In the US, one of the Menendez brothers was denied parole
Kyiv • UNN
The California Parole Board denied parole to Erik Menendez, convicted of murdering his parents. His brother Lyle is also awaiting a hearing.
In the USA, the California Parole Board denied parole to Erik Menendez, who, along with his brother Lyle, was convicted of murdering their parents in 1989, dealing a devastating blow to the brothers' long-standing fight for freedom, CNN reports, writes UNN.
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"This decision does not bode well for Lyle Menendez, whose case the parole board will consider on Friday," the publication notes.
Despite the board's decision, Erik Menendez still hopes to be released. California Governor Gavin Newsom has the rare right to overturn parole decisions, and the brothers are separately seeking pardons and new trials, the publication writes.
The decision was issued on Thursday after an exceptionally long 10-hour virtual hearing, during which statements were heard from representatives of the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, Erik Menendez, and about a dozen of Menendez's relatives who support him, who are also considered victims of the brothers' crime.
Ultimately, the board ruled that Erik continues to "pose an unreasonable risk to public safety" if released, listing his teenage criminal past, the brutality of the murders, and "serious violations" of prison rules, including possession of contraband cell phones, the parole commissioner said. In three years, he may again be eligible to apply for parole.
Barton said he was struck by the level of support Erik received from relatives, but their statements did not outweigh other serious factors in Erik's case.
"Two things can be true. They can love and forgive you, and you can still be found unsuitable for parole," Barton told Erik when announcing the decision.
The severity of Erik's crime "is not the primary reason for the denial," Barton said, adding: "It's still your behavior in prison."
The parole board's decision is not final; it may undergo internal review within 120 days. After that, Newsom has 30 days to approve or overturn the decision, if he so chooses.
The brothers became eligible for release after a judge reviewed their sentence in May, a compelling victory for the Menendez family and their family, who had long fought to overturn the original sentence of life imprisonment without parole.
Although Erik and Lyle Menendez are inextricably linked in the public eye, their cases are considered independently. There is a possibility that Lyle may be paroled, despite Erik's denial.
It has been 36 years since Erik and Lyle Menendez broke into the luxurious family mansion in Beverly Hills late on the evening of August 20, 1989, and opened fire with two shotguns, killing their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. In the following decades, this crime cast a long shadow over the family not only because of the trauma they experienced, but also because of the controversy surrounding the allegations of sexual and physical abuse that the brothers made against their father, the publication notes.