Lyle Menendez, the eldest of the Menendez brothers, spent more than 11 hours testifying before a board evaluating the possibility of granting him early release from prison. The outcome, while not what he and his family desired, was not unexpected. The negative decision was a repeat of what his brother Erik Menendez experienced the day before.

According to press reports that witnessed the marathon day, the board also gave Lyle a three-year period before he can again request his release from prison.

The Menéndez brothers have been behind bars for more than three decades for the 1989 murder of their parents, Kitty and José Menéndez.

Much of Friday's hearing focused on Lyle's use of contraband cell phones behind bars, an issue that may have sealed both brothers' fates. Erik Menendez was caught with a burner phone as recently as January, fully aware that it jeopardized his chances of release.

The Board also revisited Lyle's past misconduct, including plagiarism during his time at Princeton and allegations that he bribed witnesses with scripts he had written during his original trial.

The brothers' legal team is now turning to a habeas corpus petition originally filed at the start of their fight for freedom. The petition will be reviewed by a Los Angeles judge and will incorporate new evidence brought to light in a 2023 Peacock documentary.

In the film, Roy Roselló, a former member of the boy band Menudo disclosed that he was sexually abused by Jose Menendez, and a letter Erik wrote to his cousin confirming ongoing abuse was also introduced.

Both pieces of evidence reinforce the brothers' original defense of enduring years of sexual abuse, a claim that was excluded from their second joint trial in 1996, when they were convicted and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.