Erik and Lyle Menendez were denied parole by a California board this week after decades in prison for killing their parents in 1989 at their Beverly Hills mansion.

It marks a major setback for the pair who had seen recent court wins that brought them closer than ever to freedom.

Lyle and Erik Menendez were both rejected by a California Parole Board this week, but the disclosure of an audio recording nearly derailed the proceeding Friday.