Erik Menendez Diagnosed With ‘Serious Medical Condition’—Just Weeks Before the Brothers’ Parole Hearing

Erik Menendez has been hospitalized with kidney stones as his lawyer calls for his immediate release because of his “serious medical condition”—just weeks before the infamous brothers were set to face the parole board.

Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted of killing their parents, Kitty and José, inside their family home in 1996 and after a lengthy trial—during which time they remained behind bars—they were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The duo served more than 35 years at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego before they were resentenced by a Los Angeles judge, who reduced their original sentences for the murders of their mother and father from life without parole to 50 years to life.

The siblings’ stunning legal victory made them eligible for parole for the first time in 30 years, although Judge Michael Jesic noted in his ruling that his decision does not indicate his desire for Lyle, now 57, and Erik, now 54, to be freed immediately, but rather that he believes they should one day be given the chance to pursue a life outside of prison.

The ruling meant that the brothers were immediately eligible for parole, and could be released by the end of the year if everything goes their way during their hearings on Aug. 20 and 21.

However, officials have now been urged to speed the timeline up by Erik’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, who told TMZ that his client is suffering from a “serious condition.”

“I just think he should be parole furloughed, I think is the proper term, and he could be medically furloughed in advance of the hearing so that he can work with the parole attorney and get up to speed and be ready and do it and give it his best shot. I think that it’s the only fair and equitable thing to do,” he told the outlet.

TMZ confirmed that Erik was undergoing treatment for kidney stones.

The news of Erik’s worsening health comes after a judge resentenced the brothers.

Under California law, the ruling meant that the brothers were immediately eligible for parole, because they were both under the age of 26 when they were sentenced.

Though the brothers’ case garnered plenty of global media attention at the time of their trial, it wasn’t until fall 2024, when Netflix released two series focusing on their crimes and subsequent legal tussles, that public interest in the duo reached fever pitch.

That furor began with the premiere of dramatization “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” which was quickly followed by a documentary series simply titled, “The Menendez Brothers,” both of which captivated audiences.

Those series led to a huge surge in demand for the brothers’ case to be reexamined, particularly in light of a 2023 petition filed by their lawyers. The filing included a letter that Erik had written eight months before the murders, claiming that his father had drugged and raped him in the 1980s.

Following the judge’s ruling—which came after months of delays—the brothers expressed accountability for their crimes, with Lyle conceding that he had no excuse for murdering his parents and noting that he made a “mockery of the legal system” after requesting that people perjure themselves during their trial.

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

Erik noted that the crimes they committed were “cruel and vicious,” adding that he is “directly responsible for it all.”

“I killed my mom and dad. I make no excuses and also no justification. The impact of my violent actions on my family … is unfathomable. You did not deserve what I did to you, but you inspire me to do better,” he said.

Still, many questions remain about what will become of the brothers if they are freed from prison—including where they will choose to base themselves if they’re released.

If the Menendez brothers are set free, they may choose to go back to their hometown of Beverly Hills, CA, where their family home and site of their parents’ murder is located; however, they will not have the immediate option of returning to their dwelling, which has changed hands several times since they were convicted.

Returning to the neighborhood would also likely invite even more notoriety, which they may wish to avoid.

Their former home, which was most recently sold for $17 million to an LLC called LAHA ELM in March 2024, has become something of a tourist hot spot since the Netflix series about the brothers was released.

However, the new owners of the expansive dwelling have not let the crowds of tourists at the so-called murder home prevent them from transforming the property into their ideal abode, pushing ahead with extensive renovations.

In an attempt to stop the large crowds from sneaking a peek, workers have surrounded the house with wired fencing and black screens so they can continue construction away from prying eyes—although the barriers have not stopped onlookers from checking out the progress.

In 2024, the house became the subject of a viral TikTok trend that saw true-crime gawkers crowding around the property to see the kill site with their own eyes.

Residents who live on the same street were previously revealed to be furious about the surge of visitors in the neighborhood and have begged the police to put a stop to the spying.

According to TMZ, police in Beverly Hills received several calls from irate residents complaining about people walking and driving down their street to catch a glimpse at the $17 million mansion.

Built in 1927, the mansion was redesigned in 1984 by real estate mogul Mark Slotkin. Lyle and Erik’s father purchased it for $4 million in 1988.