What to know about Menendez brothers' case and when could they be released

On Tuesday, a Los Angeles judge reduced Lyle and Erik's murder sentence, making them eligible for parole.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcastsRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveWhat did Erik and Lyle Menendez do and when could they be released?3 days agoShareSaveYasmin RufoBBC NewsShareSaveGetty ImagesErik and Lyle were aged 18 and 21 when they killed their parentsIn 1989, brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez killed their parents by shooting them multiple times at close range at their mansion in Beverly Hills.

They were found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder in 1996, and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

However, in a resentencing hearing in Los Angeles a judge reduced their term, making them eligible for parole.

Public interest in the case has grown since a new Netflix drama, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, was released in September.

In 2024, the previous district attorney of Los Angeles, George Gascón, requested that the brothers' sentence of life without the possibility of parole be changed to 50 years to life.