Now Reading: Lyle Menendez makies his case to California parole panel one day after his brother was denied
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Lyle Menendez makies his case to California parole panel one day after his brother was denied
Lyle Menendez makies his case to California parole panel one day after his brother was denied
Lyle Menendez should not be released from prison for the murder of his parents more than three decades ago, California parole officials said Friday.
The decision, made Friday night after an all-day hearing, came a little more than 24 hours after Menendez’s younger brother, Erik Menendez, was also denied parole for his part in the killing of Jose and Kitty Menendez at the family’s Beverly Hills home on Aug. 20, 1989.
Like his brother, Lyle Menendez will be eligible for parole in three years.
Lyle’s hearing began Friday morning, hours after California’s parole board concluded that Erik, 54, poses an “unreasonable risk” and should not be freed.
The brothers were denied parole three months after a Los Angeles judge concluded that the brothers do not pose an “unreasonable risk” and resentenced them to 50 years to life for the 1989 murders of their parents — a decision that effectively canceled their previous prison terms of life without the possibility of parole and made them eligible for “suitability” hearings immediately.
Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted of first-degree murder after two sensational trials that spanned three years in the mid-1990s. The first, which was televised, ended with a hung jury.
Both testified in the initial proceedings, claiming they killed their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in self-defense after years of abuse at their father’s hands. Only Erik testified at the second trial, which ended with convictions in 1996.
Prosecutors have disputed their claims of self-defense and pointed to the grim specifics of the killings — Lyle reloaded his shotgun before he shot his mother in the face — and they described the killings as ruthless and financially motivated.
Speaking at the resentencing hearing, Lyle said he made no excuses for killing his parents and acknowledged that he made a “mockery of the legal system” after his arrest by seeking to have people perjure themselves on his behalf.
According to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, Lyle sought to have his girlfriend falsely testify that his father drugged and raped her.
“Today, 35 years later, I am deeply ashamed of who I was,” he said at that hearing.
Their case was catapulted back into the spotlight after a pair of streaming series and advocacy from some high-profile figures and relatives. The effort to secure their release has highlighted the sometimes complicated debate over rehabilitation versus incarceration.
Many family members have been outspoken advocates for the brothers’ freedom.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has had different views on the brothers’ push for freedom. Weeks before his ouster last year, the county’s former top prosecutor, George Gascón, said the siblings had been “exceptional” inmates and recommended that they be resentenced.
Hochman, his successor, tried — and failed — to withdraw that recommendation. He said the siblings had not taken responsibility for more than a dozen lies he said they told about the murders, including the claim that they killed their parents in self-defense.
In a statement after Erik’s denial, Hochman cited this “false claim” and others and said the board’s decision reflected “a careful, evidence-based assessment of the facts and parole factors.”
“The Board correctly determined that Erik Menendez’s actions speak louder than words, and that his conduct in prison and current mentality demonstrate that he still poses an unreasonable risk of danger to the community,” he said.
Denial for Erik Menendez
In denying parole for Erik Menendez, Parole Commissioner Robert Barton, who presided over the hearing, said he was impressed by the statements of support from family members.
“Two things can be true,” Barton said. “They can love and forgive you, and you can still be found unsuitable for parole.”
The decision is a minimal denial for three years, but Erik Menendez has the right to petition to advance, meaning he could end up before the board earlier.
Barton cited violations in custody regarding cellphones as a factor in the decision. Prison rules violations also included inappropriate behavior with visitors, drug smuggling and misuse of state computers, he said.
“Contrary to your supporters’ beliefs, you have not been a model prisoner, and frankly we find that a little disturbing,” Barton said.
Barton said the seriousness of the murders is “not a primary reason for this denial. It’s still your behavior in prison.”
“You have two options,” Barton told Erik Menendez. “One is to have a pity party … and then you become a self-fulfilling prophecy, probably not getting granted next time. Or you can take to heart what we discussed.”
The brothers are still pursuing their freedom through two other avenues — a clemency application with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and a petition that seeks to overturn their convictions. Both efforts are ongoing.
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