LOS ANGELES (Court TV) — For the first time, the public is hearing the audio from the parole hearings of Lyle and Erik Menendez, revealing in the brothers’ and the board’s own words why their bid for freedom was denied. After more than three decades behind bars for the infamous murders of their parents, the board cited recent prison infractions, including the possession of contraband cellphones, as proof they still pose a risk to public safety.
In the newly released audio, the parole board can be heard focusing on recent violations as the primary reason for denying both brothers’ release. Erik Menendez was cited in March 2025 for possessing a cellphone and receiving a watch as an unauthorized gift. The board noted that Lyle Menendez also had a recent cellphone violation. The commissioners explained that they viewed these actions as continued “anti-social” behavior and an inability to follow rules, questioning how the brothers could be trusted in society if they could not adhere to regulations inside prison.
Court TV’s Trial Archives: CA v. Menendez (1993)
FILE – Lyle, left, and Erik Menendez leave a courtroom in Santa Monica, Calif., Aug. 6, 1990, after a judge ruled that conversations between the brothers and their psychologist after their parents were slain were not privileged and could be used as evidence. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)
Court TV’s Vinnie Politan, after listening to the recordings, said that the denials expose the brothers’ long-held narrative of killing out of fear as unconvincing. He stated that the justification for murdering their parents was a story they couldn’t maintain, even with their freedom on the line. Politan highlighted the irony that after 35 years of incarceration, the brothers failed to be model inmates in the critical moments leading up to their first-ever parole hearings, ultimately sabotaging their own chance at freedom.
Both brothers became eligible for parole after a judge resentenced them in May 2025 under a new California law for youth offenders. They were initially sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in 1996 for the 1989 shotgun murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. The defense has long argued the brothers killed in self-defense after suffering years of horrific abuse, while prosecutors maintained the motive was to inherit their parents’ multimillion-dollar fortune.
During his hearing, the audio captured Lyle Menendez admitting the cellphone was a mistake. While a psychologist’s report deemed him a “very low” risk for future violence, the board stated that he still displayed personality traits like deception, minimization, and rule-breaking.
MORE | A timeline of the Menendez brothers’ double-murder case
Despite the denial, Commissioner Julie Garland could be heard offering Lyle Menendez some encouragement, telling him never to lose hope. In his emotional closing statement, Lyle Menendez’s voice broke as he took sole responsibility for the murders, expressing that he could never make up for the harm he caused and would be forever sorry.
The audio also included a statement from the brothers’ aunt, Teresita Menendez-Baralt, who attended the hearing to express her love and support for her nephew, stating that she was proud of him and wanted him to come home.
The brothers’ habeas corpus petition that sought review and a new trial based on evidence of alleged sexual abuse was denied earlier this week. They will be eligible for another parole hearing in three years.
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