Payam Javan: A California parole board on Thursday denied parole to Erik Menendez, citing repeated misconduct during his decades in prison for the 1989 murders of his parents. The two-member panel concluded that Menendez, 53, still poses a risk to public safety despite emotional appeals from family members who urged his release. He will be eligible to reapply for parole in three years. His brother and co-defendant, Lyle Menendez, is scheduled for a separate hearing Friday at the same San Diego prison.
Commissioners spent the all-day hearing scrutinizing Menendez’s prison record, which includes fights, contraband cellphones, drug use, and allegations of gang involvement. Commissioner Robert Barton emphasized that the denial was not primarily about the murders themselves, but about Menendez’s “selfish” rule-breaking in prison, noting that his behavior demonstrated a belief that rules did not apply to him. Menendez admitted past violations, saying he once saw little reason to follow rules when release was impossible, but claimed he has since changed.
Supporters, including more than a dozen relatives, described Menendez as a transformed man who found faith, sobriety, and accountability in prison. They highlighted his efforts to care for elderly and disabled inmates, as well as his renewed family relationships. His aunt, battling stage 4 cancer, pleaded for his release and said she had forgiven him fully. Defense attorney Heidi Rummel argued that since 2013 Menendez has shown genuine growth and remorse, but prosecutors questioned whether his contrition was sincere.
The Menendez brothers were sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for the shotgun killings of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, at their Beverly Hills home. Their case, which has fueled books, documentaries, and a recent Netflix dramatization, remains a touchstone in American true crime. A recent sentence reduction made the brothers eligible for parole for the first time, while their separate habeas corpus petition citing new abuse evidence is still pending. For now, Erik Menendez remains incarcerated as public fascination with the case endures.
