Erik and Lyle Menendez are set to appear before Californias parole board this week a pivotal moment nearly 30 years after they were convicted of murdering their parents in one of the countrys most infamous criminal cases.Eriks parole hearing is scheduled for Thursday, followed by Lyles on Friday, both held via videoconference from Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.This marks the first time the brothers have been eligible for parole, following a May decision by a Los Angeles judge to reduce their sentences.The Menendez brothers were sentenced in 1996 to life without the possibility of parole for the 1989 killings of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in the familys Beverly Hills mansion. At the time of the crime, Erik was 18 and Lyle was 21.ERIK MENENDEZ HOSPITALIZED WITH KIDNEY STONES AS ATTORNEY DEMANDS RELEASE BEFORE PAROLE DECISIONProsecutors argued the murders were financially motivated, pointing to the couples multimillion-dollar estate. The defense, however, claimed the brothers had endured years of sexual and emotional abuse at the hands of their father, leading to a violent confrontation.For decades, the Menendez brothers have remained behind bars. However, in May 2025, a judge reduced their sentences to 50 years to life, citing a California law that allows parole consideration for individuals who were under 26 when their crimes were committed.A panel of two or three parole commissioners, appointed by the governor, will evaluate each brother individually. The board will weigh rehabilitation efforts, prison conduct, expressions of remorse, and plans for reintegration into society.Even if parole is granted, their release would not be immediate. The boards chief counsel has 120 days to review any decision, after which California Gov. Gavin Newsom has an additional 30 days to affirm or reverse it. Newsom has said in past remarks that he takes his oversight role seriously and will assess each case carefully.MENENDEZ BROTHERS BANK ON NEW TRIAL AS BACKUP IF PAROLE BID FAILSOn his podcast, "This is Gavin Newsom," last month, he told "Monsters" creator Ryan Murphy that he intentionally avoided watching the Netflix series about the Menendez brothers to ensure his judgment remains free from outside influence.Newsom, who had previously ordered a comprehensive risk assessment (CRA) in response to a clemency petition, has said he takes public safety seriously and has both upheld and overturned parole board decisions in the past.The governor holds the final say and is expected to make a decision by Labor Day if the parole board recommends release."This weeks parole board hearing is important, but its not the end of the road for Erik and Lyle Menendez," Neama Rahmani, president of West Coast Trial Lawyers and a former federal prosecutor, told Fox News Digital.Rahmani added that the parole board commissioners will "render a recommendation that same day, usually immediately or after conferring privately for less than an hour.""If they recommend release, that decision will go to the governors desk first, so the Menendez brothers wont be released immediately," Rahmani explained. "Newsom will have to sign the order and it may take days to do so. Similarly, if the board denies parole, Newsom can still pardon the brothers or commute their sentence. If the brothers are not paroled, they will have to wait years to go before the board again."Newsom's office declined to comment. Separate from the parole process, legal efforts to overturn or reconsider the brothers' convictions are still underway. In May 2023, attorneys for the brothers filed a habeas corpus petition citing new evidence of abuse. A judge has since ordered prosecutors to explain why the convictions should not be reconsidered, signaling potential movement in the case.Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman labeled the petition a "Hail Mary" effort, stressing that justice and the law demand the convictions stand.MENENDEZ BROTHERS SCORE CRUCIAL LEGAL VICTORY IN DECADES-LONG FIGHT AS THEY AWAIT POTENTIAL FREEDOMAhead of the hearings, Hochman's office released a statement, along with a 75-page filing, maintaining a firm opposition to the Menendez brothers parole on the grounds that they have never fully accepted responsibility for the murders of their parents."The Menendez brothers have never fully accepted responsibility for the horrific murders of their parents, instead continuing to promote a false narrative of self-defense that was rejected by the jury decades ago," Hochman's office said. "We have consistently opposed their release because they have not demonstrated full insight into their crimes or shown that they have been fully rehabilitated, and therefore continue to pose a risk to society."Hochman said his office will evaluate their final stance based on the evidence presented at the hearing.Meanwhile, the brothers' lawyer, Mark Geragos, advocated for Eriks release last month after a hospitalization due to a serious but undisclosed medical condition. Erik has since returned to prison.The Justice for Erik and Lyle Coalition, a family-led initiative advocating for the brothers' release,shared a statement ahead of the parole hearings, saying they remain hopeful, but understand the hurdles they still have to overcome."As always, our family remains cautiously optimistic, grounding ourselves in the reality that Californias parole process is incredibly rigorous, with low grant rates. We respect that and know Erik and Lyle are prepared for that level of scrutiny," the statement read."For more than 35 years, they have shown sustained growth," the coalition added. "Theyve taken full accountability. They express sincere remorse to our family to this day and have built a meaningful life defined by purpose and service. Something that has really stayed with us, especially as we near the parole hearings, is what Judge Jesic said during resentencing: that while Erik and Lyle have a stellar record, it was the letters of support from individuals who had never spoken up for an incarcerated person before that impacted him most. Its a reminder that no paper file can fully capture a persons character. But we see it. Correctional staff see it. Now, we hope the parole commissioners will see the same. We know that Erik and Lyle will come home, that is no longer a doubt. We just hope that they are granted this second chance in time to hug their Aunt Joan and Aunt Terry."Interest in the Menendez case has surged again in recent years, fueled by popular media portrayals and changing public sentiment. Netflix released"Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story" and a companion documentary,"The Menendez Brothers," in 2024, drawing attention to the abuse allegations that played a central role in the brothers' defense.The series co-creator, Ian Brennan, shared what outcome he is hoping to see for the Menendez brothers during an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, calling it a complex case."What I believe about the truth of the case really changes from hour to hour. The further we went into researching this, the more confused I got, because their testimony and story throughout did involve a lot of lies. The fact that Erik was writing a screenplay that involved murdering your parents is just weird stuff," Brennan explained."I think their story is a lot of lies, but theres a lot of truth to it. If they were somehow not granted parole, I would be very sad. Theyve paid that debt," Brennan said.Support for the brothers gained momentum after former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascn petitioned for their resentencing in 2023.Despite these developments, prosecutors have resisted early release, arguing that the Menendez brothers have not fully accepted responsibility for their crimes.Hochman's office said that while recent documentaries and films have drawn renewed attention to the brothers' case, "parole decisions must be based solely on the facts and the law.""In recent years, the defendants have continued to promote their fabricated defenses through popular media, including the 2024 Netflix documentary series. In that program, they repeated the same false narratives of abuse and self-defense that they manufactured after their arrests, and which multiple juries and courts have already rejected," Hochman stated in the filing."Their willingness to appear in such productions, and to leverage them for public sympathy, demonstrates that even more than three decades later, they remain committed to perpetuating lies rather than accepting responsibility for their calculated crimes," he continued.As Erik and Lyle Menendez face their first parole hearings, their future will be decided by the parole board and, ultimately, Newsom. The case, which has drawn national attention for more than three decades, now enters a new phase as the state weighs their potential release.