BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. - NOV. 30, 1989 - Menendez brothers, Erik, left, and Lyle on the steps of their Beverly Hills home in November, 1989. (Ronald L. Soble / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Los Angeles, California – In a dramatic turn in one of the most infamous murder cases in American history, a Los Angeles judge has resentenced Lyle and Erik Menendez—convicted of murdering their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989—making them eligible for parole after serving more than three decades behind bars.
Judge Michael Jesic reduced their sentences from life without parole to 50 years to life, citing changes in California law and the brothers’ extensive rehabilitation during their incarceration. The ruling means the Menendez brothers, who were 21 and 18 when they killed their parents, could soon make their case for freedom before the state parole board.
“This was an absolutely horrific crime,” Judge Jesic acknowledged. “But I do believe they have done enough over the last 35 years to get that chance.”
Lyle and Erik Menendez, now middle-aged, appeared via video from a San Diego prison. Stoic in blue prison uniforms, they listened to family members plead for leniency. Both men expressed deep remorse and accepted full responsibility for their actions in emotional statements.
“I had to stop being selfish and immature to really understand what my parents went through in those last moments,” Erik said. “The shock, confusion and betrayal they must have felt—it haunts me.”
Lyle’s voice cracked as he addressed the impact of their crimes. “All the choices I made were mine—including the choice to reload and shoot again. I made a mockery of the legal system. I lied. And I forced my family into a spotlight of public humiliation.”
The brothers have long maintained that they killed Jose and Kitty Menendez in self-defense after enduring years of sexual and emotional abuse. Prosecutors have consistently argued the murders were calculated acts motivated by greed.
Despite the horrific nature of the crimes, the court was swayed by testimony from corrections officials and family members who said the brothers had changed profoundly. Anamaria Baralt, their cousin, described them as “very different men from the boys they were,” and urged the judge to give them a second chance.
“They have cried with me. They’ve expressed their suffering,” she said outside the courthouse, tearful with emotion. “Today is a day of hope.”
The case, which captivated the nation in the 1990s and has seen renewed interest through documentaries and social media, remains polarizing. Critics argue the brothers have never fully renounced their self-defense claims and question whether they’ve shown true insight into their crimes.
Judge Jesic emphasized that his decision does not guarantee release. That decision now rests with California’s parole board and possibly Governor Gavin Newsom. The brothers are scheduled to appear before the board on June 13.
