In this handout photo released by the California Department of Corrections, Erik Menendez appears before the parole board via teleconference on August 21, 2025, at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California. On August 21, a judicial commission in California denied parole to Erik Menendez who, along with his brother Lyle, murdered his wealthy parents in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. The 54-year-old inmate "was denied parole for three years at his initial suitability hearing," corrections officials said, after failing to convince the panel that he is reformed and no longer poses a threat to the public. (Photo by California Department of Corrections / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / HANDOUT / CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS " - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
Erik Menendez, one of the Menendez brothers convicted of murdering their wealthy parents in 1989, has been denied parole more than three decades after the crime that shocked America.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) announced Thursday that the 54-year-old must remain behind bars for at least another three years, following his initial suitability hearing.
The decision is a major setback for a growing movement—fueled by documentaries and TV dramas, including Netflix’s hit series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story—that has sought to reframe the brothers’ case through the lens of alleged childhood abuse and shifting cultural attitudes.
During the 10-hour hearing, Erik reflected on the painful anniversary of his parents’ deaths.
“Today is the day all my victims learned my parents were dead. So today is the anniversary of their trauma journey,” he told the panel.
Parole commissioner Robert Barton described the case as “tragic,” acknowledging the family’s pain but concluding that Erik remains unsuitable for release.
“Two things can be true,” Barton said. “They can love and forgive you, and you can still be found unsuitable for parole.”
More than a dozen family members had testified in support of Erik, expressing forgiveness and calling for his release.
The Menendez brothers became household names in the 1990s when their televised trial revealed grisly details of the murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez, killed in their Beverly Hills mansion with shotguns. Prosecutors argued the brothers acted out of greed for the family fortune, while the defense claimed years of sexual and emotional abuse drove them to kill.
Now cultural icons of sorts, the brothers have spent decades in prison, where shifting narratives around abuse and trauma have renewed public sympathy.
The parole hearing was made possible after a judge earlier this year reduced their original life sentences to 50 years with the possibility of release.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who opposed the resentencing, welcomed Thursday’s decision.
“The Board did not bow to public spectacle or pressure, a restraint that upholds the dignity and integrity of the justice system,” he said.
Erik’s denial comes just a day before his older brother, Lyle Menendez, 57, faces his own parole hearing.
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