Lyle Menendez parole: Audio leak blunder angers relatives; family blasts ‘media spectacle’ as board rejects plea

Lyle (left) and Erik Menendez sit in Beverly Hills Municipal Court where their attorneys delayed making pleas on their behalf in Beverly Hills, California in 1990. (Picture credit: AP)

Lyle Menendez’s high-stakes parole hearing was thrown into turmoil on Friday last week after the surprise release of an audio recording from his brother Erik’s parole session a day earlier. The leak infuriated family members, who accused California prison officials of violating victim protections and turning the process into a “media spectacle.”According to CNN, the audio of Erik’s 10-hour parole hearing, in which he described years of sexual abuse by his father and explained the brothers’ motives in the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, was released to ABC7 through a public records request. The California department of corrections and rehabilitation later admitted the recording had been “erroneously” made public.The revelation came mid-session as Kitty’s great-niece, Tamara Goodell-Lucero, was testifying in support of Lyle. Parole attorney Heidi Rummel immediately objected, demanding the hearing be adjourned. “We are sitting here asking Mr. Menendez to follow rules … and in the middle of this hearing, we find out CDCR is not following its own rules. It’s outrageous,” she told the commissioners, according to CNN.Family members were left shaken. Kitty’s sister, Teresita Menendez Baralt, wept as she offered only a brief statement, “I want my nephew to hear how much I love him, and believe in him. I’m very proud of him and I want him to come home.” Other relatives refused to speak, fearing their words would also be leaked.Tensions escalated when another niece, Tiffani Lucero Pastor, accused the board of violating Marsy’s Law, a state constitutional amendment protecting victims’ rights. “You’ve misled the family, and now to compound matters, you’ve violated this family and their rights,” she shouted, as per CNN.Despite the uproar, Los Angeles County deputy district attorney Ethan Milius pressed for the proceedings to continue, arguing transcripts were always meant to become public. Parole Commissioner Julie Garland ruled the hearing would go forward and later confirmed audio from Lyle’s hearing would not be released until objections could be filed.Ultimately, the parole board denied Lyle’s release, just as it had denied Erik’s the day before. As per the New York Post, Erik was declared ineligible for three years after the board cited rule violations and found he had not shown adequate “insight” into the crimes.For Lyle, the decision is not final. It now undergoes a 120-day internal review before Gov. Gavin Newsom has 30 days to affirm or reverse it. He may reapply for parole in three years, though Garland said his case could be moved up for administrative review within 18 months.The Menendez brothers, who fatally shot their parents in their Beverly Hills home in 1989, have long argued they acted in self-defence after years of abuse.