Menendez Brothers Granted Early Parole Hearing

Erik and Lyle Menendez will have a parole hearing one year earlier than expected.

The brothers were convicted of the Aug. 20, 1989, deaths of their parents, Jose and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home.

They scheduled to have a parole suitability hearing in March 2027; it was originally scheduled for August 2028, per Fox News.

This is a result of provisions in Proposition 9, which allow a prison inmate's next parole hearing date to be moved up if there is a change in circumstances or new information indicating the person may be suitable for parole, The Orange County Register reported.

According to a statement by family members, “For almost 40 years, Erik and Lyle have worked to take responsibility for their actions, confront and heal from the unimaginable abuse and trauma they endured, grow as individuals, and dedicate themselves to serving others.”

"Through efforts such as helping to establish a hospice program and creating Green Space, they have sought to build an environment that reminds people serving life sentences that their lives still have meaning and that, regardless of their circumstances, they can choose each day to grow, heal, accept accountability, and contribute something of value to the world around them," they added.

The brothers were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the murders. They were then deemed eligible for parole when they were resentenced in May 2025.

The new sentencing came following a Netflix series on the case that renewed calls for their freedom. They were denied parole last year.

The brothers have alleged the murders were committed after years of sexual abuse by their father.

Prosecutors have argued the brothers killed their parents out of greed.

"Erik and Lyle were once sentenced to life without the possibility of parole," the family statement said. "We will always be profoundly grateful that they have been resentenced and that our family can now imagine a future in which they are once again part of our everyday lives… We are incredibly proud of the men they have become and deeply grateful to the Parole Board for recognizing their efforts and allowing them to advance their parole hearing."

Lyle Menendez, 58, and Erik Menendez, 55, are both incarcerated in the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.