Who is Lyle Menendez?

Answer: Lyle Menendez is the older brother of Erik Menendez. The brothers were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 after killing their parents, Jos茅 and Kitty, in 1989.

Menendez was sentenced to life in prison for the murders and is serving his sentence at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. The brothers were both up for parole in August 2025 but were denied.

A TV series about the brothers was released in 2022, called 鈥淢onster,鈥� in which Lyle was portrayed by Nicholas Alexander Chavez.

Who is Erik Menendez?

Answer: Erik Menendez is the younger brother of Lyle Menendez. Both brothers were convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents, Jos茅 and Kitty Menendez, in 1989.

Menendez is currently married to Tammi Saccoman. They got married in 1999 after he was incarcerated. The two first began communicating through letters during his trial.

Menendez had a parole hearing in August 2025 but was denied release along with his brother Lyle.

Why did the Menendez brothers murder their parents, Jose Menendez and Kitty Menendez?

Answer: Erik and Lyle Menendez killed their parents, Jos茅 and Kitty, with a shotgun at their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. At the time of the murders, the brothers were 21 and 18 years old.

After committing the murders, Lyle called 911, alerting authorities that someone had killed their parents.

The brothers have pointed to self-defense as the motive behind the murders, alleging physical sexual abuse at the hands of their father. There have also been speculations of money being the motive for the crime. The brothers made numerous lavish purchases shortly after the crime was committed.

The Menendez brothers' trial began in 1993, three years after their arrest in 1990. The first trial ended in a mistrial. A second trial began in 1995 and ended with both brothers being found guilty of first-degree murder.

What occurred during the parole hearings for the Menendez brothers?

Answer: Both Erik and Lyle were denied parole by the California board in August 2025 after giving their remarks.

Erik was the first of the two brothers to be heard. The hearing in San Diego lasted around 10 hours and ended with the parole board denying the recommendation for Erik's release.

Erik often described the terror and anger he felt leading up to the night he and Lyle murdered their parents during his remarks.

"I cannot express sorrow and remorse enough. Doing it for the rest of my life will not be enough," Erik said during the hearing. Many family members also spoke during the hearing on behalf of Erik.

Lyle was heard by the California review board the following day and was also denied parole.

"We find your remorse is genuine," Parole Commissioner Julie Garland said. "In many ways, you look like you've been a model inmate. You have been a model inmate in many ways who has demonstrated the potential for change. But despite all those outward positives, we see ... you still struggle with anti-social personality traits like deception, minimization and rule breaking that lie beneath that positive surface.鈥�

Both brothers remain incarcerated after being denied parole.

When are the Menendez brothers eligible for parole again, and where are they currently incarcerated?

Answer: The Menendez brothers will be up for parole again in three years and will remain incarcerated until then.

Under California law, Governor Gavin Newsom has the power to affirm, reverse or take no action on the decision made by the board. He has 30 days to do so.

Though the brothers were originally placed in separate prisons, they have been at the same prison since 2018, when Lyle was transferred to Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, where Erik was being held. The brothers have been incarcerated at the same prison since then.