California Parole Officials To Decide If Menendez Brothers Should Be Released

Erik and Lyle Menendez are taking different measurement connected what could beryllium their way to freedom.

The brothers, who person served much than 3 decades successful situation for nan 1989 murders of their parents, will look earlier California parole officials Thursday and Friday successful a bid to person nan sheet that they are suitable for release.

A Los Angeles judge recovered 3 months agone that nan men do not airs an “unreasonable risk” and resentenced them to 50 years to life — a determination that efficaciously canceled their erstwhile situation position of life without nan anticipation of parole and made them eligible for "suitability" hearings immediately.

Erik, 54, will look earlier nan committee Thursday. Lyle, 57, will look Friday.

Commissioners will measurement imaginable grounds from victims’ relatives and prosecutors, and they will see a scope of factors, including nan brothers’ criminal histories, their behaviour while they were incarcerated and their merchandise plans.

If they are recovered suitable for parole, a reappraisal process that tin return astir a half-year follows. The determination to merchandise nan brothers will yet onshore pinch California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has 30 days to affirm, reverse aliases modify nan determination aliases mention it backmost to nan parole board.

Newsom, whose agency oversaw a abstracted and still-pending clemency exertion from nan brothers, has declined to remark connected what he would do if nan committee recommends parole.

The brothers were convicted of first-degree execution successful 1996 aft 2 tests that spanned 3 years. They claimed they killed their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, successful self-defense aft years of maltreatment astatine their father’s hands.

Prosecutors have disputed those claims and pointed to nan grim specifics of nan killings — Lyle reloaded his shotgun earlier he changeable his mother successful nan face, for illustration — and they described nan killings arsenic ruthless and financially motivated.

Speaking astatine nan resentencing hearing, Erik described his crimes arsenic “cruel and vicious” and said he was “directly responsible for it all.”

Their lawsuit was catapulted backmost into nan spotlight aft a brace of streaming bid and defense from immoderate high-profile figures and relatives. The effort to unafraid their merchandise has highlighted nan sometimes analyzable statement complete rehabilitation versus incarceration.

Many family members person been outspoken advocates for nan brothers’ freedom. After their resentencing proceeding successful May, a cousin, Anamaria Baralt, attributed nan judge’s determination to nan brothers’ maturation down bars and nan “purpose of service” that she said they exhibited.

Among different things, nan brothers person attended college, established a “beautification” task astatine nan San Diego situation wherever they are incarcerated and helped inmates pinch terrible disabilities, tribunal filings show.

Baralt said she expected nan parole process to beryllium difficult connected nan brothers’ family but added: “We will eagerly measurement done those doors if that intends getting them home.”

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has had different views connected nan brothers’ push for freedom. Weeks earlier his ouster past year, nan county’s erstwhile apical prosecutor, George Gascón, said nan siblings had been “exceptional” inmates and recommended that they beryllium resentenced.

His successor, Nathan Hochman, tried — and grounded — to retreat that recommendation. He said nan siblings had not taken work for much than a twelve lies he said they told astir nan murders, including nan declare that they killed their parents successful self-defense.

“The Menendez brothers person ne'er afloat accepted work for nan horrific murders of their parents, alternatively continuing to beforehand a mendacious communicative of self-defense that was rejected by nan assemblage decades ago," Hochman said successful a connection up of nan hearings.

"We person consistently opposed their merchandise astatine this clip because they person not demonstrated afloat penetration into their crimes aliases shown that they person been afloat rehabilitated, and truthful proceed to airs a consequence to society," he said.

Representatives from his agency will be nan hearing, he has said, and their level of information will beryllium wished by nan parole board.

If their parole is denied, nan brothers still person their clemency exertion pinch nan governor's office. And they person sought to person their convictions overturned done a abstracted process that continues.