Convicted killer Erik Menendez is in the hospital after being diagnosed with a serious medical condition, his family said Tuesday.
Menendez has reportedly been undergoing treatment for kidney stones at an outside medical facility since Friday, according to TMZ. Sources told the outlet that California Gov. Gavin Newsom is currently reviewing the change in medical status to determine if a “prison furlough” is appropriate.
Menendez’s attorney Mark Geragos said the condition is so serious that he’s calling for his client’s immediate release ahead of a parole hearing next month.
“I just think he should be parole furloughed,” Geragos told TMZ. “He could be medically furloughed in advance of the hearing so that he can work with the parole attorney and get up to speed and be ready and do it and give it his best shot. I think that it’s the only fair and equitable thing to do.”
Menendez, 54, and brother Lyle Menendez, 57, were initially sentenced to life without the possibility for parole after two high-profile trials for the 1989 murder of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, at their Beverly Hills home.
The brothers said they feared for their lives following years of sexual abuse by their father, who they allege threatened to kill them if they revealed the abuse.
After serving 35 years behind bars, a judge in May reduced the brothers’ sentences to 50 years to life. Under California state law, they became immediately eligible for release because they committed the crime when they were under the age of 26.
A parole hearing is scheduled for Aug. 21 and 22, though the process could be expedited for Erik Menendez, depending on what the governor decides about his medical condition. It’s unclear how long a furlough would last, though it could mean Menendez would not return to prison given that the hearing is only a month away.
During their resentencing, Judge Michael Jesic said he was impressed with the brothers’ behavior while behind bars at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.
“Life without parole gives an inmate no hope, no reason to do anything good,” Jesic said. “I give them a lot of credit. It’s remarkable what they did when they had no hope of getting out.”
Gov. Newsom previously indicted he was open to granting the brothers clemency, but wouldn’t make a decision until after the parole hearing is complete.
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