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The Menendez brothers’ path to freedom took another turn as California Gov. Gavin Newsom has withdrawn his request for a clemency investigation.
This move now makes the brothers’ June hearing before the parole board a chance for Lyle and Erik to be granted an early release.
Newsom’s office confirmed to Fox News Digital that the June 13 clemency hearing is now being converted into a parole hearing.
The governor’s office added that Newsom agrees with the Board of Parole Hearings’ recommendation to convert the June 13 clemency hearings to parole hearings, saying that “the clemency application is still considered active.”
“We started a process, as you know, which was intended to help inform the judge in the resentencing of the risk assessment. We thought that would be prudent to do before any resentencing. That process has unfolded over the course of the last number of months, and forensic psychologists did an assessment of the risk of each individual brother,” Newsom said.
Newsom’s office explained that the legal standard in California for release on parole is whether an inmate poses an unreasonable risk to public safety, which has to be determined before the governor can make a decision on commutations.
“This process doesn’t mean there’s any guaranteed outcome, but it shows we’re doing our due diligence, ensuring transparency, keeping public safety at the forefront, making sure the process is fair for everyone involved and getting closer to a conclusion,” Newsom’s office said.
Newsom’s June 13 parole board hearings are planned to go on as scheduled, and the board will have the opportunity to free the brothers.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Erik and Lyle Menendez “will likely be freed in a matter of months,” adding that he does not expect “the parole board or Gov. Newsom” to block their release.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com