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Menendez brothers eligible for parole—but won't be set free immediately
14 May 2025

Erik and Lyle Menendez, who have already served a life without parole sentence for around 35 years, were re-sentenced on Tuesday (local time) by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic.

The new sentence of 50 years to life makes them immediately eligible for parole. However, it doesn't guarantee their release from prison; they'll have to first appear before a parole board.

Once the board approves, the recommendation will go to California Governor Gavin Newsom, who could reject their release.

Aim was a reduction to voluntary manslaughter charge
Advocacy efforts

At the hearing, family members testified in favor of the brothers' release.

Their attorney, Mark Geragos, pushed for a reduction to voluntary manslaughter. "What we are pushing for, under the statute, is a recall of the sentence, a resentence that is meaningful modification."

The brothers gained notoriety in 1989 after murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty, in their Beverly Hills home. They alleged the killings were a response to years of sexual abuse by their father, which their mother ignored.

Kim Kardashian advocated for Menendez brothers
Celebrity support

The case regained attention after Netflix's hit series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.

The show's actors, alongside other celebrities, publicly appealed to have their life sentences reduced.

Kim Kardashian, who has a working relationship with Netflix series creator Ryan Murphy, was one such celeb.

She advocated for them in an essay for NBC News, arguing that Erik and Lyle Menendez were "products of their experiences."

Kardashian: They were turned into 'monsters' by the media
Media influence

Kardashian also explained how the public had viewed the Menendez brothers' case: it was complicated, much more than what appeared.

She pointed out their allegations of suffering years of abuse at their parents' hands.

She also slammed the media for ridiculing them after their first trial was broadcast: they were "ridiculed in skits on Saturday Night Live" and turned into "monsters" by the media, she said.