What the Menendez brothers' resentencing means after serving more than 30 years in prison for parents' murder

Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.

Erik and Lyle Menendez have learned their fate from a resentencing hearing after being handed life in prison for the 1989 murders of their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez.

The two brothers, who are now 54 and 57 years old, respectively, were 18 and 21 when they shot and killed their parents at their home in Beverly Hills.

They went to trial in 1993, but a deadlocked jury meant that it wasn't until a second trial in 1996 that they were actually convicted.

For the last three decades, Erik and Lyle have been behind bars, but this week they went up against a judge in Los Angeles who heard arguments as to whether they should be resentenced.

Here's everything you need to know, including the ruling, what it means and what the brothers themselves have had to say about it.

The Menendez brothers were originally sentenced to life in prison (Ted Soqui/Sygma via Getty Images)

Why has there been a resentencing hearing in the first place?

The resentencing hearing was inspired by a 2023 motion filed by the brothers which detailed new evidence of alleged childhood sexual abuse by their father, and requested that their convictions be vacated.

The hearing took place after an initial delay to the proceedings in April, which came after prosecutors claimed that the court should obtain a copy of a recently completed risk assessment which was conducted on the brothers by the California Board of Parole Hearings.

In a filing submitted on April 16, just one day before the hearing was due to begin, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office wrote: "On April 15, 2025, the People were made aware that the Parole Board has completed its Comprehensive Risk Assessment Reports for Lyle and Erik Menendez.

"There is no legitimate reason why the Court should not now possess the most current and up to date risk assessments before making any resentencing decisions in this case. The People believe that the Court should have all available information before making any sentencing decisions in this case."

The resentencing hearing involved witnesses and evidence (Ted Soqui/Sygma via Getty Images)

"To the extent the Court needs additional time to obtain these documents from the Governor's office, the People request a continuance as necessary," the DA added.

The hearing started to go ahead after the DA's plea, but Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic ultimately decided to postpone it again until May 9.

What does the Menendez brothers' resentencing mean?

During the new hearing, the court heard arguments drawing on the original crime as well as the decades that have passed since. The judge also heard from witnesses and considered evidence in the case.

In the original hearings, prosecutors claimed Erik and Lyle had planned to kill their parents so they could gain access to their fortune.

In contrast, the Menendez brothers' lawyers claimed they had been subject to years of abuse from their father, and that the killings were an act of self-defence.

Now, after 35 years behind bars, the brothers have a shot a parole.

Judge Jesic reduced the brothers’ sentences from life without parole to 50 years to life.

The pair have since spoken out (Ronald L. Soble / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

What happens next in the Menendez brothers' case?

They are now eligible for parole under California’s youthful offender law because they committed the crime under the age of 26.

The state parole board must still decide whether to release them from prison.

"I’m not saying they should be released, it’s not for me to decide," Jesic said.

"I do believe they’ve done enough in the past 35 years that they should get that chance."

What have Erik and Lyle Menendez said about their resentencing?

Erik began: "I had to stop being selfish and immature to really understand what my parents went through in those last moments."

He also spoke of the 'shock, confusion and betrayal' that Kitty and José would have felt seeing guns pointed at them with their own children at the trigger.

Lyle went on to apologise for the 'unfathomable' impact their crimes must have had on the rest of their family, adding: "I lied to you and forced you into a spotlight of public humiliation."

If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org