Lyle Menendez, 57, was denied parole on Friday, just a day after his brother, Erik Menendez, faced a similar fate. That decision left the brothers convicted and nearly 30 years behind bars. They were found guilty of murdering their parents, José and Kitty Menendez in 1989. At the time of the murders, Lyle was 18 and Erik was 21.
The Menendez brothers claim that they killed their parents in self-defense. They are saying they suffered decades of sexual abuse, at the hands of their father. Lyle’s parole board hearing held by video connection. The session was a marathon 11 hours long, and he joined the conversation from the San Diego prison where he is currently serving time.
The parole board dismissed Lyle Menendez’s assertions of prior abuse. They decided, in the end, that his release would pose a danger to the public. Nathan Hochman, the new district attorney, had vigorously fought the release. He concluded that the two brothers have not yet accepted responsibility for what they did.
“Two things can be true. They can love and forgive you, and you can still be found unsuitable for parole,” – commissioner Robert Barton.
As of this past Thursday, Erik Menendez’s own bid for freedom was similarly denied. In doing so, the board focused on his prison misconduct as an indication of continuing risk, emphasizing factors weighing in favor of dangerousness. Erik will not be eligible for parole again for three years, meaning even more time lost in erasing this charge.
At the end of May, a state judge in California resentenced both brothers. Their sentences were commuted from life without parole to 50 years with the chance of parole. Lyle Menendez’s fate now under California law Governor Gavin Newsom is given the final decision on whether Lyle Menendez will be released.
It’s an argument that George Gascón, the Los Angeles district attorney who often cites the musical influences of the brothers, has made before. He stated, “They have been in prison for nearly 35 years. I believe that they have paid their debt to society.” Gascón acknowledged the significant dysfunction within the Menendez household, which he described as involving “a tremendous amount of dysfunction in the home, and molestation.”
Now incarcerated, Lyle and Erik Menendez have both graduated from prison with honors. Though incarcerated, they play an important role in the prison community by mentoring peers and caring for fellow inmates. Their highly-charged trials were titillating enough to take national stage thanks Court TV’s wall-to-wall coverage.
Lyle Menendez, still in prison as he begins to navigate the treacherous waters of his new legal and emotional reality. He continues to hope beyond hope that something drastic will change his situation. The parole board’s decision spotlights continuing concerns over their actions. It reflects a distressing lack of acceptance of responsibility for the crimes they perpetrated long ago.