The Lyle brothers and Erik Menendez were sentenced to jail on Tuesday for the possibility of parole. The brothers stayed in jail for 35 years after being arrested in 1989 for killing their parents with a shotgun.

So what's wrong with the two brothers? Can they release them?

What's wrong with Erik and Lyle Menendez?

On August 20, 1989, then-21-year-old Lyle and 18-year-old Erik fired multiple a-guns at their Beverly Hills mansion, Jose Menendez and Mary "Kitty" Louise. The brothers were arrested in 1990.

The brothers' lawyers said they were murdered because Jose had been sexually abused for years, and Katie made the act murderous while emotionally abused them. However, prosecutors argued that the intention behind the murder was malicious, and that the brothers wanted to inherit their parents’ millions of dollars in wealth. Jose serves as music and film director and heads the successful record label RCA, which signed artists such as Duran Duran.

A trial in 1994 led to a jury. In 1996, the brothers were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to no parole.

The case became a feed for American pop culture reference, including in comedy dramas such as Gilmore Girls and 30 Rock. Last year, a new generation of Americans were introduced to the case with the release of the nine-part Netflix biopic Monster: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez, an attempt to portray the murder and the views of brothers. A month after Netflix's performance, a separate documentary about the case was also released.

The public calls on them to release their families along with celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Rosie O'Donnell, growing bigger and bigger, the Tiktok movement emerged after the show and documentary release.

Currently, the brothers are held at the Richard J Donovan Correctional Facilities in San Diego, California.

Why did the Menandes brothers suffer resentment?

The brothers were indignant about this under the California young criminal regulations. This applies to those who commit crimes under the age of 26, which immediately qualifies for parole after half of their term.

This resentment is one of three possible free paths the brothers seek. The other two include leniency granted by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who ordered the parole board to assess whether the brothers pose a danger to society; and a new trial, an option objected to the office of Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman. The brothers' lawyers filed a motion in May 2023, detailing new evidence and seeking a new trial.

Judge Michael Jesic of the Los Angeles Superior Court was outraged by the Menendez Brothers. The decision was brought after a full-day hearing, where their families testified to the court where the brothers were released.

Jesus said their sins were “terrible”, but he said how the brothers recovered in prison was “amazing.” Jesus said, “This is something I have never seen before.”

Anamaria Baralt, 54, the brothers' first cousin, told the court Tuesday that the brothers were "universal forgiveness" by both families. "They are different from the boys who committed these crimes," Bharat said.

Other family members say the brothers should receive honors for their recovery while in prison. They cite Lyle’s 2018 prison beautification project Green Space and Erik’s role in providing hospice care to his peers.

Lyle and Erik, 57 and 54, spoke to the court Tuesday through a video link from the San Diego prison and were responsible for their actions. "My crime is not just a crime. It's wrong. It's immoral. It's cruel and vicious," said Eric. "Today, 35 years later, I'm ashamed of who I am."

But prosecutor Habib Balian said he was not convinced by the testimony of family members and argued that the court could not be sure that the brothers would not commit other violent crimes. "We know... what they have the ability to do," he said.

Is there any new evidence in the Menandes case?

In recent years, there has been new evidence that defense lawyers have pointed out that brothers who have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of Jose.

This includes a letter written by Erik to his cousin detailing his father's sexual abuse at the age of 17.

Additionally, Roy Rossello, a male band member in the 1980s, publicly revealed that Jose sexually assaulted him in the 2023 Peacock Documentary series. Rossello's band is known as Menudo, and the documentary series is known as Menendez + Menudo: The boy is betrayed.

The emergence of new evidence is a trigger for the brothers to explore new avenues to ensure their release.

Can they be released?

Although the brothers were initially sentenced, there was no possibility of parole as early as 1996, their new sentence allowed parole. This means they can be released before the judgment is over.

Before they are released, they must release them for why they should be released before the state parole board. The brothers will be imprisoned until then, and now the fate is determined by the state parole board and California Governor Newsom.

Lyle and Erik will appear on June 13 ahead of the parole board’s risk assessment report, Newsom ordered helping his broad-minded decision. Newsom needs to sign this if the board does approve their release.