Expert Thinks Lyle Menendez Will Be Denied Parole Like His Brother — But Here's Why Cases Could Be Different

With Lyle Menendez group to look earlier nan parole committee connected Friday, Aug. 22 — conscionable 1 time aft his relative Erik was denied — a ineligible master says he whitethorn look a akin outcome, unless cardinal differences look during nan hearing.

"I would beryllium amazed if it were different," erstwhile national charismatic Neama Rahmani tells PEOPLE. "The only logic it would beryllium different would beryllium if his parole commissioners are different."

"It would beryllium really, a miscarriage of justness if 1 relative were paroled and nan different were not, because they're truthful likewise situated," Rahmani adds.

Erik was denied merchandise connected Thursday, Aug. 21, much than 3 decades aft nan 2 were convicted of fatally shooting their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, successful 1989 successful their Beverly Hills, Calif., home.

They were initially sentenced to life successful situation without nan anticipation of parole but sewage a long-awaited chance astatine state successful May aft a Los Angeles judge reduced their sentences to 50 years to life. This made them eligible for parole because they were nether 26 erstwhile they committed nan murders. Erik was 18 and Lyle was 21.

In explaining why nan committee voted to contradict Erik parole, Commissioner Robert Barton cited his infractions down bars, which reportedly included supplier and cellphone usage and engagement successful a taxation fraud scheme, according to The New York Times.

At their resentencing, Judge Michael Jesic described nan brothers arsenic model inmates. So, according to Rahmani, if Lyle's behaviour down situation is dissimilar Erik's, it could lead to a different result successful position of parole.

"None of these were convulsive violations successful my opinion, that led nan commissioners to deliberation that they airs an unreasonable consequence to nan public," Rahmani says.

Barton besides called nan brothers' killings "devoid of quality compassion," telling Erik, "The sidesplitting of your mother particularly showed a deficiency of empathy and reason," per nan outlet.

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The brothers person said they acted successful self-defense aft years of intersexual maltreatment by their father, which they alleged their mother was alert of but did thing to stop. Prosecutors said they killed their parents retired of greed, citing their lavish spending spree aft nan slayings.

According to Rahmani, nan brothers' declare of self-defense owed to past intersexual maltreatment doesn't warrant nan killings nether California law.

"Freedom is deadly force," he says. "You person to beryllium successful imminent consequence of decease aliases superior bodily injury. And I conscionable don't deliberation they tin beryllium it."

Erik now must hold astatine slightest 3 years earlier he’s eligible for different parole hearing. If Lyle is besides denied, some brothers still person different imaginable paths to merchandise — including a petition for habeas corpus revenge successful 2023, which seeks to overturn their execution convictions based connected recently discovered grounds of past maltreatment by their father, arsenic good arsenic nan possibility of clemency astatine nan hands of Gov. Gavin Newsom.