Erik and Lyle Menendez will get another chance to argue for freedom years sooner than expected, after the California Board of Parole Hearings agreed to move up their next parole-suitability review to early 2027. The brothers, convicted in the 1989 killings of their parents, had previously been told they would not be eligible for another hearing until August 2028.
According to ABC7 Los Angeles, Lyle Menendez has a tentatively scheduled hearing date of February 23, 2027, with Erik's hearing set to follow the next day, February 24. That same February timeframe was echoed by en.cibercuba.com, which reported Lyle's hearing tentatively set for February 23 and Erik's for February 24. However, KTLA reported that the timeframe had instead been moved up to March 2027, and cubaheadlines.com noted that all proposed dates remain tentative. The discrepancy between the February and March timeframes has not been resolved publicly.
Both brothers had been denied parole just over a year earlier, during initial hearings held on August 21 and 22, 2025, each receiving a three-year denial, per en.cibercuba.com. Those hearings became possible only after a Los Angeles judge resentenced the brothers to 50 years to life in prison in May 2025, a change that made them eligible to apply for parole under California's youthful-offender provisions, according to the same report.
How the Hearings Got Moved Up
The board's decision to advance the hearings came through an administrative review process under Proposition 9, also known as Marsy's Law, cubaheadlines.com reported. That law allows for shorter intervals between parole hearings when there is a change in circumstances or new information indicating an individual could be eligible for parole, per the same outlet. Both brothers reportedly received moderate-risk assessments, which made them eligible for this type of review roughly a year after their initial hearings, according to cubaheadlines.com.
ABC7 Los Angeles reports that an inmate can request an earlier hearing by arguing positive progress in prison, by presenting new aspects of an argument for release, or if the victims' families support an earlier date. The Menendez case carries an unusual dynamic in that regard: the brothers' surviving family members are also relatives of the victims, and many of them support Erik and Lyle's release, ABC7 Los Angeles notes. Supporters have also pushed for the brothers' release citing their claims that they were abused, according to the same report.
Board Cited Rule-Breaking and Risk
When the board addressed the brothers' cases in August 2025, it said both men were making progress but still posed a risk to public safety, per ABC7 Los Angeles. The board pointed to disciplinary infractions in prison, including unauthorized cellphone use and, in Erik's case, alleged ties to a prison gang, as detailed by en.cibercuba.com. ABC7 Los Angeles reported that the board viewed the brothers' use of smuggled cellphones as evidence of a willingness to openly break prison rules, and said the brothers struggle with antisocial personality traits, including deception and rule-breaking.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office will argue against the brothers' release, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Erik and Lyle Menendez are serving their sentences at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, en.cibercuba.com reports, and ABC7 Los Angeles adds that they will join their upcoming hearings from that facility, located in San Diego County near the border with Tijuana.
Victim Outreach Ahead of the Hearings
California's Office of Victim & Survivor Rights & Services maintains a system that allows it to track and coordinate advanced outreach efforts for victims eligible to participate in the parole hearing process, according to the state agency. The brothers were convicted of murdering their parents in 1989 and were originally sentenced to life without parole in 1996, cubaheadlines.com reported, before the 2025 resentencing opened the door to parole consideration.
