Menendez brothers get early parole hearing Mar 2027

Erik and Lyle Menendez, convicted of murdering their parents in 1989, have been granted an early parole suitability hearing tentatively scheduled for March 2027. This marks an earlier opportunity for the brothers to seek release than previously anticipated. The pair, now 55 and 58, were originally sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 1989 slayings of their wealthy parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, at their Beverly Hills mansion. After years of appeals, their sentences were reduced in May 2025 to 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole. Last year, both brothers were denied parole by the California Board of Parole. Officials cited documented rule violations, including possession of illegal cell phones and, in Erik's case, alleged links to a prison gang. The board reportedly stated that their conduct did not align with claims of being model prisoners. However, the brothers have now qualified for an earlier hearing under a provision of Proposition 9, a 2008 state law.