Just 24 hours after Erik Menendez was denied parole, Lyle heard the same answer. For California’s justice system, the perception of both brothers hasn’t changed. Not yet. The decision was predictable after Erik’s refusal, but still surprising given the massive cultural and media campaign that aimed to reposition their image.

For a while, it seemed like Netflix’s series might succeed in changing public perception. The resurfacing of letters, testimony about abuse, and the narrative force of the production gave voice to a version in which Lyle and Erik were no longer just “cold-blooded killers” but victims of a violent home. Yet the legal reality told another story: in August, both were denied parole.

In Erik’s case, prison infractions weighed heavily — from smuggled cell phones and drugs to a perceived lack of empathy, especially regarding his mother. Lyle, while considered less problematic in daily prison life, was also flagged for antisocial traits and evasive behavior. In the end, the board concluded that both still represent a public risk, and they can only reapply in three years. Until then, their legal teams will likely turn to alternatives: petitions for clemency from California’s governor or attempts at a new trial based on evidence that wasn’t considered back in the 1990s.

This tension between cultural narrative and judicial reality becomes even clearer when compared with Bryan Kohberger’s case, where prosecutors withdrew the death penalty in exchange for life without parole. The deal sparked criticism: many pointed out that if his case mirrored the Menendez brothers’, decades from now, Kohberger might also be seeking release. That parallel may have weighed heavily in the political and judicial climate. Granting parole to the Menendez brothers now could have been seen as a dangerous shortcut, undermining the promise that some crimes have no return.

While the Menendez case tries to reframe itself as a family tragedy rooted in abuse, Kohberger embodies the archetype of the methodical, detached, almost dehumanized killer. The contrast is striking. And perhaps that’s why the wave of sympathy for the brothers wasn’t enough to sway justice: in a world where new “monsters” like Kohberger dominate headlines and courtrooms, it’s harder to believe that Lyle and Erik will ever be seen through a lens of humanity.