Erik Menendez Denied Parole, Officials Cite Public Safety Risk

California officials have denied Erik Menendez parole, ruling that the 54-year-old convicted killer still poses an unreasonable risk to public safety.

The decision came three months after a Los Angeles judge resentenced Erik and his brother Lyle to 50 years to life for the 1989 shotgun murders of their parents. (Photo:  Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, San Diego, California)

He will be eligible to apply again in three years, Tim Stelloh reported for NBC News.

“I believe in redemption, or I wouldn’t be doing this job,” said Robert Barton, a commissioner with the California Board of Parole Hearings, after nearly 10 hours of testimony.

“But based on the legal standards, we find that you continue to pose an unreasonable risk to public safety.”

The decision came three months after a Los Angeles judge resentenced Erik and his brother Lyle to 50 years to life for the 1989 shotgun murders of their parents, replacing their prior sentences of life without parole.

That ruling made the brothers eligible for parole suitability hearings.

Lyle Menendez, 57, is scheduled to appear before the parole board Friday. In a statement, the brothers’ relatives said they respected the decision but were disappointed.