Erik Menendez's Wife Says Hearing Was 'a Complete Setup' After He's Denied Parole By Nicole Acosta 314

Erik Menendez’s wife, Tammi, is speaking out after her husband was denied parole this week, calling the hearing “a complete setup” and unfair from the start.

“Parole Commissioner Robert Barton had his mind made up to deny Erik parole from the start,” Tammi Menendez posted on X. “This was a complete setup, and Erik never stood a chance!”

The decision was announced Thursday, Aug. 21, more than three decades after he and his brother, Lyle Menendez, were convicted of murdering their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in 1989 in their Beverly Hills, Calif., home. They were 18 and 21 at the time of the killings. 

The brothers were initially sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole but got a long-awaited chance at freedom in May after a Los Angeles judge reduced their sentences to 50 years to life. This made them eligible for parole because they were under 26 when they committed the murders.

In a follow-up post, Tammi spoke about Erik’s alleged behavior behind bars that reportedly played into the parole board’s decision in denying him parole.

Related Stories

Erik Menendez Denied Release at Parole Hearing 36 Years After Murdering Parents

Erik Menendez’s Wife Speaks Out Ahead of His Appearance at Parole Hearing

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.  

“Erik hasn’t had any infractions since 2011, apart from a cell phone possession,” she wrote. “To the media reporting otherwise: please get the facts straight! #erikmenendez.”

The New York Times reported that in explaining the parole board’s decision, Barton said Erik has not been a “model prisoner” and said he had a series of infractions behind bars. Some of those violations allegedly included drug and cellphone use and involvement in a tax fraud scheme, the Times reported.

Barton also said he believed Erik was not in “imminent fear” for his life before the killings, per the Times. Erik and Lyle have said they acted in self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, which they alleged their mother was aware of but did nothing to stop.

Barton called the brothers’ killings “devoid of human compassion,” telling Erik, “The killing of your mother especially showed a lack of empathy and reason.”

Lyle is expected to face the parole board Friday, Aug. 22. In a statement released after Erik was denied parole, a family spokesperson said they are trying to stay positive.

“And while it is undoubtedly difficult, we remain cautiously optimistic and hopeful that the commissioner will see in Lyle what so many others have: a man who has taken responsibility, transformed his life, and is ready to come home.”