California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken a significant step towards potentially freeing Lyle and Erik Menendez by requesting the state parole board to evaluate whether the notorious killers should be released.
Newsom has instructed the board to conduct a “risk assessment” of the Menendez brothers, laying the groundwork for a possible commutation of their sentences, as revealed by the governor on his podcast “This is Gavin Newsom” on Wednesday.
“The board’s task is straightforward: Do Erik and Lyle Menendez currently pose an unreasonable risk to public safety?” Newsom stated.
The assessment will involve input from public safety experts and forensic psychologists to determine whether releasing the brothers more than thirty years after they murdered their parents in their Malibu mansion is justified.
This announcement presents a potential new path for the Menendez brothers as they seek freedom.
Last week, LA District Attorney Nathan Hochman recommended that the LA County Superior Court reject the brothers’ request for a new trial based on new evidence of their father’s abuse towards them.
The brothers’ legal team has also urged the court to reduce their murder conviction to manslaughter, arguing that they have already served the maximum sentence for manslaughter.
Lyle and Erik gained national attention in the 90s during their highly-publicized trials for the murder of their wealthy parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in pursuit of their inheritance.
A documentary released in 2024 reignited interest in their case, revealing new evidence supporting the brothers’ claims of abuse, including a letter written by Erik before the murders detailing his father’s sexual assault.
A member of the band Menudo also came forward with allegations of abuse by José Menendez.
However, the DA’s office under the newly-elected Hoffman, who campaigned on a tough-on-crime platform, questions the authenticity of the letter and the recent accounts.
