(NewsNation) — Erik Menendez’s wife, Tammi Menendez, expressed outrage after he was denied parole Thursday.
Tammi Menendez called the parole denial a “complete setup” and an “injustice” in a post on X.
She also expressed overt frustration with Parole Commissioner Robert Barton, claiming he had “his mind made up to deny Erik parole from the start!”
“Erik hasn’t had any infractions since 2011, apart from a cell phone possession,” she said in another post minutes later.
Barton cited multiple prison violations in his reasoning for denying Erik Menendez parole, including inappropriate behavior with visitors, drug smuggling, misuse of state computers, incidents of violence in 1997 and 2011 and possession of a cellphone, according to previous NewsNation reporting.
“Contrary to your supporters’ beliefs, you have not been a model prisoner,” Barton said.
Erik and Tammi Menendez’s relationship started when she sent him a letter while he was in prison, but not yet sentenced, in 1993. Their correspondence increased over time, and eventually, they got married in 1999 at Folsom Prison.
Erik Menendez and his older brother, Lyle, have been imprisoned for decades for the murder of their parents in 1989. However, renewed focus on the case has shed light on the alleged abuse the brothers endured from their parents. In May 2025, they were resentenced to 50 years to life in prison, granting them the opportunity for parole.
Lyle Menendez will appear before the California parole board Friday, Aug. 22.