Menendez brothers eligible for parole after 30 years

Erik and Lyle Menendez will be eligible to leave prison after serving more than 30 years for the shotgun slayings of their parents, a judge has ruled.

A California judge has resentenced Erik and Lyle Menendez, clearing the way for the brothers to be on parole after serving decades in prison for the 1989 murder of their parents in Beverly Hills.

The ruling from Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic came after months of delays.

During the hearing, a series of witnesses testified that Erik, 54, and Lyle, 57, had changed for the better and are now “different men”.

Lyle and Erik Menendez in court in 1990. Picture: AP

Recent photos of Erik Menendez, left, and Lyle Menendez. Picture: AP

The Menendez brothers have been serving sentences of life without the possibility of parole for the murder of Jose and Kitty Menendez in 1989, at their Beverly Hills home.

Judge Jesic said he did not believe they posed an “unreasonable risk” if release and that they would be resentenced to 50 years to life, a prison term that will make them eligible for parole.

The brothers began giving statements via videolink immediately after the judge’s ruling, with Lyle saying he made no excuses for killing his parents.

“Today, 35 years later, I am deeply ashamed of who I was,” he said.

Natasha Blasick holds a sign in support of Erik and Lyle Menendez outside the Van Nuys Courthouse. Picture: AP

The elder brother acknowledged that he made a “mockery of the legal system” after his arrest by seeking to have people perjure themselves on his behalf.

Defence attorneys have argued the brothers, who were 18 and 21 at the time of the killings, acted out of self-defence after years of sexual abuse by their father.

Due to wildfires in the LA area, and disputes between LA prosecutors and defence attorneys, the hearings were delayed for months.

The case has captured the public’s attention for decades — and last year, the Netflix drama Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and documentary The Menendez Brothers brought new attention to the case.

Supporters of the brothers have flown in from across the country to attend rallies and hearings in the past few months.

Originally published as Menendez brothers eligible for parole after 30 years