A Los Angeles judge has officially reduced the sentences of Erik and Lyle Menendez.
This makes them eligible for parole more than three decades after they were convicted of murdering their parents in 1989.
Judge Michael Jesic ruled on Tuesday to resentence the brothers to 50 years to life.
This replaces their previous sentence of life without parole.
The decision opens the door for the state parole board to consider their release, with a hearing scheduled for next month.
The Menendez brothers have been incarcerated since 1990 for the shotgun killings of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home.
The case shocked the nation and had since inspired numerous books, films, and documentaries, remains highly polarising.
During the resentencing hearing, both brothers made emotional statements expressing remorse and acknowledging the trauma they caused.
“I had to stop being selfish and immature to really understand what my parents went through in those last moments,” said Erik Menendez
Also, Lyle Menendez broke down while apologising to surviving family members.
He said: “I lied to you and forced you into a spotlight of public humiliation”.
In their defence, the Menendez brothers have long claimed they acted in self-defence after enduring years of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their father.
Also, this is an assertion that divided the public and was hotly debated during their trials.
Despite strong opposition from the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office, which argued the brothers had not been rehabilitated, Judge Jesic acknowledged the substantial progress both had made in prison.
Erik And Lyle Menendez
Over the past 30 years, Erik and Lyle have completed numerous educational programmes and created initiatives to support fellow inmates.
This includes a hospice care project for elderly and terminally ill prisoners.
Judge Jesic noted that the brothers were eligible for resentencing under updated legal guidelines.
However, he emphasised that their original punishment had been justified at the time.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman called the resentencing decision “monumental”.
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The final decision on whether the Menendez brothers will be released rests with the California parole board.
Meanwhile, the California parole will evaluate their case next month.
