Overview

• Erik Menendez was denied parole on Thursday with a three‑year setback, and Lyle Menendez received the same denial on Friday after separate hearings.
• Commissioners cited contraband phone use, past in‑prison substance abuse, and concerns about duplicity; a prison psychologist’s evaluation described Lyle as manipulative and resistant to accountability.
• The hearings were held by videoconference from the San Diego state prison, following a May resentencing to 50 years to life that made the brothers eligible for review.
• Los Angeles prosecutors opposed release, with Habib Balian questioning Erik’s remorse during the hearing and District Attorney Nathan Hochman later applauding the decisions.
• The brothers can seek reconsideration in three years, Governor Gavin Newsom retains the power to commute their sentences, and their lawyers are pursuing a new trial based on recently cited evidence.