California parole officials to decide if Menendez brothers should be released

Erik and Lyle Menendez are taking another step on what could be their path to freedom

Erik and Lyle Menendez are taking another step on what could be their path to freedom.

The brothers, who have served more than three decades in prison for the 1989 murders of their parents, will appear before California parole officials Thursday and Friday in a bid to convince the panel that they are suitable for release.

A Los Angeles judge found three months ago that the men do not pose an “unreasonable risk” and resentenced them to 50 years to life — a decision that effectively canceled their previous prison terms of life without the possibility of parole and made them eligible for "suitability" hearings immediately.

Erik, left, and Lyle Menendez.California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation via AP fileErik, 54, will appear before the board Thursday. Lyle, 57, will appear Friday.

Commissioners will weigh possible testimony from victims’ relatives and prosecutors, and they will consider a range of factors, including the brothers’ criminal histories, their behavior while they were incarcerated and their release plans.