SACRAMENTO – The California Board of Parole Hearings on Thursday denied parole to Erik Menendez after a lengthy hearing in Sacramento, concluding that he remains an unreasonable risk to public safety more than three decades after the 1989 killings of his parents.
The hearing, which stretched nearly 10 hours, marked the first time Menendez, 54, faced the Parole Board since his 1996 conviction. Appearing by video conference from Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, Menendez reflected on the crime and his time in prison while board members questioned him about his disciplinary record and continued risk.
“This is a tragic case,” Parole Commissioner Robert Barton said after issuing the decision. “I agree that not only two but four people were lost in this family.” Barton cited incidents of contraband cellphones, fights in custody and concerns about Menendez’s overall accountability as factors in the denial. The Board set his next parole hearing in three years, though he could petition for an earlier appearance…