Menendez brothers continue bid toward freedom with upcoming parole hearings

CBS News Live

CBS News Los Angeles Live

The Menendez brothers are acceptable for long-awaited parole committee hearings successful California this week aft spending astir 30 years successful situation for the 1989 killings of their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez.

In May, Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were sentenced successful 1996 to beingness without the anticipation of parole, saw their sentences reduced by a justice to 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole nether California's younker offender instrumentality due to the fact that they were nether the property of 26 erstwhile they committed their crimes.

The brothers volition look separately earlier the authorities parole committee to reason that they nary longer airs a menace to nationalist safety, volition not re-offend and instrumentality afloat work for their crimes. Erik Menendez volition person his proceeding connected Thursday morning, followed by Lyle Menendez connected Friday. The brothers are expected to look virtually from the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility successful San Diego. 

The Menendez brothers' appellate attorney, Mark Geragos, has said their parole hearings should beryllium astir redemption and not astir relitigating the facts of the case. Several household members of the brothers person spoken retired successful favour of their merchandise from prison, saying they person forgiven them for what they did.  

"I'm hopeful and gladsome we're 1 immense measurement person to bringing the boys home," Geragos said aft the brothers were resentenced.  

Here's what to know.

When did the Menendez brothers spell to prison?

On Aug. 20, 1989, the Menendez brothers' parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, were changeable aggregate times astatine adjacent scope with a shotgun wrong their Beverly Hills home. 

On March 8, 1990, the brothers were arrested for the killings of their parents aft constabulary received a extremity from Judalon Smyth, the woman of a scientist whom Lyle and Erik Menendez had been talking to.

In 1994, a justice ruled a mistrial aft abstracted juries for the brothers were incapable to scope a unanimous verdict. The pursuing year, prosecutors decided to retry them. 

In 1996, aft days of deliberation, the assemblage recovered the Menendez brothers blameworthy of first-degree murder. They were sentenced to beingness successful situation without the anticipation of parole. 

Where does the Los Angeles County DA basal connected the Menendez brothers' case?

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has been outspoken that the brothers should not beryllium released, claiming they person continued to prevarication astir alleged physical, intersexual and affectional abuse. Earlier this month, he filed a 132-page response outlining his office's absorption to their petition for a caller trial, which is inactive pending.

In 2023, the brothers submitted a habeas corpus petition seeking a caller proceedings based connected grounds that was not primitively presented to the court. One of the caller pieces of grounds was allegations made by a erstwhile subordinate of the lad set Menudo, who alleged helium was sexually abused by Jose Menendez. 

The 2nd portion of grounds was a missive from Erik Menendez written earlier the murders, which was not recovered until respective years ago, that described his alleged maltreatment by his father.

Ahead of the parole hearings, Hochman reiterated his office's stance opposing the Menendez brothers' imaginable release. He claimed that the brothers person "never afloat accepted work for the horrific murders of their parents."

He added that they proceed to airs a hazard to nine and person failed to amusement that they are "fully rehabilitated."

"While caller documentaries and films person drawn renewed attraction to this case, parole decisions indispensable beryllium based solely connected the facts and the law," Hochman said. "This case, similar each cases — particularly those that captivate the nationalist — indispensable beryllium viewed with a captious eye."

How bash parole hearings enactment successful California?

Parole hearings are held to find if an inmate presently poses an "unreasonable hazard of information to society," if they are released from prison, according to the CDCR. 

The brothers volition person autarkic parole hearings earlier a sheet that volition find whether they are suitable for release. 

Will the Menendez brothers beryllium released instantly if they're granted parole?

Following the hearings, the board's determination is considered a "proposed decision" and tin beryllium reviewed by the board's main counsel wrong 120 days. 

If the committee does assistance either of the brothers parole, California Gov. Gavin Newsom volition person 30 days to either o.k. oregon contradict the decision. Only then, if Newsom does o.k. their parole, would the Menendez brothers beryllium released from prison. 

What happens if the Menendez brothers are denied parole?

If the Menendez brothers are denied parole during their hearings, they could effort to summation state successful aboriginal hearings. 

According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, if an inmate is denied parole, authorities instrumentality requires the committee to docket different proceeding three, five, seven, 10 oregon 15 years successful the future. An inmate tin taxable a petition to beforehand the adjacent proceeding day based connected caller circumstances oregon information. 

In 2024, the committee held 3,764 hearings, according to the CDCR. Of those hearings, 69% were denied compared to the 31% who were granted parole. 

What is California Gov. Gavin Newsom's relation successful the Menendez brothers' parole bid?

Regardless of what the parole committee decides, Newsom volition person the last accidental whether helium approves oregon denies its recommendation. 

According to the CDCR, under the authorities constitution, the politician has the "executive authorization to affirm, reverse, oregon modify immoderate Board determination to assistance oregon contradict parole to a convicted murderer."

Thus far, Newsom has remained guarded astir the brothers' release, saying helium volition instrumentality the parole board's determination into information erstwhile making his.

In 2022, Newsom rejected 2 notable parole recommendations for Sirhan Sirhan, whose decease condemnation for the 1968 assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was commuted to beingness imprisonment successful 1972, and former Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten, who was convicted of execution for her relation successful the 1969 killings of Rosemary and Leno LaBianca successful their Los Angeles home.