole.

    The brothers, convicted in the 1989 killings of their parents at the family’s Beverly Hills mansion, will need to get a judge to go along with the recommendation Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón made Thursday and then a parole board must approve their release. The final stop is with Gov. Gavin Newsom, who could reject the board’s decision.

    It’s an uncertain process likely to stretch out over months.

    Lyle Menendez, then 21, and Erik Menendez, then 18, admitted they fatally shot their entertainment executive father, Jose Menendez, and their mother, Kitty Menendez. The brothers said they feared their parents were about to kill them to stop people from finding out that Jose Menendez had sexually abused Erik Menendez for years.

    Prosecutors at the time contended that there was no evidence of molestation. The brothers’ first trial ended in a hung jury, and prosecutors secured a conviction in the second after much of the evidence of abuse was disallowed from the trial. The district attorney’s office also said back then that the brothers were after their parents’ multimillion-dollar estate.

    Now, the DA and relatives say the world better understands the role of trauma in sexual abuse cases.

    Critics accuse DA of playing politics

    Meanwhile, Gascón faces fights over his resentencing recommendation: His opponent in his bid for reelection next month, as well as some of his own prosecutors, have called the latest development in the case politically motivated and the result of a recent Netflix documentary about the notorious crime.

    Michele Hanisee, president of the Association of Los Angeles Deputy District Attorneys, on Wednesday said Gascón’s decision smacks of “opportunism” to get headlines.

    “Throughout his disastrous tenure as DA, Gascón has consistently prioritized celebrity cases over the rights of crime victims, showing more interest in being in the spotlight than in upholding justice,” Hanisee said in a statement.

    But the district attorney said he made the final decision only an hour before Thursday’s news conference and it was separate from politics.

    Since their sentencing in 1996, the brothers have been model prisoners, Gascón and their attorney say, and committed themselves to rehabilitation and redemption.

    “I came to a place where I believe, under the law, resentencing is appropriate,” Gascón said during the news conference.

    What comes next?

    Gascón’s office filed paperwork Thursday that recommends the brothers — now 54 and 56 years old — receive a new sentence of 50 years to life. Because they were under 26 years old at the time of the crimes, they would be eligible for parole immediately.

    “I believe that they have paid their debt to society,” the DA said.

    A hearing before a judge could come within the next month or so. If the judge agrees to the resentencing, the state parole board will hold its own proceeding to determine whether they should go free. If the board recommends parole, Newsom would have 150 days to review the case. The governor could green-light parole, or overrule the board and deny their release.

    Despite Gascón’s goal of freeing the brothers, Laurie Levenson, a professor of criminal law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, warned that the judge would not likely be a “rubber stamp” due to dissent within the DA’s office.

    “That puts the judge actually in a very challenging position,” Levenson said, noting she had not heard of any cases until recently where the head of the office disagreed with other lawyers involved in the case. Ultimately, Gascón chose the “safest route” for his decision — leaving it up to the court and parole board, she said.

    Mark Geragos, an attorney for the brothers, has said he’s hopeful the brothers could be freed by Thanksgiving. Levenson called that deadline “awfully hopeful.”

    Family largely unites to call for brothers’ freedom

    The brothers’ extended family has pleaded for their release. Several family members have said that in today’s world — which is more aware of the impact of sexual abuse — the brothers would not have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.

    Anamaria Baralt, a niece of Jose Menendez, said the district attorney’s “brave and necessary” decision means “Lyle and Erik can finally begin to heal from the trauma of their past.”

    Not all Menendez family members support resentencing. Attorneys for Milton Andersen, the 90-year-old brother of Kitty Menendez, filed a legal brief seeking to keep the brothers’ original punishment.

    “They shot their mother, Kitty, reloading to ensure her death,” Andersen’s attorneys said in a statement Thursday. “The evidence remains overwhelmingly clear: the jury’s verdict was just, and the punishment fits the heinous crime.”

    DA’s challenger weighs in

    The LA district attorney is in the middle of a tough reelection fight against former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman, who has blamed Gascón’s progressive reform policies for recent high-profile killings and increased retail crime.

    Gascón said Thursday that his office has recommended resentencing for some 300 offenders, including people behind bars for murder.

    Hochman questioned the timing of the Gascón’s announcement, coming less than two weeks before the election and calling it a “desperate political move.”

    He said he is unable to form his own opinion on the case without access to confidential records and relevant witnesses.

    “If I become DA and the case is still pending at that time, I will conduct a review consistent with how I would review any case,” Hochman said.

    Geragos said the DA took the case seriously before there was any talk of him losing reelection.

    New attention to case

    The case has gained new traction in recent weeks after Netflix began streaming the true-crime drama “ Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”

    Roy Rossello, a former member of the Latin pop group Menudo, also recently came forward saying he was drugged and raped by Jose Menendez when he was a teen in the 1980s.

    Rossello spoke about his abuse in the 2023 Peacock docuseries “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed.” His allegations are part of the evidence listed in the petition filed last year by the Menendez brothers’ attorney in seeking a review of their case.

    Menudo was signed under RCA Records, which Jose Menendez headed at the time.

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  • Ex-Menudo singer says he was raped by father of the Menendez brothers – National | Globalnews.ca

    Ex-Menudo singer says he was raped by father of the Menendez brothers – National | Globalnews.ca

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    Former Menudo singer Roy Rosselló claims he was sexually abused by José Menendez, saying that the father of convicted killers Lyle and Erik Menendez – commonly known as the Menendez Brothers – sexually assaulted him when he was a teen.

    Rosselló makes the startling claims in an upcoming three-part docuseries that will begin airing on NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, on May 2.

    The assertion first aired Tuesday, when NBC’s Today show outlined some of the findings reported by the docuseries’ journalists Robert Rand and Nery Ynclan.

    Read more:

    2 cheerleaders shot after getting into the wrong car in Texas, suspect arrested

    “I know what he did to me in his house,” Rosselló is heard saying in a clip from Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed. He alleges that José Menendez, who was an executive at RCA Records at the time, sexually assaulted him when he was a young member of the popular 1980s boy band.

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    He claimed the abuse happened in Menendez’s New Jersey home when Rosselló was 14 years old, and alleges he was drugged before the alleged molestation.

    “That’s the man here that raped me,” Rosselló says in the clip, pointing at what appears to be a photo of Menendez. “This guy. That’s the pedophile.”


    Singer Roy Rossello of the pop group Menudo poses for a portrait circa 1985 in New York City, N.Y.

    Michael Ochs archives / Getty Images

    Menendez was affiliated with Menudo because he had signed the group to RCA Records.

    In the trailer, another person is seen saying that “José Menendez was obsessed with the band Menudo.” The docuseries then asserts that Rosselló’s claims might have changed things during the Menendez brothers’ trial for the murders of their parents in 1989.

    The Menendez murders

    On Aug. 20, 1989, José and Mary Louise (who went by the name Kitty) Menendez were brutally murdered inside their Beverly Hills Mansion.

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    Read more:

    New details emerge in death of 20-year-old who drove down wrong driveway

    The scene was so gruesome that early speculation focused on the possibility of a mob hit. According to Biography.com, the parents had been rendered nearly unidentifiable by 15 rounds from two 12-gauge shotguns.

    But soon the focus shifted to the couple’s sons, who were 18 and 21-years-old at the time. At first, they maintained to police they’d stopped by their parents’ house the night of the killings to retrieve Erik’s ID while on the way to a movie, and discovered their slain parents.

    In this Oct. 20, 1995, file photo, Lyle Menendez looks up during testimony in his and brother Erik's retrial for the shotgun slayings of their parents in Los Angeles, Calif.


    In this Oct. 20, 1995, file photo, Lyle Menendez looks up during testimony in his and brother Erik’s retrial for the shotgun slayings of their parents in Los Angeles, Calif.

    Steve Grayson / UPI via AP, Pool, File)

    However, Erik eventually confided to his therapist that he and his brother were responsible for the killings and after the therapist shared the information with his wife, the confession eventually made its way to police.

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    Lyle and Erik were eventually arrested for the murders and their trial kicked off an era of high-profile, televised criminal trials that captured the public’s imagination through the ‘90s.

    Despite defence arguments that José had sexually molested his two sons for years and that they killed their parents out of fear, they were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. They served the first part of their sentences in separate prison, until they were reunited in 2018 and allowed to serve their sentences in the same facility.

    Read more:

    Edie Falco talks ‘Law & Order True Crime: Menendez Murders’ and that curly wig

    In recent years, many have questioned whether there might have been a different outcome for the Menendez brothers if they stood trial today, given society’s changed understanding of sexual abuse and family violence.

    The brothers’ prior appeals for a new trial have been denied.

    Menudo’s previous allegations

    Rosselló previously accused Menudo manager Edgardo Díaz of sexually abusing him when he was a teenager.

    In a four-part miniseries for HBO Max, which aired in 2022, other members of the band also said they were physically, verbally, sexually and psychologically abused as part of Menudo.

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    No one has ever been criminally charged in connection with the allegations.


    Click to play video: 'Trailer: Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders'


    Trailer: Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders


    &copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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    Michelle Butterfield

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