The Story Of The Menendez Brothers

Part 2 Of The Menendez Brothers

Where Are the Menendez Brothers Now?

In a shocking crime that later gripped the nation, Lyle and Erik Menendez gunned down their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home on August 20, 1989. The Menendez brothers were arrested for their parents’ murders in March 1990. They have been behind bars ever since.

In their first trial, Lyle and Erik testified that their father had sexually abused them as two juries, one for each brother, listened on. They said this abuse, which their mother had been aware of, made them fear for their lives, and that’s why they killed their parents. That first trial resulted in a deadlocked jury for each brother.

Lyle and Erik’s second trial began in 1995, this time with just one jury for the both of them. In this joint trial, the judge limited the defense’s ability to introduce sexual abuse allegations. Ultimately, the brothers were each convicted of first-degree murder in 1996. Although the death penalty was a possibility, they each received two consecutive life sentences without parole.

Lyle and Erik, who were 21 and 18 years old when they committed the murders, are now 56 and 53, older than their parents ever were. After spending so many years in prison, the two have adapted to the rhythms and rules of incarceration. They haven’t completely relinquished hope of someday living outside prison walls but currently remain locked up. Here’s everything you need to know about where the Menendez brothers are now and what their life is like today.

Where are the Menendez Brothers incarcerated?

Lyle Menendez on February 22, 2018

Erik Menendez on October 31, 2016

Lyle and Erik asked to be housed in the same prison when their sentences began in 1996. However, at the time, prison officials preferred to separate people who’d committed crimes together. In addition, a detective on their case warned that the brothers might plan an escape.

Through the years, Lyle continued to request a placement closer to his brother. On February 22, 2018, he was transferred from northern California’s Mule Creek State Prison to San Diego’s Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, where Erik had been incarcerated since 2013.

Lyle initially lived in a different housing unit than Erik at Donovan. But on April 4, 2018, prison officials moved Erik to the same unit as Lyle. According to Robert Rand, a journalist who keeps in contact with the Menendez brothers and members of their family, the two “burst into tears immediately” when they saw each other for the first time since 1996. Once only able to communicate via letters, now the brothers can meet during exercise, recreation, and meal periods.

What is life in prison like for the Menendez brothers?

The brothers’ notoriety has drawn attention from other inmates. In 2005, Erik told People, “I have gotten into fights… many fights. But I never fight first. You have to learn to be smart. There is a perpetual state of fear that exists as background noise. You always have to be aware of who is around you. You have to continually hone your survival instincts.”

That said, Lyle and Erik haven’t been regular troublemakers behind bars. The California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation tells Biography.com via email, “During his incarceration, Erik Menendez has incurred two serious rules violations. Joseph [Lyle] Menendez has incurred no rules violations.”

Thanks to their good behavior and efforts in prison jobs and classes, Erik and Lyle now live in a “non-designated programming facility” at Donovan. This unit, known as Echo Yard, offers inmates more freedom and rehabilitative and educational programming. Echo Yard prisoners take yoga and art classes, study different academic subjects, and join groups to address issues like anger management or alcoholism.