In a stunning twist to one of the most infamous murder cases of the 1990s, a Los Angeles judge has reduced the sentences of Erik and Lyle Menendez, making them eligible for parole after spending more than three decades in prison for the brutal slaying of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez.

Convicted of first-degree murder in 1996, the brothers were originally sentenced to life without parole. But Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic has now altered their punishment to 50 years to life, citing California’s youthful offender law and the brothers’ conduct during incarceration. Both men were under the age of 26 at the time of the killings.

Judge Jesic emphasized that the decision does not guarantee their release, but rather allows the parole board to assess their rehabilitation. “I’m not saying they should be released, it’s not for me to decide,” he said. “I do believe they’ve done enough in the past 35 years that they should get that chance.”

The decision comes after renewed scrutiny of the Menendez family’s dark history. In 2023, Roy Rosselló, a former member of the Latin pop group Menudo, accused José Menendez of sexually abusing him when he was 14. Rosselló claimed in a Peacock docuseries that José, then a top RCA Records executive, raped him at his New Jersey home. “That’s the man here that raped me,” Rosselló said, pointing to José’s photo.

These new allegations have added fuel to the brothers’ long-standing defense that they killed their parents in a moment of panic, not out of greed but in fear of continued sexual abuse. Although the initial trial juries were deadlocked, a second trial led to convictions and life sentences when the sexual abuse claims failed to sway the jury.

Now, the court has given some weight to those claims, along with a prison official’s rare letter of support—something Judge Jesic noted had never happened in the official’s 25-year career.

“I killed my mom and dad. I make no excuses and also no justification,” Lyle Menendez said in a livestream before the hearing. His brother Erik also addressed their family directly, saying, “You did not deserve what I did to you, but you inspire me to do better.”

The parole board will now determine whether the Menendez brothers, once seen as symbols of cold-blooded entitlement, have truly changed enough to rejoin society. The final decision is expected to take months, as the board reviews their decades-long prison records and recent abuse revelations.

Whether this is justice delayed or a dangerous rewrite of history will depend on the outcome of their parole hearings. But one thing is certain—35 years later, the Menendez saga still grips the nation.