Menendez Brothers Face Parole Hearings After 35 Years Imprisonment

The Menendez brothers, Erik and Lyle, who were convicted in 1996 for the 1989 murders of their parents, are facing parole hearings this week after their sentences were reduced from life without parole to 50 years to life under California's youth offender law. They were 21 and 18 years old at the time of the crimes and have maintained that the killings were in self-defense after years of alleged sexual and emotional abuse by their father. Unusually, many family members of both parents support their release, citing the brothers' rehabilitation and expressions of remorse, with only a distant relative opposing it until his recent death. The parole hearings will be conducted virtually from the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility and will assess whether the brothers still pose a danger to society. Even if granted parole by the board, Governor Gavin Newsom has the final say and can affirm or deny their release. The case has regained public attention partly due to the 2022 Netflix series "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," which explored the complex background of the brothers' claims and the violence involved.