Where are the menendez brothers now? A look at their lives behind bars.
Netflix is preparing to tell the story of the notorious Menendez brothers in the second season of its Monsters series. Many people are curious about the lives of Lyle and Erik Menendez today…. They have been in prison for more than three decades, since their conviction on allegations of murdering their wealthy parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez, at home in Beverly Hills on August 20th 1989.
The Crime That Shocked America
Lyle and Erik Menendez were arrested in March 1990 for the brutal slaughter of their parents, a crime that shook the nation and dominated headlines. During their first trial, both brothers claimed that their mother and father had sexually abused them. They argued that this led them to fear for life itself, prompting them into murder. Despite these allegations–the first trial ended in a hung jury, with jurors unable to reach agreement.
In 1995 the brothers faced a second trial. This time they had only one jury. The judge restricted the defense’s ability to present evidence of sexual abuse, which was a significant factor in the outcome of the case. In 1996 both brothers were convicted of first degree murder and recieved two consecutive life sentences each without parole Now in their mid-50s, the brothers have spent most of their lives far from the world that they once knew, over 20 miles from anyone resembling luxury.
Life Behind Bars
After being sentenced to prison for murder in 1996, Lyle and Erik have been experiencing the minefield of life and living behind iron.As the pair were initially placed in separate jails, theofficer said, that’s because if they were together they might try to escape. Initially, Lyle was sent to Mule Creek State Prison. In 2013, Erik went to San Diego and was incarcerated at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility.For years and years Lyle had applied to get his ailing body, diseased with hernias, moved closer too where his brother is. His request was finally granted in February 2018 when he and Erik arrived at the same prison.Little more than a month later, on April 4, 2018, they were both in the same cell.It reported in phone conversations with journalists such as Robert Rand, who had maintained contact with the Menendez brothers that they “wept like children the very moment they saw each other,” after years of not meeting having gone since then by letter life etc.Now they can spend time together during exercise, recreation and homemaking allowing them an experience no one could have expected just a few years back–limited communication done on paper in prison.Adapt to Prison Life
The notoriety of the Menendez brothers has made them targets within the system. Erik has talked about the physical haazards of being in prison.He told People magazine in 2005 that he had been in numerous fights, although he never started them, and currently bears a variety of scars from assaults on him which require surgery associated with another medical carrier; deformities as well. In his own words (Spanish quote) but poorly translated: You live on nerves here.
Overcoming these hurdles however, both Lyle and Erik have managed during incarceration to stay out of major disciplinary trouble. Only two serious rule infractions have been committed by Erik, according to the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation; whereas Lyle has yet to receive a single violation for breaking prison rules. Their good behavior has allowed them to live in the “Echo Yard” of Donovan Prison, which is what that kind of unit is typically called in California facilities. They get more freedom and more chances at programs like those available to ordinary civilians–yoga, art classes, meditation or anger management and alcoholism treatment courses.
Moving Forward with Interests and Rehabilitation
Both brothers have found ways to give back positively to their prison community and also to keep busy. Erik has worked on projects for prisoners who are ill with terminal diseases and become interested in meditation, even teaching the subject himself. In December of 2018, his aunt told ABC News that Erik was dedicated to carrying a message of faith among inmates, quite a departure from the background he had at home. At the time Lyle was serving as a prison leader (a “yard man”) and he proposed to put up a mural on one of these areas in Echo Yard together with Erik. Art has also become a major outlet for Erik. and Lyle did the same too–something that brought them together in Art as serious artists. Lyle has served in inmate government at Mule Creek State Prison for 14 years, and has been actively engaged in prison reform efforts. This interest shared by Erik also. Both brothers have also offered help and guidance to fellow inmates who have experienced childhood sexual abuse, drawing on their own traumatic experiences.
Maintaining Connections with the Outside World
Despite being in prison, Lyle and Erik remain in touch with friends and family. They are classified as Group A prisoners, which means they can enjoy more visits and make more phone calls than most. At one time phone calls from prison were expensive, but in 2023 a law made them free for inmates and theofamilies.
By June 2023, Donovan prisoners finally got tablets after California started giving them to inmates back in 8/21. These tablets come with restrictions, but they do allow inmates to read magazines, keep up with what’s happening in the world, and communicate via video calls and text messages with approved contacts while they are receiving an email or text message.
Finding Love Behind Bars
Strangely enough, both Lyle and Erik have found love in the course of being incarcerated. Erik married Tammi Saccoman in 1999 after she reached out to him while he was still awaiting sentencing for his first trial. Their relationship, chronicled in Tammi’s book They Said We’d Never Make It: My Life With Erik Menendez, has stood up under the strain of prison life.
Lyle, on the other hand, married Rebecca Sneed at Mule Creek State Prison in 2003. This was his second marriage; his first, to former model Anna Eriksson, ended in divorce. Still, even though California lifers since 2016 have been able to have conjugal visits, Lyle and Erik are disqualified by the nature of their crime.
Lyle shared with ABC News about his marriage: “We have found a way of being healthy and fulfilling, in this limited environment. So how do you unquestionably both use creative communication skills to love deep conversations, and make choices outside the.jpg, without all those perplexing marital problems?”
Could Freedom Be in Their Future?
Lyle and Erik have, over the years, filed numerous appeals aimed at overturning their conviction–all to no avail. But a new development in May 2023 has rekindled hope for their possible release. Attorneys for the Menendez brothers filed a habeas petition, asking either a new evidentiary hearing or vacating of their convictions. This petition followed claims by Roy Rosselló, a former member of the boy band Menudo now turned reality TV host, that José Menendez had sexually assaulted him during the 1980s.
In 2018, a letter Erik wrote a cousin eight months before the murders was accidentally discovered as well. It was in this letter that Erik vented everything, saying how frightened he felt under on-going abuse from his father: “I’ve tried avoiding dad. Andy, it’s still happening but now the difference is it hurts worse. I never know when it will happen and this is driving me to madness. Every night I lie awake anticipating he might come in.”
The Menendez Brothers’ Story Returns to the Spotlight
Even now, more than thirty years after the Menendez brothers abused and killed their parents, the case continues to grip public attention. The brothers’ first trial could be seen on CourtTV and is still available online, and there have been numerous movies, TV shows and documentaries based on their story.
In 2024 their story will be retold through a variety of media. Netflix’s second season in its Monster series— Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story debuts on September 19 featuring Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch as Lyle and Erik, with Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny in the role of their parents. There will also be a Netflix documentary about the Menendez brothers that is promised as further insight below beneath their crimes than which is hitherto singularly the case.
As the Menendez brothers serve out their lives in prison, their tale still carries with it some interesting lessons about family dynamics and the way abuse can affect an individual.