After watching Netflix’s Monsters, some viewers will be wondering where the Menendez brothers are now and if they’re serving sentences in prison.
From Baby Reindeer to Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter, Netflix has consistently shocked and moved viewers around the world with its offering of true crime documentaries and shows inspired in some way by true events. The latest crime drama to have sparked debate - as well as controversy - is Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Across nine episodes the show delves into Lyle and Erik Menendez’s murder of their parents José and Kitty in 1989, their subsequent arrest and the horrifying revelations that come to light afterwards as they explained what they claim led them to commit their crime.
The Monsters true story that inspired the show is every bit as chilling and many people watching the Netflix drama might have been left wondering where Lyle and Erik Menendez are now - and if they’re still in prison.
*Warning: This article contains references to sensitive subject matters*
Where are the Menendez brothers now and are they still in prison?
Brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez are currently still in prison and have been ever since they were convicted of the murders of José and Kitty Menendez. They killed their parents at their home in Beverly Hills, California in August 1989 and after establishing alibis, they returned home and claimed that they’d found their parents dead. After escaping detection for several months, the Menendez brothers were caught, albeit not at the exact same time. Lyle was arrested in March 1990 and a few days later Erik handed himself into the police and the case went to trial in 1993, with each brother tried by a separate jury.
Prosecutors at the time argued that Lyle and Erik had killed their wealthy parents so they could inherit their estate. The Menendez brothers’ lawyers instead claimed that Lyle and Erik committed the crimes after allegedly being horrifically psychologically, emotionally and sexually abused.
According to the BBC, the brothers went on to claim that the murders were committed in self-defence as they apparently feared their father would kill them to prevent them revealing what they’d been through. This 1993 trials ended up being declared mistrials after the original juries were unable to reach unanimous verdicts. Lyle and Erik Menendez then ended up being tried again together in 1995.
The BBC reports that the judge in this re-trial excluded evidence of abuse from Lyle and Erik’s defence case. This time both of the Menendez brothers were found guilty and were convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder in 1996. They were sentenced to life imprisonment, with no possibility of being granted parole.
Are the Menendez brothers serving sentences in the same prison?
Initially the Menendez brothers weren’t serving their life sentences in the same prison, however this is understood to have all changed in 2018. As reported by the BBC, Lyle was moved to San Diego's RJ Donovan Correctional Facility after his security level was supposedly lowered and in April 2018 they apparently met in the prison housing unit. It was suggested that the Menendez brothers "burst into tears" after being reunited after many decades. In an interview with ABC in 2017, Lyle revealed that during their years apart they did stay in contact via letters and described their bond as "really strong".
The Menendez family, including the brothers, have been critical of Netflix’s Monsters since its release. The Guardian reports that a statement from 24 members of the Menendez family was shared on social media, in which they declared that the show was a "phobic, gross, anachronistic, serial episode nightmare that is not only riddled with mistruths and outright falsehoods but ignores the most recent exculpatory revelations".
Meanwhile, Erik Menendez’s wife also released a statement from her husband on social media which dubbed the show a "dishonest portrayal" that tells "horrible and blatant lies". In response to the family’s statement, Monsters’ co-creator Ryan Murphy told Variety that he finds their criticism "interesting".
He said, "I find it interesting because I would like specifics about what they think is shocking or not shocking. It’s not like we’re making any of this stuff up. It’s all been presented before. What we’re doing is we’re the first to present it in one contained ecosystem."
On 7th October, just over two weeks after the release of Monsters, Netflix is set to release The Menendez Brothers documentary. Both Lyle and Erik Menendez were interviewed for this upcoming documentary.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is available to watch now on Netflix.
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