Wives, religion, and helping the terminally ill— Lyle and Eric Menendez were convicted
of killing their parents, but they have managed to build full lives behind bars.
What's their life in prison like? And what new evidence could help them both get new trials?
In 1996, Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted of the murder of their parents,
Jose and Kitty. Throughout the trial, the Menendez brothers' lawyer made a strong argument that their
brutal attack was the result of years of terrible abuse at the hands of their father — and witness
testimonies backed up allegations that Jose had sexually abused his two sons. At one point,
Erik took the stand to testify that molestation began when he was 6-years-old.
"He would ask me if I'd told anyone, and I said no."
However, the extremely graphic nature of the killings — carried out with shotguns — was
ultimately enough to lead to life sentences for them both. Prosecutors argued that
the Menendez brothers merely wanted to get their hands on the family fortune,
which they started spending quickly once they inherited.
The brothers had a strong desire to be incarcerated together, but September 10,
1996, would be the last day they would see each other for over 20 years. The two were also held
in maximum security cells, so they did not have much interaction with anyone early on.
In the following decades, Erik and Lyle were typically at least 500 miles away from each other,
in separate prisons. While phone calls between the two were prohibited, they did manage to find ways
to stay in contact throughout all those years. In an interview with People, Lyle Menendez said,
"We write each other regularly. We even play chess through the mail, but it's a little slow."
During the trial, Lyle Menendez and his girlfriend, Anna Eriksson,
continued their romantic correspondence. Even the high likelihood that he would
spend the rest of his life behind bars did not deter their love, at least at first,
and the two married. The relationship did not last, and ended in divorce a short time later.
But Lyle did not remain single for long. He soon formed a deep connection with another woman,
Rebecca Sneed, whom he had known for a decade. In 2003, the two were allowed to
wed in the maximum-security visiting area of Mule Creek State Prison. The couple is still
married to this day and the distance does not seem to be a problem. Lyle told People,
"Our interaction tends to be very free of distractions and we probably have more
intimate conversations than most married spouses do, who are distracted by life's events. We try
and talk on the phone every day, sometimes several times a day. I have a very steady,
involved marriage and that helps sustain me and brings a lot of peace and joy."
Similar to his brother, Erik Menendez was also in touch with a woman during
the trial, which began in 1993. The relationship was platonic at first,
with Tammi initially reaching out through letters because of the sympathy she felt
for Erik as she watched his story unfold on television. At the time, she was also married.
Tammi supported Erik through a difficult time, and he returned the favor in 1996 when Tammi had
her own horrific experiences. First, she discovered her husband had been sexually
abusing her teenage daughter for three years. Her husband confessed his crimes to the authorities
before taking his own life. Tammi reached out to Erik, who comforted her through his letters.
In an interview with People, Tammi admitted she was extremely nervous to meet Erik in person,
but that instantly faded. She said,
"When he walked into the room, he was so full of life,
he hopped down the stairs. It was like I was meeting an old friend."
By 1999, the two became so serious that they tied the knot at Folsom
State Prison. When describing their marriage years later, Erik said,
"Tammi's love has propelled me to become a better person. I want to be the greatest
possible husband to her. And this affects the choices I make every day in prison."
"He's always there for me emotionally, and I didn't have that with my first marriage."
The harsh conditions of prison can lead imprisoned people toward a
stronger devotion to their faith, which was the case for Erik Menendez early on.
In the interview with People, Erik spoke about his activities at that time, saying,
"I write and read about spirituality, about life. I want to be productive,
to find some meaning in helping others."
Years later, Erik has continued his compassionate pursuits. Journalist Robert Rand,
who has reported on the brothers' case since 1989, revealed to A&E True Crime,
"Erik leads several self-help groups every week at Donovan,
including a mindful meditation group, and has started a hospice group at Donovan."
In their lives behind bars, the Menendez brothers had some time to pursue personal activities,
but they were also forced to work for the facilities in which they were
incarcerated. Erik worked as a groundskeeper at California State Prison near Sacramento,
and later became a janitor after transferring to Pleasant Valley State Prison. Similarly,
Lyle also worked as a janitor at California Corrections Institution.
However, when talking with A&E True Crime,
Robert Rand emphasized how the brothers have decided to spend their free time, saying,
"What's really important about Lyle and Erik in 2022 is that they are both contributing
quite a bit to their prison community. Lyle is very involved in prison reform activism."
Lyle has served as president of the inmate government for over 15 years,
so he's often been in a position to make significant changes. Erik has done his
part as well, devoting himself to assisting terminally ill inmates.
In 2018, one of the greatest wishes of both Menendez brothers was granted
when the two were allowed to see each other for the first time since 1996. Even better,
the reunion was not brief. Lyle was allowed to join Erik at R.J. Donovan
Correctional Facility and the two were finally incarcerated in the same prison.
"Now, after 20 years apart, they're together at last."
At first, they were housed in separate sections, so they couldn't interact. But in April 2018,
the two were allowed to reunite, and Eric was moved to Lyle's section within the prison. The
first moment they saw each other quickly brought on tears of joy. As Rand explained to ABC News,
"[Lyle] missed his brother so much. And Erik had also talked about how much he
missed Lyle. [...] They just hugged each other for a few minutes without saying any words to
each other. Then the prison officials let them spend an hour together in a room."
At the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, the Menendez brothers are able
to see each other frequently after years apart, but their living conditions aren't ideal. The
biggest issue is one the prison has dealt with for over a decade — the prison population has
reached a level far beyond the prison's capacity. Even all the way back in 2009,
a warden confirmed in an interview with KPBS that the number of people held in
the facility reached 4,800, while 2,200 was the intended number when it first opened in 1987.
By the time Lyle and Erik were locked up at Donovan together,
the problem had not been alleviated. In visits to the brothers, Rand learned about
their sleeping situations amidst the rampant overcrowding. Rand described in his blog,
The Menendez Murders, how each one lives in dorm-like rooms. They are housed separately
from each other, but both share their larger cells with five other people. Lyle, at least,
has his own bed instead of the common scenario of being given a bunk. In 2021,
the prison also faced criticism for its high number of COVID-19 infections and COVID-related
deaths. By April 2021, more than 1,000 prisoners had tested positive for COVID and 18 had died.
"Those with loved ones at the Donovan Correctional Facility
say not enough is being done to protect inmates from COVID-19."
The highly publicized trial of the Menendez brothers,
along with the numerous documentaries and TV shows about them that came after,
have given both celebrity status. However, Lyle and Erik are not the only notorious people locked
up at Donovan Correctional Facility. Arguably, the most well-known prisoner there is Suge Knight,
founder of the rap-centered music label, Death Row Records. Far more infamous are
Sirhan Sirhan, convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy, and Tex Watson of the Manson Family.
Rapper Anerae Brown, who uses the stage name, X-Raided, has the closest relationship with the
brothers. Brown has been behind bars for almost as long as Lyle and Erik.
In 2019, Brown became one of the pair's success stories, since their help led him
to leave his criminal past and even played a role in his eventual release from prison,
when Erik wrote the parole board on his friend's behalf. When asked by
The San Diego Union-Tribune about the support he gave Brown, Lyle recalled,
"I told him, 'With young people looking up to you,
kids looking up to you, is that what you want to promote?'"
Despite their convictions, the Menendez brothers have proven to be some of the
most exemplary prisoners behind bars. Even as early as 2005,
prison spokesperson Lt. Marion Spearman told People,
"Erik is a good prisoner. He does not cause problems."
Since then, the reputations of both brothers have only improved, and they have been granted
the most privileged status by the authorities at their prison. The brothers were even able
to opt into a first-of-its-kind unit called Echo Yard in 2018. The experimental program,
located in its own section of the prison, is meant to encourage building up a sense of community,
especially by removing gangs entirely, as well as teaching life skills to imprisoned people and
focusing on rehabilitation. Including Erik and Lyle, there are 780 prisoners housed
in the unique detention unit, where there are no roommate requirements, so people with very
different backgrounds may be living together. To outsiders, that may not seem too extreme, but to
a longtime prisoner, Mitchell Celestine, it was unheard of. He told The San Diego Union-Tribune,
"In the main line, you'd never be in a cell with another race. Never, ever play ball with other
races. In the main line, you can't even give food — or sell food — to someone from another race."
While Lyle and Erik Menendez have focused much of their attention
on helping both people in prison and victims of abuse in the outside world,
they have also taken on a large creative project as well. Robert Rand told A&E True Crime,
"Both brothers are working together on a large
mural being painted on the gray concrete walls at the prison."
"I spoke to Lyle and Erik who had been thinking about a beautification thing."
Although Erik has certainly helped move the plan forward, Lyle is the one behind the idea and has
even grander aspirations of expanding the project to include an outdoor recreation area as well,
Rand wrote. A lot of support has also been offered to see the mural completed. Not only have
volunteers from the art department of San Diego State University agreed to design the murals,
but Home Depot has even stated it will provide some of the supplies needed.
Due to the many years of abuse Lyle and Erik Menendez suffered at the hands of their father,
Jose, juries considered convicting the brothers of manslaughter, rather than murder. Even after
the two were arrested in 1990 and tried shortly after, their cases originally
ended in mistrials because juries could not decide if they should be sentenced for murder
or manslaughter. Robert Rand also voiced his opinion on the matter and told A&E True Crime,
"The streets of California are not safer because Erik and Lyle Menendez are locked up in prison."
Over the years, the Menendez brothers have tried many times to appeal their case. Most notably,
in 2016, a new law passed in California allowed those convicted to bring new evidence of sexual
abuse to light, when it was previously prohibited in their court case. However,
this attempt, and all the others, failed to get the desired results for the brothers.
Then, in 2022, a new opportunity arose for Lyle and Erik. As Rand explained,
"It's not definite, [but the Menendez brothers' lawyers] are going to file a writ of habeas
corpus, and they're going to ask for a new trial. The threshold for filing is you have to have new
evidence that was not available at the time of the trial, and they do have new evidence."
That evidence is a letter written by Erik in 1988 that details his father's abuse,
which was never seen in the trial.