What Erik Menendez and Lyle Menendez did on the night of Aug. 20, 1989, was never the real question.

Rather, why did the Menendez brothers kill their parents , Jose Menendez and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez ?

Lyle and Erik maintain that their father abused them, their mother abetted him with her silence and they feared for their lives. Their supporters, including a number of family members, have become increasingly outspoken in their beliefs that the siblings should not spend the rest of their lives in prison.

So far, the California Parole Board does not agree, rejecting the idea of releasing either Erik, 54, or Lyle, 57, during respective Aug. 21 and Aug. 22 hearings.

“This is a tragic case,” Parole Commissioner Robert Barton said after denying parole for Erik

See Full Page