Lyle and Erik Menendez, convicted for killing their parents in 1989, have been declared eligible for parole after 35 years in prison following a re-sentencing under California’s youthful offender law.
Lyle and Erik Menendez, who have served 35 years for the 1989 murders of their parents in Beverly Hills, were ruled eligible for parole on Tuesday during a re-sentencing hearing in Los Angeles. The decision was made under California’s youthful offender statute, which allows parole consideration for individuals who committed crimes before age 26 and have served at least half of their sentence.
The brothers, now aged 57 and 54, had been serving life without the possibility of parole following their 1996 conviction. The re-sentencing, led by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic, replaced their original terms with new sentences of 50 years to life.
Judge Jesic described the original crime as “absolutely horrific” but noted the brothers’ rehabilitation in prison as “amazing,” citing their behaviour and contributions while incarcerated. Both expressed remorse during the hearing and accepted full responsibility for the killings.
The Menendez brothers were found guilty of first-degree murder for fatally shooting their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, as they watched television in August 1989. The prosecution argued the motive was financial gain, while the defence maintained that the brothers acted out of fear following years of sexual and emotional abuse.
Recent evidence, including a letter Erik allegedly wrote to a cousin and new claims from a former member of the 1980s pop band Menudo, was presented to support the abuse allegations. These claims were also the subject of renewed public interest through recent documentaries and dramatizations.
The parole decision now rests with the California parole board and Governor Gavin Newsom. A separate parole board hearing is scheduled for June 13 to review clemency petitions.
While the defence pointed to rehabilitation and family forgiveness, the prosecution maintained opposition, questioning whether the brothers had genuinely taken responsibility and arguing that they remain untrustworthy.
Armenia is looking to turn shared environmental challenges into opportunities for regional cooperation, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan highlig...
The U.S. has banned government employees working in Saudi Arabia from using airports in the country without special authorisation. It com...
In an interview with AnewZ’s Sabir Safarov, Houthi-aligned journalist Hussain al-Bukhaiti warns of possible attacks on Saudi Arabia’...
The Saudi-led coalition said early Thursday that it intercepted and destroyed a drone over Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, vowing to carry out more attacks in the coming days.
The U.S. has banned government employees working in Saudi Arabia from using airports in the country without special authorisation. It comes after a deadly Houthi strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed at least 13 people last week.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
Ukraine is set to restart attacks on Russian oil refineries following a two-day pause, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, amid growing tensions with Washington over energy strikes and U.S. military support.
A Norwegian teenager recruited by a Swedish criminal network to carry out a contract killing in Britain has been sentenced to 20 years’ detention after police uncovered the murder plot.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called it “a disgrace” that Ukraine has resumed attacks on Russian oil refineries. Attacks are continuing from Russia and Ukraine as media reports say Ukraine has almost run out of Patriot interceptor missiles.
Romanian rescuers resumed their search for seven missing sailors on Friday (16 October) after a drone strike set a chemical tanker ablaze near the country’s Black Sea coast. The attacks have raised fresh security concerns along a vital regional trade route.
Students, lecturers and university staff marched on Argentina’s Congress in Buenos Aires on Thursday to demand President Javier Milei’s government implement a university funding law which would boost staff salaries and increase financial support to institutions to cover operating costs
A 16-year-old shooter opened fire on Thursday at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon in the United States, killing four people, including three children, before being killed by an armed member of the community who had pursued the assailant into the school, police said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment