Lyle Menendez Denied Parole as He and Brother Erik Are to Remain in Prison 36 Years After Brutally Murdering Their Parents

Lyle Menendez has been denied parole after his family's desperate pleas for him and his brother, Erik Menendez, to be released from prison.

The California Parole Board declared Lyle, 54, should stay behind bars on Friday, August 22 — one day after his younger sibling, 57, was also denied parole.

The Menendez brothers won't be eligible for parole again for three years. The infamous duo has been in police custody ever since they were arrested in March 1990 for the double murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, which occurred less than one year prior.

Lyle's fate was as expected after Erik's parole hearing resulted in his request to leave prison being rejected.

The Menendez brothers' family had tried to remain positive about Lyle's outcome even after they were left "disappointed" in the board's decision to deny Erik parole.

"Tomorrow, we turn our attention to Lyle’s hearing," the Menendez family said in a statement on Thursday. "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."

Reacting to Erik being denied parole, his loved ones admitted: "While we respect the decision, today’s outcome was of course disappointing and not what we hoped for."

"But our belief in Erik remains unwavering and we know he will take the Board’s recommendation in stride. His remorse, growth, and the positive impact he’s had on others speak for themselves. We will continue to stand by him and hold to the hope he is able to return home soon," the message continued.

Lyle was 21 years old when he fatally gunned down his parents alongside his brother, Erik — who was 18 at the time — inside of the family's Beverly Hills home in August 1989.

While the Menendez brothers have owned up to the murders, they continue to claim the killings took place as a result of their father's yearslong sexual abuse. Erik and Lyle alleged Jose had been molesting them since age 6.

The convicted criminals accused their mom of knowing the incest abuse was taking place and doing nothing about it.

In addition to a public outcry from fans advocating for their release, several of Erik and Lyle's family members have also rallied in the Menendez brothers' defense.

"It’s time," Jose's sister Terry Menendez-Baralt insisted during an interview with ABC News' Chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman back in April. "Thirty-five years is a long time. It’s a whole branch of my family erased. The ones that are gone and the ones that are still paying for it, which were kids."

"For everybody, this is a story. For me, it's very personal. Those kids, they're like the boys that I didn't have," she expressed of her nephews.