Lyle Menendez Denied Parole in Marathon Session: What Happened Inside the Hearing

Lyle Menendez, the oldest of the Menendez brothers, was denied his bid for parole after a marathonic session with the board that lasted over 11 hours.

In a result that mirrored the experience his brother Erik had the day before, Lyle Menendez was also told he would have to wait three years before he could request parole again.

This was the brothers' first opportunity to regain their freedom after spending over three decades behind bars. He and his brother, Lyle, were convicted in 1996 of killing their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez.

Lyle and Erik Menendez are both housed at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California, and have been since 2018. The two brothers met with the parole board through Zoom.

Developing news

Much of the parole hearing on Friday revolved around disciplinary issues tied to Lyle Menendez, particularly his reported use of unauthorized cell phones while incarcerated, a violation that could weigh heavily against both siblings. Erik Menendez faced a similar infraction earlier this year, when he was discovered with a burner phone in January despite knowing it could endanger his chances for release.

Board members also revisited incidents from Lyle's past, including an academic plagiarism case during his time at Princeton and accusations that he had attempted to influence witnesses by providing them with scripts during the first trial.

Meanwhile, the brothers' defense team is shifting its focus to a habeas corpus petition originally filed at the beginning of their pursuit of freedom. That motion, now before a Los Angeles judge, will rely on evidence presented in a 2023 Peacock documentary.

In the program, former Menudo singer Roy Roselló alleged that Jose Menendez sexually abused him. The film also introduced a letter written by Erik to his cousin describing ongoing abuse.

Attorneys argue that these two elements strengthen the Menendez brothers' longstanding claim of suffering years of sexual assault, evidence that was barred from their second trial in 1996, when both were convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole.