Menendez Brothers Resentenced to 50 Years to Life, Eligible for Parole After 34 Years in Prison

Los Angeles, California: Lyle and Erik Menendez, long infamous for killing their parents in 1989, have had their sentences reduced from life without parole to 50 years to life, allowing a parole review after 34 years served. A California court cited legislative changes regarding youthful offenders—ages 18 and 21 at the time—and the brothers’ prison rehabilitation. The judge stressed that while their crimes were brutal, a no-parole sentence was deemed excessive given modern legal standards. Critics say the Menendez should never be freed, yet supporters argue they’ve transformed in prison. Their first parole hearing is set for June, though the outcome is uncertain.