Erik Menendez, one of the two brothers convicted in the 1989 killing of their parents in Southern California, has been hospitalized for a “serious medical condition.”

Menendez, 54, was transferred from the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego to an outside medical facility where he remained as of July 22.

While details of the medical emergency were not disclosed, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed he is in “fair condition.”

The hospitalization comes weeks before Menendez and his brother, Lyle Menendez, 57, are set to face a parole board on Aug. 21 and 22.

The brothers were originally sentenced to life without parole, but on May 13, they were resentenced to 50 years to life and became eligible for parole because they had served 35 years behind bars.

Los Angeles prosecutors began reviewing new case evidence last year, questioning whether a life sentence was warranted. A Netflix documentary released in October also sparked renewed efforts to free the brothers.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has the final say on whether the two will be released, and he plans to make the decision by Labor Day.

Erik Menendez’s attorney, Mark Geragos, called for him to be released from prison ahead of the hearing through “medical furlough,” which allows an inmate access to specialized care.

Geragos cited previous cases in which furlough was granted, including inmates who were released during the coronavirus pandemic. He said it was the “only fair and equitable thing to do.”

In 1996, the brothers were convicted of first-degree murder for fatally shooting their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home.

They were tried twice in the 1990s, after their first trial ended with a hung jury.

The brothers, who were 18 and 21 at the time of the killings, claim they acted out of self-defense following years of sexual abuse at the hands of their father that went ignored by their mother.

Prosecutors argued that the brothers killed their parents for a multimillion-dollar inheritance.

Just last week, Judge William Ryan ordered prosecutors to explain why their murder conviction shouldn’t be reexamined, in response to new evidence coming to light.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office now has 30 days to make its case that the brothers should not be considered for a reduced sentence, a new trial, or release.

District Attorney Nathan Hochman filed a motion in March to withdraw his predecessor’s recommendation that the brothers’ prison sentence be shortened. Hochman said he believes the brothers have not exhibited “full insight and complete responsibility” for their crimes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.