Erik Menendez appeared virtually for a parole hearing and the California parole board denied parole, issuing a three-year denial. He remains incarcerated for the 1989 murders of his parents, crimes committed when he was 18. Erik and his brother Lyle were convicted of first-degree murder in a 1996 retrial and initially sentenced to life without parole; after resentencing they received 50 years to life with parole eligibility under youth offender parole laws. The board questioned Menendez about prior burglaries, cellphone use in prison and the murder of his mother. Menendez may seek a factual review or pursue clemency from the governor.
A California parole board decided to deny Erik Menendez parole, and he will have to remain in prison for the 1989 murders of his parents when he was 18 years old. Menendez and his brother Lyle Menendez were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 during a retrial and sentenced to life in prison without parole. After a years-long battle, the Menendez brothers were resentenced to 50 years to life with the possibility of parole.
"The purpose of this hearing is not to retry this case. Nor is the purpose of this hearing to put your parents on trial," said Parole Commissioner Robert Barton at the start of the hearing, noting the purpose of the hearing is to determine whether Erik Menendez poses a risk to public safety. The parole board said it's a three-year denial, and Erik Menendez can then be eligible for parole again at that time.
During the hearing on Thursday, Erik Menendez was questioned by the parole board, he gave a closing statement and then the victims' relatives spoke to the board. The board said at issue were Menendez's burglaries before the murders, the use of cellphones while in prison and the murder of his mother. The hearing was virtual, and Erik Menendez participated from a computer at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.
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