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Erik and Lyle Menendez will be eligible to leave prison after serving more than 30 years behind bars for the vicious 1989 shotgun slayings of their parents, a Los Angeles judge ruled Tuesday.
The judge reduced the sentences for the killer siblings, who are now 54 and 57, from life without parole to 50 years to life with the possibility of parole.
It will now be up to the California state parole board and Governor Gavin Newsom to decide if the brothers deserve freedom after they gunned down their wealthy parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their lavish Beverly Hills home on Aug. 20, 1989.
At the end of Tuesday’s hearing, both brothers gave emotional accounts of the murders, which they claimed came after years of sexual abuse by Jose with Kitty’s help.
“My choices that night robbed my parents of their full lives,” said Erik, who was only 18 when he shot his parents. “I can only imagine the fear, the pain, and the trauma it caused [my family].”
His older brother echoed the sentiment. “I committed an atrocious act against two people who had the right to live, my mom and dad,” Lyle said, appearing to fight tears. “I take full responsibility for my choices … I was a 21-year-old who believed I could fix what could not be fixed.”
Lawyers cross-examined several witnesses at Tuesday’s hearing, including family members and one former inmate, who all insisted Lyle and Erik had learned the error of their ways and had redeemed themselves in prison.
Indeed, much of the hearing centred on what the brothers have been doing in prison for the last 30 years. Family members and those who worked with them in prison detailed the educational courses they completed and programmes they created to improve the lives of inmates, including a hospice initiative for the elderly and sick.
Judge Jesic called the brothers’ work while in prison “remarkable”, but noted that their 1996 sentences to life without parole were justified at the time. He said under the guidelines, they were eligible for resentencing, issuing his new sentence of 50 years to life. The brothers have been held in custody since 1990.

A risk assessment has also been completed on the brothers as part of their request for clemency. The district attorney said it indicated a “moderate risk of violence”. However, the full report has not been released.
The case, which has prompted books and documentaries, still divides many Americans. Their story was thrust back into the spotlight after a Netflix drama, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, as well as the release of the docudrama, The Menendez Brothers.
It introduced the case to a new generation and drew attention from celebrities, including Kim Kardashian and Rosie O’Donnell, who called for the brothers to be released. The previous district attorney, George Gascón, backed their resentencing bid, allowing the case to finally be heard before a judge.
The final hearing of the state parole board has been scheduled for June 13.