What to know about the case of the MEENDEZ brothers and if they could be released

In 1989, the Lale brothers and Eric Menendez killed their parents, shooting them repeatedly in their mansion in Beverly -Hills.

They were found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy in 1996 and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Public interest in this case has grown since the new drama Netflix, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez, was released in 2024. Their story continues to share their opinions.

At the hearing in May 2025, the judge forced them conditionally. However, both brothers were denied liberation in August.

Eric, who is now 54 years old, appeared in front of the Board at the California Penal Department and rehabilitation on August 21. He was told that he was still a risk to public safety and was not a model.

A day later, 57-year-old Lila, who Long is considered a dominant brother, was denied parole by another council.

He referred to the cruel nature of the killings and lack of self -control.

“We believe that your remorse is valid,” Julie Garland told him the parole. “But despite all these external positives, we see … You are still fighting with anti -social traits of a person, such as deceit, minimization and violation of the rules that lie under this positive surface.”

They can try the parole once again in three years – although it can be reduced to 18 months with good behavior.

California Governor Gavin News is studying a separate request to offer a pardon to his brothers – perhaps in the form of a pardon.

Newsom that is in Among the political transformation and maybehave the right to accept or reject the Council’s Parish Council’s recommendation.

In 2024, the preliminary prosecutor of the Los -Angeles district, George Gaskon, asked that the term of life of the brothers without the possibility of parole to change by 50 years before life.

During the hearing in the Supreme Court of the Los -Angeles district, the brothers apologized for their actions. Their application for the presence was supported by family members and a former prisoner.

The prosecutors said the brothers continued to “justify” for their behavior, not to take full responsibility and did not rehabilitate.

But the judge agreed on the grievances of the brothers, saying that “over the last 35 years have done enough to get this chance.”

The ruling made them parole in accordance with the law on a youth criminal in California, which allows those who committed crimes by 26 years to seek the term.

At the time, the siblings were 18 and 21.

Lale and Eric Menendez killed their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, on August 20, 1989 at their home in Bverly -Hills.

Their father, a 45-year-old Hollywood leader, was shot six times with a gun, which the brothers purchased a few days before the attack.

Their mother died after receiving 10 shot blasts into several parts of her body.

Initially, the brothers told the police that they found their parents dead when they arrived home.

They were arrested after a psychologist who treated Eric Menendeza, went to the police to say that he was physically threatening the doctor.

The brothers claimed that they had committed murder in self -defense after many years of physical, emotional and sexual abuse, although it was never proved in court that the court had never been proven.

They said they were afraid that their father would kill them after threatening them.

However, the prosecutor’s office claimed that the young people killed their successful parents to inherit their multimillion -dollar estate.

The brothers were taken into custody in 1990, and in 1993 they were tried for the murder, for the first time individually, with one jury for each brother.

However, both jurors were stalled in 1994, resulting in communication, and couples were later tested in 1995.

During the joint trial, the judge ruled out obvious evidence of abuse from his defense. The inscriptions with the doctor discussing the murder were recognized as permissible in court.

The jury found them guilty, and the couple were convicted of the first degree murder and conspiracy in the 1996 murder.

The brothers who were divided during the detention after the detective, who investigated the killings, said they could turn to the escape when they were put together in jail in 2018.

The case was postponed after Netflix released a dramatic series about the brothers in September 2024.

Monsters: The story of Lale and Eric Menendez, shot on the top of the platform streaming graphics and, reportedly, over the weekend after the release had more than 12 million views.

The program studies what could lead to siblings to kill parents and presents killings from different perspectives.

Its creators said the series was based on extensive research.

This includes brothers ‘claims about abuse and show things from the parents’ perspective.

The show presented the case with the new generation and caught the attention of celebrities – including Kim Kardashian and Rosie O’Donnell, who called for the release of the brothers.

The series became the next controversial series of the first monster about US serial killer Jeffrey Damer.

After his release, Eric Menendez shared a statement released by his wife.

He said the show was a “horrific slander” and he “believed that we went beyond the lie and destroyed Laila’s images.”

“I am sad to know that the dishonest reflection of the Netflix tragedy that surround our crime made painful truths a few steps back – back during the era, when the persecution built a story about the system of beliefs that men were not sexual violence, and that men survived a rape injury differently than women,” he added.

Family members also spoke and stated that the brothers were “donated by this grotesque shcado” and the show was “imbued with Mistruths”.

Ryan Murphy who created the show, – said the diversity that the comments were “predictable at best”.

He added that the family’s response was “interesting because I would like to specify that, in their opinion, shockingly or not shocking. It is not like we do something. That was all presented before.”