It's been roughly 36 years since Erik Menendez and his brother Lyle were found guilty of murdering their parents. Initially, both of them were handed life sentences, but that all changed in May. At the time, they were resentenced to 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole.
"I am touched and humbled by the outpouring of support," Erik said in a statement released after the resentencing. "This has to be the first step in giving people who have no hope in prison some hope ... My goal is to ensure there are no more people spending 35 years in prison without hope. That possibility of having hope that rehabilitation works is more important than anything that happened to me today."
Yesterday (August 21), Erik attended a hearing virtually from from San Diego's Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility to learn his fate. The California Parole Board denied him parole, taking into account both his crimes and behavior in prison. This means he'll remain locked up until at least 2028, when he'll become eligible for parole once again.
Erik Menendez Parole Hearing
The decision earned mixed reactions from the public. While some believe Erik is better off behind bars for the time being, other believe he was done dirty. This includes fellow inmate Suge Knight, who weighed in during a recent chat with TMZ.
The former Death Row boss resides at the same correctional facility as both Menendez brothers, and according to him, "nobody's perfect." He claimed that the system sets inmates up to fail, arguing that this explains Erik's past infractions.
He added that he suspects Lyle could face the same outcome at his hearing, calling the whole situation unfair.
