The Menendez brothers bring up strong opinions in people, some of whom think the convicted murderers of their parents should be locked away forever and the key thrown in the ocean, others who think that after 30 years behind bars, they should get a second chance.

The latter group is rejoicing Tuesday as a judge’s ruling brought them one step closer to getting out.

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

The ruling from Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic came after months of delays, opposition from Los Angeles County's new top prosecutor and a series of witnesses who testified during a sometimes emotional hearing Tuesday that Erik, 54, and Lyle, 57, had changed for the better and are now "different men," as a cousin, Anamaria Baralt, put it.

BREAKING: Erik and Lyle Menendez were resentenced on Tuesday to 50 years to life in prison — which will make them eligible for parole at some point.

Read more: https://t.co/Dig27vM5cC pic.twitter.com/XIbUhs9ot7

— ABC News (@ABC) May 14, 2025

The high-living Beverly Hills boys gunned down their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in a horrific scene at the family’s mansion in 1989. The first trials for Erik and Lyle were conducted concurrently, and both juries deadlocked in 1994. In 1996, however, the two were convicted in a second proceeding of two counts each of first-degree murder and they were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. 

Luckily for them, their crimes occurred in California, a state that does not seem to understand the phrase “life in prison without the possibility of parole.”

Lyle, who was 21 years old at the time of the slaughter and is now 57, expressed remorse for his crimes:

Jesic said they would be resentenced to 50 years to life, a prison term that will make them eligible for parole. He said he did not believe they posed an "unreasonable risk" if released.

The brothers began giving statements via videolink immediately after the judge's ruling, with Lyle saying he made no excuses for killing his parents and acknowledging that he made a "mockery of the legal system" after his arrest by seeking to have people perjure themselves on his behalf.

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

More: The Questions Still Won't Go Away Three Decades Later: Are the Menendez Brothers Psychopaths, or Victims? (VIP)

Menendez Brothers Will Get Their Day in Court, As Judge Finally Schedules Resentencing Hearing

Reactions on social media predictably ranged from joyful to infuriated:

It time to celebrate 🎉 for all the menendez brothers supporter!!! pic.twitter.com/PUw2bPG8vf

— ℳ𝒶𝓇𝓂𝒶𝓇🇨🇴🇺🇸 (@cixvan) May 14, 2025

I am all in favor of shipping the Menendez brothers off to the super prison in El Salvador. pic.twitter.com/wohtoR3LmT

— CRAIGee 🇺🇸🩵🌻 (@craigmart) May 13, 2025

As someone who was fascinated by the trial all those years ago, I have many thoughts about the brothers which I shared in my VIP article of October 2024; take a look.

For now, however, they are that much closer to freedom, and their fate lies in the hands of the parole board and Gov. Gavin Newsom. The elegantly coiffed gov. has been all over the place politically in recent months as he presumably tries to set himself up for a presidential run in ’28, and he's shown no core values other than what he thinks might play well on TV. There’s no telling if he would veto the parole board should they recommend the brothers' release.

Two people who we can be sure will not be celebrating this decision: Kitty and José Menendez. The couple has not been able to celebrate anything in over three decades.

Progressive policies have hurt America immeasurably.

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