Erik Menendez denied parole three decades after killing his parents

Erik Menendez, one of the infamous Menendez brothers, has been denied parole three decades after he and his brother, Lyle, killed their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion. The brothers were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 and are currently serving life sentences without the possibility of parole. The California Parole Board's decision to deny Erik Menendez's parole request comes after a hearing held in September 2022. Prosecutors argued that the brothers' actions were premeditated and showed no remorse. Erik Menendez can try again for parole in three years. The Menendez brothers were convicted of murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in 1989. They claimed that they acted out of fear and abuse, but the jury found their actions to be deliberate and unjustified. The case gained national attention and became a high-profile example of the "abuse excuse" defense in criminal trials.