Weeks After the 37th Anniversary of Their Parents’ Killings, the Menendez Brothers Are Granted an Early Parole Hearing

The California Parole Board just granted the infamous Menendez brothers, convicted of the 1989 murder of their parents in Beverly Hills, an early parole suitability hearing. The decision comes just weeks after the 37th anniversary of their parents’ killings. Though the siblings were eligible for such a hearing in fall 2028, this move allows a hearing to be tentatively scheduled for 2027.

The journey to an early parole hearing has been long, with new evidence brought forward in 2023 that led to re-sentencing for the brothers in 2025.

The Menendez Brothers Have Been Imprisoned Since 1996

Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez and José Enrique Menendez were shot in their home on August 20, 1989. Their sons, Erik and Lyle, claimed that their parents’ murders were caused by intruders and indicated that it could be a mob killing. However, in the wake of their parents’ deaths, the brothers began engaging in lavish spending sprees that caught the attention of police. They also allegedly hired someone to delete their father’s most recent will from a computer.

Erik eventually confessed to the murders in a session with his psychologist, leading to the arrest of the siblings. Their first trial ended in a mistrial with the defense arguing the killings were self-defense after years of abuse. However, the two were convicted in their second trial in 1996 and sentenced to life without parole.

The case captured the nation, and a number of documentaries and dramatizations of the events have been released throughout the years.

The two filed many appeals while serving their time. In 2023, their attorneys filed a habeas corpus petition claiming new evidence. This led the Los Angeles District Attorney to request re-sentencing in 2024 (the district attorney who came after tried to withdraw the request). In 2025, the siblings were re-sentenced to 50 years to life. They became instantly eligible for parole due to the fact that they were both under 26 years of age at the time of the murders.

The Menendez brothers’ family released a statement, according to People, that read in part, “We will always be profoundly grateful that they have been re-sentenced and that our family can now imagine a future in which they are once again part of our everyday lives.”

What Comes Next for the Menendez Brothers

The early parole hearing doesn’t automatically mean that the brothers will be released. When they were re-sentenced in 2025, both brothers were denied parole due to past behavior while in prison. However, there is a chance that one or both could be released in 2027.

Their family is pleased by the possibility of early parole, though. According to the statement they released, “For almost 40 years, Erik and Lyle have worked to take responsibility for their actions, confront and heal from the unimaginable abuse and trauma they endured, grow as individuals, and dedicate themselves to serving others […] We are incredibly proud of the men they have become and deeply grateful to the Parole Board for recognizing their efforts and allowing them to advance their parole hearing.”

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