Over 30 years after the murder of their parents, Lyle and Erik Menendez are both serving life sentences at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California. The brothers were convicted in 1996 for the brutal killings of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home on August 20, 1989. During their highly publicized trial, they claimed they acted out of fear and self-defense due to years of abuse, but prosecutors argued they were motivated by greed to inherit their parents’ fortune.
The brothers initially tried to cover up their crime by claiming they found their parents dead after returning from a movie. However, police grew suspicious as the brothers began spending large sums of money on luxury items shortly after the murders. Their confession was recorded in therapy sessions, which ultimately became crucial evidence leading to their conviction. Both have since attempted to appeal their sentences, but their petitions have been rejected.
Lyle and Erik were separated for 22 years, with Lyle serving time at Mule Creek State Prison and Erik at the Richard J. Donovan facility. In February 2018, Lyle was transferred to the same facility as his brother, reuniting them after decades apart. Despite their reunion, they continue to serve their consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.
The case has recently regained public attention due to the release of the Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. The series revisits the brothers’ lives leading up to the murders and their subsequent trial. The show features Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny as José and Kitty Menendez, and Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch as Lyle and Erik Menendez.
