The Menendez Brothers: news about the case review and chances for parole
21 august 2025 в 16:28
Lyle and Erik Menendez continue to serve a life sentence for the brutal murder of their parents on August 20, 1989. Thirty-five years later, the Menendez brothers have attracted renewed attention, mainly thanks to Ryan Murphy’s series «Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story», - followed by a Netflix documentary featuring previously unreleased phone call recordings between the brothers and director Alejandro Hartman. Now, the brothers have a chance; after a review of their sentence, Lyle and Erik have been scheduled for parole hearings on August 21 and 22, 2025.
In early October 2024, former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon announced that his office was reviewing the case after the brothers' lawyers requested prosecutors to recommend a sentence review, potentially leading to their release. However, the review process was delayed after new prosecutor Nathan Hochman expressed opposition to the sentence review for the brothers.
As events unfold in the Menendez brothers' case, let’s remember the brothers at the time of the incident, how old they are now, and much more.
Lyle and Erik were 21 and 18 years old, respectively, when they shot their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. At the time, the couple was 40 years old.
In 1996, the Menendez brothers were found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for killing their parents. At that time, Lyle was 28 years old, and Erik was 25.
In February 2025, Erik shared his experience behind bars during an appearance on the TMZ podcast «2 Angry Men». Reflecting on his time in prison at around 29 years old, he explained: «I was attacked, brutally abused, it was traumatic and ongoing. This is what many inmates go through when they are not part of a gang and come in alone. Prison can be a tough place, and there is a lot of suffering… I won’t resist, I won’t get into conflicts, and I really had no one to turn to for help, and I was separated from Lyle».
As of August 2025, Lyle is 57 years old. He will turn 58 on January 10, 2026. Erik is currently 54 years old, and he will turn 55 on November 27.
On November 25, 2024, Lyle and Erik appeared in court for the first time in 28 years to consider new evidence related to their case. A hearing for a sentence review was then scheduled for December 11, 2024, to give new prosecutor Hochman additional time to complete the case review. California Governor Gavin Newsom also announced that he would not make a decision on clemency, opting to leave it to the newly elected district attorney’s jurisdiction. Newsom stated that he «recognizes that voters entrusted District Attorney-elect Hochman with this responsibility» and «will wait for the review and analysis of the Menendez case by the District Attorney-elect before making any clemency decisions».
The Menendez brothers were also in court in late 2024, according to Variety, following the discovery of evidence indicating that their father, Jose, sexually abused his children.
«We have evidence, including a copy of a letter allegedly sent by one of the brothers to another family member, stating that he was a victim of abuse», - Gascon shared at the time, citing the publication. He also mentioned, «We have received evidence provided by the defense, including claims by a member of the Menudo group who claimed he was abused by his father».
Roy Rosselló, a former member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, spoke out in the 2023 documentary «Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed», - claiming that he was abused by Jose when he was 14 years old.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1−800−656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential assistance
In early October 2024, former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon announced that his office was reviewing the case after the brothers' lawyers requested prosecutors to recommend a sentence review, potentially leading to their release. However, the review process was delayed after new prosecutor Nathan Hochman expressed opposition to the sentence review for the brothers.
As events unfold in the Menendez brothers' case, let’s remember the brothers at the time of the incident, how old they are now, and much more.
Lyle and Erik were 21 and 18 years old, respectively, when they shot their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. At the time, the couple was 40 years old.
In 1996, the Menendez brothers were found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for killing their parents. At that time, Lyle was 28 years old, and Erik was 25.
In February 2025, Erik shared his experience behind bars during an appearance on the TMZ podcast «2 Angry Men». Reflecting on his time in prison at around 29 years old, he explained: «I was attacked, brutally abused, it was traumatic and ongoing. This is what many inmates go through when they are not part of a gang and come in alone. Prison can be a tough place, and there is a lot of suffering… I won’t resist, I won’t get into conflicts, and I really had no one to turn to for help, and I was separated from Lyle».
As of August 2025, Lyle is 57 years old. He will turn 58 on January 10, 2026. Erik is currently 54 years old, and he will turn 55 on November 27.
On November 25, 2024, Lyle and Erik appeared in court for the first time in 28 years to consider new evidence related to their case. A hearing for a sentence review was then scheduled for December 11, 2024, to give new prosecutor Hochman additional time to complete the case review. California Governor Gavin Newsom also announced that he would not make a decision on clemency, opting to leave it to the newly elected district attorney’s jurisdiction. Newsom stated that he «recognizes that voters entrusted District Attorney-elect Hochman with this responsibility» and «will wait for the review and analysis of the Menendez case by the District Attorney-elect before making any clemency decisions».
The Menendez brothers were also in court in late 2024, according to Variety, following the discovery of evidence indicating that their father, Jose, sexually abused his children.
«We have evidence, including a copy of a letter allegedly sent by one of the brothers to another family member, stating that he was a victim of abuse», - Gascon shared at the time, citing the publication. He also mentioned, «We have received evidence provided by the defense, including claims by a member of the Menudo group who claimed he was abused by his father».
Roy Rosselló, a former member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, spoke out in the 2023 documentary «Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed», - claiming that he was abused by Jose when he was 14 years old.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1−800−656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential assistance
© Artemenko Olga
