It was 28 years ago. Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted in 1996, found guilty of the murder of their parents, seven years earlier. A case that was widely followed in the United States, as the public discovered the hidden side of the Menendez family, behind the veneer and the fortune. After inspiring a first series in 2017, it is now Ryan Murphy who rewrites the story of the parricidal brothers in the new season of the anthology series “Monsters”, available September 18 on Netflix. While the news story continues to fascinate, we take stock of the lives of the Menendez brothers today.
Also read: The true story of Lyle and Erik Menendez, the killers of season 2 of “Monster”
Still in prison, they have been reunited since 2018
After their convictions, Lyle and Erik were imprisoned in California, in two prisons separated by more than 800 km. Despite the distance and the impossibility of seeing each other, the two men remained close. They regularly sent each other letters, and even played chess through the mail.
They also actively participate in the community life of their prisons: Lyle supports prisoners with terminal and advanced illnesses, Erik runs a support group for inmates who were abused as children.
In February 2018, Lyle transferred to another prison. Erik joined him a few weeks later, in April. To the Daily Mail, Lyle confided that he had burst into tears when he was reunited with his brother. He mentioned several “I love yous” accompanied by “finally”, which the two men had repeated to each other after a “traumatic” separation. He rejoiced: “We always knew that the only thing that mattered was trying to be reunited. […] It’s like we’ve healed a wound. It’s been 25 years, I think that’s quite a long time.”
They both got (re)married
In 1999, Erik married Tammi Ruth, with whom he maintained a pen-and-paper relationship for years. In a 2005 interview with People, he said, “I was getting thousands of letters, but I put hers aside. […] I liked writing to him, we built a slow friendship.” After her trial, Tammi and Erik lost contact for a while, before she came back to him. She then explained to him that her husband had committed suicide after confessing to incestuous relations with his daughter from a previous marriage.
Erik and Tammy first met in 1997. It was love at first sight: “I knew right away that I could fall in love with her,” he recalls. “It was the best experience of my life. When she walked across the room… Wow! My body was on fire.” With Tammi, Erik rebuilt a family structure, and considered himself the “father on earth” of her daughter, Talia, after her father’s death.
For his part, Lyle married Anna Eriksson in 1996, and divorced in 2001. Two years later, he married Rebecca Sneed, who worked in the press before becoming a lawyer. Even separated by bars, life as a couple seems peaceful. “We probably have more intimate conversations than most married couples, distracted by the events of everyday life,” he explained in 2017 to “People”.
New evidence in their favor
In another interview, Lyle Menendez told ABC News, “It’s amazing how much my childhood prepared me for the chaos of prison life.” Many believe the Menendez brothers murdered their parents, José and Mary Louise Menendez, to get their fortune. But the two men, aged 21 and 18 at the time, have a completely different explanation. They allegedly suffered years of emotional, physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their father, taking advantage of their mother’s willful blindness.
During their trial, their cousin, Andy Cano, testified on their behalf. He explained that Erik had confessed to him, at age 13, that his father molested him. Prosecutors saw this as a lie, intended to protect the Menendez brothers. But last March, one of their lawyers claimed in a documentary that he had new evidence corroborating this version.
Among them is a letter from Erik, sent to Andy Cano, in December 1988, eight months before the murders. It reads: “It’s still going on, Andy, but it’s worse now. I can’t explain it. […] Every night I lie awake thinking he might come. […] I know what you said before, but I’m scared. You don’t know Dad like I do. He’s crazy! He warned me a hundred times not to tell anyone.” The Menendez brothers’ lawyers are hoping to get a new trial, and a review of their sentences, out of this.
Added to this is a documentary, “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed”, released in May 2023. Roy Rosselló, a member of a boy band managed by José Menendez, claimed to have also been raped by the latter, at the age of 14. A new accusation that supports the defense of the Menendez brothers.
A documentary on Netflix soon?
Can the Menendez brothers dream of a life after prison? For now, nothing is less certain. In any case, they will surely continue to exist outside of penitentiaries. After Ryan Murphy’s series, it is very likely that Netflix will look into this case again. The platform has reportedly negotiated an exclusivity contract with the two men, as part of an upcoming documentary.
