Menendez brothers who shot dead parents suffer major setback in bid for freedom

Killer brothers, convicted of brutally murdering their parents in 1989, have suffered a significant setback just weeks before they could be set free.

The siblings' parole hearing, initially scheduled for June 13, has now been delayed for at least two months. It has been scheduled to take place on August 21 and 22, further postponing any decision on their potential release after 35 years behind bars. The delay comes after Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic reduced their sentences from life without parole to 50 years to life earlier this month.

The ruling made them eligible for parole under California’s youthful offender law, which allows those who committed crimes under the age of 26 to be considered for early release.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

Erik and Lyle were 18 and 21 at the time of the murders. “This is not for me to decide,” said Jesic in court. “I do believe they’ve done enough in the past 35 years that they should get that chance.”

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has not provided a reason for the hearing delay. A separate avenue for freedom remains with Governor , who was expected to announce by June 13 whether he would consider clemency for the brothers. Newsom still retains the authority to grant clemency at any time, though parole proceedings may take months or years.

In 1996, the Menendez brothers were sentenced to life without parole for shooting their parents, entertainment executive Jose Menendez and his wife Kitty, in their Beverly Hills mansion. Prosecutors argued the motive was a multimillion-dollar inheritance.

Defence lawyers claimed the murders stemmed from years of sexual abuse at the hands of their father. During a May 14 court hearing, the brothers expressed remorse.

“Today, 35 years later, I am deeply ashamed of who I was,” Lyle Menendez said. “I killed my mom and dad. I make no excuses and also no justification. The impact of my violent actions on my family... is unfathomable.”

The brothers have received broad support from family members, many of whom testified on their behalf.

Ana Maria Baralt, a cousin, told the court, “We all, on both sides of the family, believe that 35 years is enough. They are universally forgiven by our family.”

Diane Hernandez, who previously testified in the first trial, described an abusive household environment, including a strict “hallway rule” to avoid being on the same floor as Jose Menendez.

The case was re-evaluated last year by former LA County District Attorney George Gascón, who filed a resentencing petition citing modern understandings of trauma and the brothers’ rehabilitation, including educational achievements, participation in support groups, and efforts to help fellow inmates.

However, current District Attorney Nathan Hochman had . “They have not come clean,” Hochman said. “Our position is not ‘no,’ it’s not ‘never,’ it’s ‘not yet.’ They have not fully accepted responsibility for all their criminal conduct.”

The Menendez case gained global attention due to its shocking nature and the brothers’ extravagant spending after the murders. Lyle bought a Porsche, a Rolex, and invested in restaurants, while Erik hired a full-time tennis coach. Authorities arrested them in March 1990 after they had spent $700,000 (£522,000)

The case has regained public interest following the drama Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and the true crime documentary The Menendez Brothers, which highlighted the brothers’ claims of abuse.

In the recent documentary, Erik reflected on the aftermath of the murders. “Everything was to cover up this horrible pain of not wanting to be alive,” he said. “One of the things that stopped me from killing myself was that I would be a complete failure to my dad.”