Lyle Menendez denied parole because California Council calls continuous public safety risk

Lyle Menendez was released from the prison by the California Parole Board, just a day after his younger brother, Erik Menendez, also rejected his parole request. The two brothers, who were convicted of the murder of their parents in 1989, will now remain behind bars for at least three years. Lyle’s parole hearing took place on Friday and lasted ten hours. At the end of the session, the board of directors ruled that he still poses a risk of public safety. The decision followed their resentment in May, when both brothers had their life sentences without parole after 50 years after life – which immediately made them eligible for parole consideration. Why were their parole requests denied? During the hearing, the board focused on Lyle’s offenses in the imprisonment, especially his long -term use of illegal cell phones between 2018 and 2024. Although none of these offenses were recently, they were considered serious and undermined his chances of release. Deputy Parole Commissioner Patrick Reardon confirmed that Lyle has a phone “almost all the time” during those years. “The citizens are expected to follow the rules whether there is an incentive to do so or not,” Commissioner Julie Garner said and explained the council’s decision. Lyle’s prison record is slightly better than Erik’s, which has a history of involvement in prison gangs, smuggling drugs and inappropriate behavior with visitors. However, the board concluded that even Lyle’s efforts to support other prisoners and maintain good behavior more recently were not enough to justify parole. Why did the Menendez brothers kill their parents? In his statement to the board, Lyle talked emotionally about his family, claiming to have been abused by his father, Jose Menendez, between the ages of six and eight. He said the abuse later moved to Erik, which he tried to protect. Lyle also acknowledged that he abused Erik when they were younger, saying, ‘I don’t know why I did it. I think I just tried to release it from me. ‘ The advocates of the brothers are now planning to pursue a petition from Habeas Corpus in court. They argue that new evidence, unveiled in a documentary series of 2023, supports the original defense that the Menendez brothers by their father were the victim of long-term sexual abuse. This evidence contains a letter from Erik to a cousin and a testimony from a former member of the Boy Band Menudo, who also claimed to have been abused by Jose Menendez. Despite the growing public sympathy and support of family members over the years, the parole board has concluded that the brothers are not yet suitable for release. They can reapply in three years.