A California parole board denied Lyle Menendez’s request for release on Friday, just one day after his younger brother Erik was also rejected. The consecutive rulings came nearly 36 years after the infamous murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, which shocked the nation in 1989.
Hearing Thrown Into Turmoil
Lyle’s day-long parole hearing was marred by the sudden release of an audio recording from Erik’s proceeding, which had taken place the day before. ABC 7 published excerpts obtained through a public records request, sparking outrage from family members present.
“This is disgusting,” relative Tiffani Lucero Pastor reportedly shouted in the hearing room.
The brothers’ attorney, Heidi Rummel, objected to the timing of the release, calling it unfair and disruptive. “We are sitting here asking Mr. Menendez to follow rules, and in the middle of this hearing, we find out CDCR is not following its own rules. It’s outrageous,” she argued.
Contraband Cellphones Take Center Stage
Despite decades of good behavior and rehabilitation programs, Lyle’s parole hopes largely unraveled over his history of contraband cellphone use. Deputy Parole Commissioner Patrick Reardon said that even though Lyle did not use the devices for criminal purposes, they could have enabled other inmates to commit serious offenses.
Lyle defended his actions, saying prison guards had sold his monitored communications to tabloids, leaving him to use a phone to protect his privacy.
Rummel countered that the hearing ignored the years of positive contributions Lyle made behind bars, including mentoring fellow inmates and founding a prison yard beautification initiative.
The Board’s Reasoning
Commissioner Julie Garland acknowledged Lyle’s remorse, calling him a model inmate in many respects. But she said his repeated rule-breaking showed lingering antisocial traits.
“We find your remorse is genuine,” Garland said. “But despite those positives, we see you still struggle with deception, minimization, and rule-breaking.”
Lyle, 57, will now face an administrative review within a year and could receive another parole hearing as soon as 18 months from now.
Erik’s Denial Came First
A day earlier, the parole board also denied Erik Menendez’s request for release after a nearly 10-hour hearing. Commissioner Robert Barton said Erik, now 54, “continued to pose an unreasonable risk to public safety” and criticized his record as an inmate.
The back-to-back rulings closed another chapter in the Menendez brothers’ long incarceration. Originally sentenced to life without parole, they became eligible for review under California’s youthful offender law, since they were 18 and 21 at the time of the killings.
What Comes Next
While both brothers will remain behind bars for now, their eligibility for future hearings leaves the door open to another attempt at freedom. Until then, the Menendez case, a fixture in American true crime lore, remains unresolved in the court of public opinion.
