Erik Menendez's parole hearing audio, released during Lyle Menendez's hearing, sparks outrage from the brothers' family members

An audio recording from Erik Menendez's parole hearing was obtained by Eyewitness News and ABC News, on Friday. This happened just a day after Erik was denied bail on Thursday, August 21, 2025. The publishing of the audio clip further led chaos amongst family members, according to reports by The New York Post.

Trigger warning: The article contains references to distressing details like rape. Readers' discretion is advised.

The recording reportedly contained detailing about the murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez. This was dropped while Lyle Menendez's parole hearing was on its way of getting wrapped up. According to reports by The Post, there was chaos breaking out inside the courtroom. Tiffani Lucero Pastor, one of the brothers’ relatives, told the parole board,

"This is disgusting. You’ve misled the family, and now to compound matters, you’ve violated this family and their rights."

Erik was denied parole for three years after a 10-hour long hearing on Thursday. In the much talked-about audio clip, Erik was heard detailing events of the night when his parents were killed. He further opened up about the apparent abuse he had been subjected to by his parents. He could be heard saying,

"Fear was driving me to that den, and rage. The idea that dad was going to come to my room. Dad was going to come to my room and rape me that night, that was going to happen one way or another…"

In the published audio clip, Erik further said that he got a gun and went to the car to load it. He additionally stated that he then went to the "den" before his brother Lyle.

Erik Menendez was then asked about the reason that they killed their mother. To this, Erik responded by saying that Kitty's support to Jose made the brothers feel like they were "one person". Erik Menendez added:

"She was his [dad’s] victim, I should have known that, I should have separated it in my mind. But that night, I saw them as one person."

Erik then gave glimpses into his upbringing, revealing that he was never taught to do the right thing when he could differentiate between right and wrong. According to him, he was raised "to lie, to cheat, to steal, steal in a sense."

Lyle Menendez too was denied parole, reason being still posing a threat to the society

Eventually, just like Erik Menendez, Lyle was also denied parole. For the unversed, the brothers were convicted in the 1989 killings of their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion.

According to the parole board, they believed that Lyle still posed some signs indicating that he posed a threat to the society. According to the BBC, the older sibling, Lyle, could apply for parole in three years again.

Explaining the decision of rejecting the parole for Lyle Menendez, parole commissioner Julie Garland told him,

"We find your remorse is genuine. But despite all those outward positives, we see ... you still struggle with anti-social personality traits like deception, minimisation and rule breaking that lie beneath that positive surface."

Parole attorney Heidi Rummel, representing both brothers, reportedly suggested that a break was needed in the nine-hour long hearing of Lyle. According to reports by The Los Angeles Times, Rummel added that it seemed unfair to continue the hearing once the audio clip was released. During the hearing, Rummel was heard saying,

"I don't think you can possibly understand the emotion of what this family is experiencing. They have spent so much time trying to protect their privacy and dignity."

Meanwhile, Parole Commissioner Robert Barton confirmed that the younger brother, Erik Menendez, was not eligible for parole for multiple reasons. According to Barton, Erik was involved in several rule violations such as possessing a cellphone and fights with inmates in the years 1997 and 2011.

Heidi Rummel criticized the action of making the audio clip and transcript accessible

According to reports by The New York Post, Parole attorney Heidi Rummel was against the publishing of the audio clip from Erik Menendez's parole hearing. Rummel highlighted that the brothers had already been trying to protect their dignity and privacy for so long.

Meanwhile, Parole Commissioner Julie Garland stated that publishing the parole hearing could be done under the California Public Records Act. Garland also clarified that the transcript could be released to the public about 30 days after the decision got issued. To this, Rummel additionally said,

"It's highly unusual. It's another attempt to make this a public spectacle."

Rummel also bashed the media access to the hearing and claimed that at one point media access led to a leak as well. Meanwhile, a corrections department spokesperson clarified that the audio clip was published "erroneously." Rummel finally stated that she would try to seal the hearing transcripts under Marsy’s Law.

The latest parole rejections meant that this leaves the Menendez brothers in jail for at least some more time.