Lyle and Erik Menendez, the brothers convicted of killing their parents in 1989, were resentenced on Tuesday to life in prison with the possibility of parole. The decision comes 35 years after the high-profile double murder shocked the country and led to one of the most widely watched trials of the 1990s.
So, what led to the resentencing—and could the Menendez brothers actually be released?
What happened in 1989?
On August 20, 1989, Lyle, then 21, and Erik, 18, shot and killed their parents, Jose and Mary “Kitty” Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home. Arrested a year later, the brothers claimed in court that they were driven by years of sexual abuse by their father, which their mother allegedly enabled through emotional abuse.
Prosecutors pushed a different motive: that the brothers were after their parents’ multimillion-dollar fortune. Jose was a prominent music executive and head of RCA Records, which had signed big-name acts like Duran Duran.
After a mistrial in 1994, a second trial in 1996 found the brothers guilty of first-degree murder, sentencing them to life without parole.
Why were they resentenced now?
The resentencing comes under California’s youthful offender statute, which allows those convicted under the age of 26 to be eligible for parole after serving half their sentence. Lyle and Erik were 21 and 18 when they committed the crime.
Judge Michael Jesic of the Los Angeles Superior Court made the ruling after a daylong hearing that included emotional testimony from family members. Jesic acknowledged the severity of the crime, calling it “horrific,” but said he was struck by the brothers’ rehabilitation: “It’s something I’ve never seen before,” he said.
The resentencing opens the door to parole, though it does not guarantee release.
What’s changed since their conviction?
Family members testified that both men have changed significantly during their decades behind bars. Lyle started a prison beautification project in 2018, while Erik helped care for terminally ill inmates. Their cousin, Anamaria Baralt, said in court, “They are different men from the boys that they were when they committed these crimes.”
Erik addressed the court via videolink, saying, “My crime was not just criminal. It was wrong. It was immoral. It was cruel and it was vicious.” Lyle added, “Today, 35 years later, I am deeply ashamed of who I was.”
Despite this, prosecutors remain skeptical. “We know … what they are capable of doing,” said Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian, who argued that the court should not rely solely on family testimony.
What role does new evidence play?
In recent years, new evidence has emerged that the brothers’ legal team argues supports their claims of sexual abuse. This includes a letter Erik wrote as a teenager describing the alleged abuse by his father. Additionally, in 2023, Roy Rossello—former member of the boy band Menudo—alleged in a documentary that Jose Menendez had sexually assaulted him as well.
This evidence has revived public interest and influenced the brothers’ legal strategy as they pursue clemency and, potentially, a new trial.
What happens next?
With the new sentence, Lyle and Erik are now eligible for parole. Their fate now lies with the California state parole board and Governor Gavin Newsom, who has ordered a risk assessment before making a clemency decision.
The brothers are scheduled to appear before the parole board on June 13. If the board recommends release, Newsom’s signature would still be required for them to walk free.
For now, the brothers remain in prison—hopeful, for the first time in decades, that their lives may not end behind bars.
