Where are Lyle and Erik Menendez now? (The answer isn't as surprising as you'd think)

It’s been over 30 years since Lyle and Erik Menendez first made headlines for the 1989 murders of their parents José and Mary Louise Menendez, but the brothers’ story is once again making headlines and captivating a new generation of viewers thanks to Netflix. 

The Menendez brothers are at the forefront of the latest season of Netflix’s Emmy-winning anthology series Monster, which revisits the events of the past to tell the story of Lyle and Erik and the murder trial that made headlines following their arrests in March 1990. With Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story now streaming on Netflix, interest in the brothers’ case is on the rise as viewers go down the true crime rabbit hole to learn more about the case and the events of the past that both led up to the murder of José and Mary Louise Menendez, the trials that became front-page news, and the what became of Lyle and Erik. 

Now, it seems odd to add a spoiler warning to a piece discussing real-life events that happened decades ago, but given we’re exploring the Lyle and Erik story through the context of the Netflix show, let this be a warning that spoilers are to come regarding the events Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is based upon. 

Lyle and Erik were found guilty, just not after their first trial

Following the August 20, 1989 murder of José and Mary Louise Menendez, an investigation into their death began and the police eventually arrested their children Lyle and Erik Menendez for the murders in March 1990.

Following their arrest, Lyle and Erik went on trial for the murder of their parents with their trial officially beginning on July 20, 1993. By the time Lyle and Erik had their day in court, it became evident that the pair were guilty of the murders of their mother and father but the biggest question surrounding the case was the motive behind the murders. 

That motive came to light during the trial as Lyle and Erik testified that their father had been sexually abusing them for years and that their mother enabled the abuse. The brothers claimed that it was fear which ultimately drove them to kill their parents, with the brothers testifying that they feared for their lives – which became the heart of their defense team’s legal argument: that the murders were in self-defense. The prosecution, meanwhile, argued that the murders were premeditated acts and that the true motivation was greed.

After months of testimony, the trial ended in a pair of deadlocked juries, yes juries. In their first trial, the brothers were tried separately with two juries sitting in on the case. With the juries deadlocked, a second trial was ordered and began in 1995 but this time there was only one jury. 

In the second trial, the judge of the trial limited the brothers’ defense team’s ability to introduce the brothers’ sexual abuse allegations which has been a topic of much discussion over the years. After 16 hours of deliberation, the jury returned with a guilty verdict and convicted both Lyle and Erik of first-degree murder in 1996. While the death penalty was on the table, the brothers were instead each receiving two consecutive life sentences without parole.   

Where are Lyle and Erik as of 2024? 

As of 2024, Lyle and Erik both remain behind bars and have been in prison ever since their arrests in 1990 for the murders of their parents, José and Mary Louise Menendez. At the time of the murders, Lyle and Erik were 21 and 18, respectively, and the brothers are both alive today with Lyle now 56 and Erik turning 53 this November. 

When they were first convicted, Lyle and Erik were sent to separate prisons as it was customary at the time for prisoners who committed crimes together to be separated in jail. This decision was also made after the detective on the case warned officials that if the brothers were sent to the same prison, they would likely attempt a joint escape. 

After years apart, Lyle and Erik were reunited in April 2018 when Erik was transferred to the same unit as Lyle marking the first time the brothers had seen one another since their trial ended in 1996. Now based in the same prison, the brothers are able to see one another during recreational time and meals. 

Their status as Group A prisoners also allowed them to receive letters and visits, and to make calls from within the  California corrections system. This is actually how both brothers came to meet their wives with Erik marrying Tammi Saccoman in 1999 after the two became pen pals. Meanwhile, Lyle married Rebecca Sneed in 2003, following a failed marriage to model Anna Eriksson which ended in divorce in 2001 following a 5-year marriage.