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California Parole Board Denies Erik Menéndez Release, Sets Three-Year Wait

Following a May resentencing that opened parole eligibility, commissioners ruled his prison misconduct shows he remains a public-safety risk.

SAN DIEGO (United States), 22/08/2025.- A handout photo made available by the California Department of Corrections shows Erik Menendez appearing before the parole board via teleconference from the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California, USA, 21 August 2025. Erik and Lyle Menendez were tried and sentenced to life in prison for killing their parents in 1989. EFE/EPA/California Department of Corrections / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES
FILE - This combination of two booking photos provided by the California Department of Corrections shows Erik Menendez, left, and Lyle Menendez. (California Dept. of Corrections via AP, File)
Lyle Menendez comparece ante la junta de libertad condicional por teleconferencia el viernes 22 de agosto de 2025, en el centro penitenciario Richard J. Donovan de San Diego. (Departamento de Correccionales de California a través de AP)
De izq a der, Erik y Lyle Menendez en su juventud, en Los Ángeles, California. Foto via Netflix

Overview

  • After an all-day virtual hearing, a two-commissioner panel found Menéndez unsuitable for parole and set his next eligibility review for at least three years from now.
  • Commissioner Robert Barton said repeated rule violations — including contraband cellphone use, fights and other incidents — undercut claims he was a model prisoner and indicated ongoing risk.
  • Lyle Menéndez’s separate parole hearing was scheduled for Friday by videoconference from Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.
  • Any future parole grant would undergo a statutory review of about 120 days before the governor has 30 days to affirm or reject it under California procedure.
  • Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman formally opposed release, as the brothers’ eligibility stems from a May 2025 resentencing that converted their life-without-parole terms to 50-years-to-life.