California parole board denies release for Erik Menendez due to misbehaviour in prison

Published connected 22/08/2025 - 7:22 GMT+2 •Updated 9:02

Erik Menendez was denied parole by a California committee connected Thursday that said his continued misbehaviour during decades successful situation for murdering his parents pinch his older relative successful 1989 showed he is still a consequence to nationalist safety.

Menendez will beryllium eligible again for parole successful 3 years, a sheet of 2 commissioners decided. A parole proceeding for his relative Lyle Menendez, who is being held astatine nan aforesaid situation successful San Diego, is scheduled for Friday morning.

The brothers were sentenced to life successful situation successful 1996 for fatally shooting their father, Jose Menendez, and mother, Kitty Menendez, successful their Beverly Hills mansion.

While defence attorneys based on that nan brothers acted retired of self-defence aft years of intersexual maltreatment by their father, prosecutors said nan brothers sought a multimillion-dollar inheritance.

A judge reduced their sentences successful May and they became instantly eligible for parole.

Commissioners opportunity Menendez had 'not been a exemplary prisoner'

The commissioners questioned Erik Menendez successful an all-day proceeding astir why he committed nan crime and violated situation rules. They rejected parole contempt beardown support from family members who person advocated for nan brothers’ merchandise for months.

“Two things tin beryllium true. They tin emotion and forgive you, and you tin still beryllium recovered unsuitable for parole," commissioner Robert Barton said.

Barton said nan superior logic for nan determination was not nan seriousness of nan crime but Menendez's behaviour successful prison. The repeated usage of a mobile telephone was “selfish” and a motion of Menendez believing that rules don’t use to him, Barton said to Menendez, who was intelligibly visibly wounded by nan determination but listened intently.

“Contrary to your supporters' beliefs, you person not been a exemplary captive and frankly we find that a small disturbing,” Barton said, questioning if that meant Menendez was not wholly honorable pinch family members astir his behaviour.

Prison grounds and transformation

The sheet of commissioners scrutinised each rules usurpation and conflict connected his lengthy situation record, including allegations that he worked pinch a situation gang, bought drugs, utilized mobile phones and helped pinch a taxation scam.

He told commissioners that since he had nary dream of ever getting retired then, he prioritized protecting himself complete pursuing nan rules. Then past fall, LA prosecutors asked a judge to resentence him and his relative — opening nan doorway to parole.

“In November of 2024, now nan consequences mattered," Menendez said. "Now nan consequences meant I was destroying my life.”

Erik Menendez's parole attorney, Heidi Rummel, emphasised 2013 arsenic nan turning constituent for her client.

“He recovered his faith. He became accountable to his higher power. He recovered sobriety and made a committedness to his mother connected her birthday,” Rummel said. “Has he been cleanable since 2013? No. But he has been remarkable."

Commissioner Rachel Stern besides applauded him for starting a group to return attraction of older and abnormal inmates.

More than a twelve of nan brothers' relatives delivered affectional statements astatine Thursday’s proceeding via videoconference.

Lyle Menendez is group to look by videoconference Friday for his parole hearing. The brothers still person a pending habeas corpus petition revenge successful May 2023 seeking a reappraisal of their convictions based connected caller grounds supporting their claims of intersexual maltreatment by their father.