What Happened to the Menendez Brothers?
The Menendez brothers are two of the most infamous criminals in American history. Since killing their parents in 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez's life stories have been picked apart, examined, and retold numerous times. Now, Ryan Murphy has followed suit with his new show, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. The Netflix series has introduced a new generation of viewers to the story, many of whom are wondering where the brothers are now.
Spoiler alert: they’re in prison. Lyle and Erik Menendez confessed to shooting their parents shortly after it happened. Then, they were arrested and tried twice. The first trial was held in 1993. After days of deliberation, the jury couldn’t decide between manslaughter and first-degree murder, which led to a mistrial. During the court proceedings, the Menendez brothers said their father, Jose, molested them. Their mother, Kitty, allegedly took part in the abuse as well. Lyle and Erik claimed that they killed their parents in self-defense, but the prosecution argued against that. In 1995, the Menendez brothers were tried again and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Lyle was initially sent to Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California, but in 2018, he was transferred to Erik's facility in San Diego County. Lyle told DailyMailTV that he was happy they reunited. “It was just a remarkable moment,” he said. It was just something I wasn’t sure was ever going to happen.” Both brothers are married and seemingly acclimated to life behind bars.
For now, it appears that’s where they’ll stay. However, their defense attorney, Cliff Gardner, is trying to appeal their sentence. He uncovered new evidence that supports the brothers' abuse allegations and, as of last year, filed a motion to overturn their conviction. So far, a judge has not approved the appeal.
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