Judge in California rejects request for retrial from Menendez brothers over 1989 killings of their parents.
The Menendez brothers, Erik and Lyle, have once again been denied a news trial, almost three decades after they were sentenced to life in prison for the murders of their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion. The decision was made by California Judge William C. Ryan in response to a May 2023 petition seeking a review of the brothers' convictions.
The parole hearings for both brothers, which occurred at the same prison in San Diego, were the closest the brothers have come to winning freedom since their convictions. However, both brothers were denied parole. Erik Menendez was denied parole a day earlier due to his misbehavior in prison, while Lyle Menendez was denied parole for three years by a panel of commissioners following a daylong hearing.
The defense argued that the brothers acted out of self-defense due to years of sexual abuse by their father. New evidence slightly corroborating these allegations was presented during the parole hearings. However, the judge wrote that the new evidence is not compelling enough to produce reasonable doubt in a juror's mind or support an imperfect self-defense instruction.
The judge's ruling also stated that the new evidence does not negate the fact that the Menendez brothers acted with premeditation and deliberation in the killings. Prosecutors contended that the brothers sought a multimillion-dollar inheritance.
The commissioners cited "anti-social personality traits like deception, minimization, and rule-breaking" in Lyle Menendez. The search results do not specify the name of the lawyer representing Erik and Lyle Menendez in connection to the California judge's decision on a retrial. An email was sent to Mark Geragos, a lawyer for the brothers, seeking comment on the judge's ruling.
The denial of a new trial occurred on Monday, in Los Angeles Superior Court. The brothers were immediately eligible for parole after a judge reduced their sentences in May. However, the denial of parole just weeks before the judge's ruling indicates that the Menendez brothers' quest for freedom remains a distant goal.
