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Lyle Menéndez and Erik Menéndez have been behind bars since 1996 for the murder of their parents, JoséMenéndez and Kitty Menéndez. The brothers’ story and trials resurfaced with the release of Ryan Murphy‘s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story in 2024. After their second trial ended, Lyle and Erik were separated and placed into separate prisons. So, where are they now?
Where Are the Menendez Brothers Now?
Lyle and Erik are currently serving their prison sentences at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California. The two were initially separated and placed into separate prisons following their 1996 conviction. Lyle was in custody at the Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California, and Erik spent time at both Folsom State Prison and Pleasant Valley Prison in California.
In February 2025, Erik shared his experience behind bars during an appearance on TMZ’s podcast, “2 Angry Men.” Reflecting on his time in prison at around 29 years old, he explained, “I was picked on, bullied violently, and it was traumatic and it was continual. Those are things that a lot of inmates in prison go through when they’re not part of a gang structure and they come in and they’re basically lone wolves, they just have to be by themselves. Prison can be hard, and there’s a lot of suffering in prison…I’m not gonna fight back, I’m not going to engage, and I had no one really to turn to for help, and I was separated from Lyle.”
In 2018, the Menéndez brothers were placed at RJD but housed in separate units. Later that year, Lyle was reportedly moved into the same housing unit as his brother, and he and Erik were reunited for the first time in more than 20 years. The siblings have been behind bars together since then.
Throughout their individual incarcerations, the Menéndezes married their respective wives. Lyle wed his first wife, Anna Eriksson, in 1996, shortly before he and Erik received their sentencing. Anna and Lyle eventually divorced, and he married his second wife, Rebecca Sneed, in 2003. For Erik’s part, he married his wife, Tammi Saccoman, in 1999.
When Will Lyle and Erik Menendez Be Released?
Erik and Lyle were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
However, the brothers’ defense attorney, Cliff Gardner, is trying to secure their release from prison, Forbes reported. A letter resurfaced in recent years, and it could support Lyle and Erik’s claim that they killed their parents out of self-defense. Additionally, musician Roy Rosselló alleged that José sexually assaulted him when he was a teenager. As a result, Cliff submitted both the letter and Roy’s affidavit as new evidence to argue that Lyle and Erik’s convictions should be overturned.
On October 24, 2024, former District Attorney George Gascón announced his formal recommendation for resentencing and parole eligibility in the case. However, Gascón was later unseated in the election by Nathan Hochman, a former federal prosecutor who took office on December 2. Initially, Hochman stated he would need time to review the case files before making a decision. He later announced that his office had withdrawn the motion for resentencing, citing a lack of accountability and continued deception by those involved.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic held a hearing on April 11 to announce that resentencing proceedings for the Menendez brothers would continue on April 17 and 18, 2025. The two-day hearing would determine whether their life sentences without the possibility of parole could be revised to allow for potential release.
They eventually had their resentencing hearing on May 13, 2025.
Erik and Lyle Menendez Documentary Release
Shortly after the release of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story aired on Netflix, the Menendez brothers appeared in a trailer for an upcoming documentary. The doc was released by Netflix on October 7, 2024.
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