Menendez brothers granted early parole hearing for March 2027

Erik and Lyle Menendez have been granted an early parole suitability hearing, tentatively scheduled for March 2027. This moves their next opportunity for release consideration up by approximately 17 months from their previous eligibility date in August 2028.

The brothers were originally sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home. Following years of advocacy by their family, a judge reduced their sentences to 50 years to life in May 2025, making them eligible for parole consideration.

In August 2025, the California Board of Parole denied their initial parole requests, citing prison misconduct including the possession of illegal cellphones and, in Lyle's case, what officials described as “anti-social personality traits like deception.”

The family released a statement expressing gratitude to the Parole Board, noting that the brothers have worked to “take responsibility for their actions” and have contributed to prison life through initiatives like a hospice program and a beautification project.