The Menendez brothers were denied parole. They have to wait at least 18 months for their next chance

Erik and Lyle Menendez were denied parole after decades in prison for fatally shooting their parents in 1989 at their Beverly Hills mansion. Two-day hearings questioned the brothers about childhood abuse, their mindsets before and after the murders, and prison transgressions. Each brother received a three-year denial and will be eligible to request an administrative review in one year; if granted, they could appear before the parole board as early as 18 months. Illicit cellphone possession was treated as a serious infraction because phones can be used to order hits, move drugs, and coordinate attacks, and smuggling may benefit prison gangs.

Erik and Lyle Menendez were denied parole by a California board this week after decades in prison for killing their parents in 1989 at their Beverly Hills mansion. During two days of hearings, the brothers were each questioned by panels of two commissioners and asked to speak with complete candor on the abuse they suffered in childhood, their mindsets leading up to and after the murders and various prison transgressions.

The case has long captivated true crime enthusiasts, with the brothers amassing public support in the past year after shows on Netflix renewed interest. The hearings marked the closest they have come to freedom since their convictions. Despite each receiving three-year denials, they will be eligible to request an administrative review in one year. If granted, they could appear before the parole board again as early as 18 months from now. Here are the takeaways from the hearings:

While it might not seem like a big deal to the non-incarcerated public, commissioners emphasized to the brothers that their use of illicit cellphones cast a shadow on their positive achievements while behind bars. Cellphones can be used to order hits, move drugs in prison and coordinate attacks on officers, they noted. Their presence meant a correctional officer had to smuggle them in, and a prison gang may have benefited by charging a tax on it, Commissioner Robert Barton told Erik Menendez.

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