May 13, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Menendez brothers resentenced, now eligible for parole

Sareen Habeshian

Erik Menendez, left, and is brother Lyle, were convicted in the 1989 murders of their parents. Photo: Getty Images

A Los Angeles judge on Tuesday resentenced Lyle and Erik Menendez, the brothers who were convicted of killing their parents in 1989.

The big picture: The new sentences make the pair eligible for parole, in a high-profile case that has for years sought the brothers' release.

The case gained new attention last year with the release of two documentaries about the case.

Driving the news: Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic said during a hearing Tuesday that he would resentence both men to 50 years to life in prison.

Context: The brothers have until now been serving sentences of life in prison without parole.

Then-L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón had recommended to the court in October that the pair be resentenced for murder, removing their initial sentences of life without parole.
Because both men were under 26 years old at the time the crime occurred, that would make them eligible for parole immediately.
But the new top prosecutor, District Attorney Nathan Hochman, in March said he opposes resentencing, which upended expectations for the brothers' release.

Go deeper: Prosecutor opposes Menendez brothers' resentencing, upending bid for release

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Menendez brothers resentenced, now eligible for parole

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