From prison, Lyle Menendez spoke by phone to an audience at CrimeCon in Nashville
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation via AP
Lyle Menendez
Lyle Menendez’s fate is in the hands of the court, which is reviewing a petition filed last year that could potentially free him and his brother Erik. But for now, the man convicted of murdering his parents in 1989 is just trying to better himself.
Speaking on the phone from prison, Lyle told a crowd at CrimeCon in Nashville what his life is like behind bars and shared an update on his educational pursuits.
“I received my bachelor’s degree in sociology from UC Irvine,” Lyle told the audience. “It’s the first time a University of California college has partnered with corrections to have a very small graduating class. I have found my way into it. So about 23 inmates will graduate on June 20, so it will be exciting.”
Lyle was interviewed at CrimeCon by Mark Geragos, his longtime attorney, and NewsNation correspondent Laura Ingle.
Related: Menendez Brother Explains Why He Didn’t Accuse Parents of Abuse When He Initially Confessed to Murders
The Menendez brothers were convicted of the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty, who were shot to death in their Beverly Hills mansion. In 1996, the brothers were sentenced to life in prison without parole after a second trial. Lyle was 21 and Erik 18 at the time of the murders.
The brothers do not dispute that they shot their parents, but instead claim that the killings were self-defense, alleging that Jose had sexually abused them for years and that Kitty had enabled the abuse. Prosecutors argued that the abuse allegations were fabricated.
Lyle realized he might never get out of prison and said he focused on improving his life, including studying sociology.
“I just decided, even though I’m in prison and there’s no hope of freedom, I still have the chance to be a productive person and feel like I’m proud of what I do with my day do,” Lyle said. “Education seemed like an obvious answer to that question.”
He also said he is trying to get a master’s degree in urban planning, which he said ties into the work he has done to redesign the prison grounds in a way that is less “harsh and oppressive.”
“Not to make prison more fun and less of a punishment, but to create a sense of community so that prisoners can learn to function in a sense of community, almost like a campus, and be more open to changing their lives. ” he said of the redesign.
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Erik and Lyle’s attorney filed a petition for habeas corpus in Los Angeles Supreme Court last year, reviewed by PEOPLE, citing evidence found in a docuseries, Menendez + Menudo: Boys betrayed.
The evidence presented includes a claim by Menudo member Roy Rosselló, who alleged that Jose, an executive of RCA Records, raped him.
The subpoena also included a letter that attorneys say Erik sent to his cousin before the shooting detailing Jose’s alleged abuse.
Lyle ended the conversation with Geragos and Ingle by thanking everyone who wrote to him and Erik.
“We hope for the best,” he told the crowd.
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