Where are Lyle And Erik Menendez from Netflix's Monsters now?
Following on from The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Netflix have released Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which tells the story of two brothers who killed their parents on the 20th August, 1989. But where are Lyle and Erik Menendez now?
Released yesterday [19th September 2024], the nine part series is a dramatisation of a true crime which unfolded over 30 years ago, which saw two brothers fatally shoot their parents in their Beverly Hills home, later citing abuse as their motive.
How old were Lyle and Erik Menendez on the night of the murders?Lyle, who was 21 at the time of the murders, and his 18-year-old brother Erik, walked into their parents home on the evening of 20th August 1989, carrying shotguns.
What happened on the night of the Menendez murders?Their mother Kitty was shot 10 times, while their father José was shot six times, with a fatal shot to the back of his head. The brothers said they had been out to see a movie, Batman, getting rid of the guns and changing out of their clothes. When they came back and 'discovered' their parents' bodies, Erik dialled 911, and sobbed on the lawn in front of their house while telling them "Someone killed our parents."
Police believed their version of events, and did not initially suspect the brothers - failing to test them for gunshot residue or questioning their alibis. Instead, police began their investigation into what could have happened to the couple, looking into mob ties and potential suspects.
It was only when the Menendez brothers started spending their inheritance - blowing a reported $700,000 in six months on Rolex watches and cars - that they were eventually arrested, when police alleged that money was their motive.
Netflix
While Erik and Lyle initially denied any involvement in the murders, police enlisted the help of a friend of Erik's called Craig Cignarelli to attempt to gain a confession from the siblings. Though it didn't work, Erik did eventually confess to what had happened to Jerome Oziel, his psychologist, who then told his mistress Judalon Smyth about what he'd been told.
When Oziel broke off their affair, Judalon told the police about what Erik had said, and the brothers were arrested - Lyle first in March 1990, before Erik handed himself in three days later, six months after the murders.
Lyle and Erik at their trial in 1994
The case took place from 1993 to 1996, and was highly publicised, involving two juries, two trials and a mistrial. During the court case, the prosecution argued that the siblings killed their parents in an attempt to inherit their family fortune.
The brothers have always remained adamant that they suffered years of abuse at the hands of their parents, José and Kitty, saying they killed them out of self defence after their parents inflicted physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
Eventually, in March 1996, Lyle and Erik were found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder, both receiving consecutive life terms in prison without the possibility of parole.
Where are Lyle and Erik Menendez now?After receiving their life sentences, Lyle and Erik were sent to two different prisons. In 2018, they were moved the RJ Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, and allowed to serve the rest of their sentences from the same prison. It was the first time the brothers had seen each other for almost 22 years, being allowed to move into the same housing unit.
The real Lyle And Erik Menendez in 2003
In 2023, the brothers filed an appeal for a new hearing, based on new evidence which they say included testimony from Roy Rosselló, who claimed to have also been raped by José Menendez at the age of 14. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office confirmed the report to CNN in May 2023, commenting "We have received the habeas petition in the Menendez matter and it’s currently under review."
Neither Erik or Lyle are eligible for parole, and will spend the rest of their lives in prison. They are now aged 53 and 56.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is now streaming on Netflix
Dusty Baxter-Wright is an award-winning journalist and the Entertainment and Lifestyle Director at Cosmopolitan, having previously worked at Sugarscape. She was named one of PPA’s 30 Under 30 for her work covering pop culture, careers, interiors and travel, and oversees the site’s Entertainment and Lifestyle strategy across print, digital and video. As a journalist for the best part of a decade, she has interviewed everyone from Louis Theroux and Channing Tatum to Margot Robbie and Ncuti Gatwa, while she has also spoken on Times Radio and BBC Radio. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram here.
