Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez, known as the Menendez brothers, became infamous in the early 1990s for the murder of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home on August 20, 1989. The case captivated the media due to their defense, which claimed years of abuse drove them to kill their parents out of fear and desperation.
Their first trial ended with deadlocked juries, but a second trial in 1996 led to their conviction for first-degree murder. They were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The case has inspired countless documentaries, books, and dramatizations, underscoring the public’s enduring fascination with their story.
NAME: Joseph Lyle Menendez
OTHER NAMES / ALIAS: The Menendez Brothers
BORN: January 10, 1968
SPOUSES: Anna Eriksson 1996 – 2001, Rebecca Sneed 2003 – separated in November 2024
COUNTRY: USA
VICTIMS: 2
CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS: 2 counts of first-degree murder, conspiracy to murder
IMPRISONED AT: Mule Creek State Prison Ione, California: 1996 – Feb 2018.
Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, San Diego County, California: Feb 2018 – today
WHERE IS Lyle Menendez NOW?
- Received life in prison without possibility of parole in 1996
Lyle Menendez is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole and is incarcerated at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, San Diego, California.
He is currently housed in the same unit as his brother Erik Menendez.
Before his transfer to Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, Lyle served as president of the inmate government at Mule Creek State Prison. He has also participated in a support group, offering assistance to fellow inmates who have survived sexual abuse.
For more than 20 years, Lyle and Erik were incarcerated in separate facilities—Lyle at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California, and Erik roughly 500 miles away at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County. During this period, the brothers did not speak directly for years but stayed connected through letters and even played chess by mail.
In February 2018, Lyle Menendez was transferred to a different prison, the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, and in April 2018, Erik was moved to the same unit.
In May 2023, their lawyers filed a petition for re-sentencing, citing new evidence, including a letter Erik wrote eight months before the murders. Additionally, Roy Rossello has come forward, alleging that he was drugged and raped by José in the 1980s.
In September 2024, Kim Kardashian visited the Menendez brothers in prison. After her visit, she submitted an essay to NBC News expressing her support for Lyle and Erik’s release and contending that they were denied a fair trial.
In October 2024, the Los Angeles District Attorney (at the time) Gascon, recommended re-sentencing for the brothers.
In March 2025, Nathan Hochman, the new Los Angeles District Attorney filed a motion to withdraw the re-sentencing petition, this is scheduled for April 11 2025. Depending on the court’s ruling, the brothers’ re-sentencing case will be addressed in hearings set for April 17 and April 18 2025. On the 11th April: LA county Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic has ruled that the re-sentencing hearing will proceed on the April 17 and April 18 2025
As part of a clemency case, Lyle and Erik Menendez are scheduled to appear at separate parole board hearings on June 13 2025, following a 90-day independent risk assessment to determine whether the brothers would pose “an unreasonable risk to the public” if granted clemency and released, as announced by the governor.
- Feb 2018: Lyle was moved to the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility and was joined by his brother in April 2018.
- May 2023: Their lawyers filed a petition for re-sentencing, citing new evidence
- October 2024: Los Angeles District Attorney recommended re-sentencing for the brothers
- Feb 2025: The new Los Angeles District Attorney filed a motion to withdraw the re-sentencing petition
- Clemency case parole hearing scheduled for June 13 2025
- April 11, 2025: Judge Michael Jesic has ruled that the re-sentencing hearing will proceed
–
CRIMES COMMITTED
Lyle Menendez and his brother Erik Menendez were convicted for the murders of their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez, on August 20, 1989. The brothers shot their parents multiple times at close range in their Beverly Hills home using shotguns, with José being shot six times and Kitty ten times. The crime shocked the public due to its brutality and the trials that followed, which brought to light allegations of long-term abuse within the family. In 1996, Lyle and Erik were found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
CAPTURE & INVESTIGATION
Lyle Menendez and his brother Erik were arrested in March 1990, several months after the murders of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in August 1989.
After killing their parents, Lyle and Erik waited at the house for the police to arrive. Eventually, Lyle called 911, crying, “Someone killed my parents!” Initially, the brothers told police they were innocent, claiming they had discovered their parents dead upon returning home from watching a movie.
In the months following their parents’ deaths, Erik and Lyle embarked on a lavish spending spree. Lyle bought Chuck’s Spring Street Café, a restaurant in Princeton, along with a Rolex, a Porsche, and $40,000 worth of clothing, according to reports. Meanwhile, Erik pursued his dream of becoming a professional tennis player, spending $50,000 on a coach. He also splurged on a Jeep Wrangler and a $40,000 rock concert that turned out to be a scam.
At the time, police suspected the murders might be connected to the mob. While the brothers’ behavior after the crime raised suspicions, it wasn’t enough to prove their guilt. Authorities asked Craig Cignarelli, Erik’s friend, to wear a wire in November to obtain a confession, knowing Erik had previously admitted to the killings. However, during their next meeting, Erik retracted his earlier statement, claiming he had lied and was not responsible for his parents’ deaths.
Erik’s first recorded confession was taped in October 1989, two months after the murders. His psychologist, Dr. L. Jerome Oziel, recorded his confessions on October 31, November 2, and December 11. Lyle later joined the sessions, and on the December recording, both brothers admitted to killing their mother to “put her out of her misery” and claimed their father deserved to die for his infidelity, which they said contributed to the family’s suffering.
In March 1990, after Dr. Oziel and his girlfriend, Judalon Smyth, ended their relationship, Smyth went to the police on March 4 and revealed that the brothers had confessed to the murders during therapy sessions. Four days later, Lyle was arrested, and Erik was taken into custody shortly after.
TRIAL & CONVICTIONS
The trials of Lyle and Erik Menendez were among the most sensational and widely publicized legal cases in U.S. history.
During the first trial in 1993, Lyle and Erik were tried separately. After weeks of deliberation, both juries were deadlocked, unable to reach a unanimous decision on whether the brothers should be convicted of murder or manslaughter. Had they been found guilty of first-degree murder in that initial trial, the brothers could have faced the death penalty.
The brothers claimed they acted in self-defense, alleging years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse by their parents. They argued that they feared for their lives and believed their parents would kill them if they didn’t act first.
In the second trial in 1995, the prosecution argued that the brothers killed their parents for financial gain, pointing to their extravagant spending spree after the murders. They dismissed the abuse claims as exaggerated or fabricated.
The defense, however, continued to highlight the abuse allegations, presenting witnesses and evidence to support their claims of a traumatic upbringing.
In March 1996, both Lyle and Erik were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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REFERENCES / CITATIONS:
1. People: Where Are the Menendez Brothers Now? A Look at Erik and Lyle’s Lives in Prison — and the New Evidence That Could Get Them Out – Nov 25, 2024
2. ABC News DA says he would reconsider resentencing only if Menendez brothers admit to ‘lies’ – March 19, 2025
3. ABC News: Menendez brothers timeline: From the 1989 murders to their new fight for freedom – Mar 17, 2025
4. People: How Did the Menendez Brothers Get Caught? Why Erik’s Private Therapy Confession Led to Their Arrest and Conviction – Sep 24, 2024
5. CBS News: Inside the story of the notorious Menendez brothers case – Feb 25, 2025
6, Biography: Why the Menendez Brothers Killed Their Parents – Mar 10, 2025
7. Vanity Fair: Nightmare on Elm Drive – Sep 26, 2017
8. LA Times: Menendez Therapist’s Ex-Lover Testifies : Trial: She says Oziel wanted the brothers to confess on tape so he could ‘control’ them. Calls that the woman secretly recorded of the stormy affair are also played in court. Nov 16, 1993
BOOKS ABOUT Lyle Menendez
The Private Diary of Lyle Menendez: In His Own Words
Transcripts of telephone conversations and letters provide an unauthorized account of the trial of Lyle Menendez for the murder of his parents…
The Menendez Murders, Updated Edition: The Shocking Untold Story of the Menendez Family and the Killings that Stunned the Nation
Discover the definitive book on the Menendez case—and the disquieting true story behind Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
Hung Jury: The Diary of a Menendez Juror
Hazel Thornton takes us behind the scenes of one of the highest profile murder cases of all time. More than two decades after serving as a juror on the seven-month murder trial People v. Erik Galen Menendez…
TV SHOWS & DOCS FEATURING Lyle Menendez
The Menendez Brothers
In 1996, the Menendez brothers faced trial for killing their parents, a case that captivated America. Years later, they share their side through interviews with those involved, offering a fresh take on the events.
Documentary | 2024
NETFLIX
Menendez Brothers: Victims or Villains
Explores parents murder and claims of abuse. Courtroom drama, interviews shed light on events. Provokes debate: Were they victims or villains?
TV Mini Series / Documentary | 2024
FOX
20/20 – S48.E5 – The Menendez Brothers: Reversal of Fortune?
Brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez, convicted of killing their parents, gain newfound support in the effort to free them.
Documentary / News show | 1978>
ABC
Forty Eight Hours – S37.E21 – The Menendez Brothers’ Fight for Freedom
New evidence emerges in the case of brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were convicted in 1996 of the murder of their parents. Natalie Morales speaks to those involved in the case.
TV Series / Documentary | 1988>
Snapped: Notorious – S18.E14/15 – The Menendez Brothers 2 Parts
A special two-episode Snapped examines notorious case of Menendez brothers: their background.
TV Series / Documentary | 2017>
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YOUTUBE
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MORE ARTICLES ABOUT Lyle Menendez
A selection of articles about Lyle Menendez, sourced and curated from around the web:
DA says he would reconsider resentencing only if Menendez brothers admit to ‘lies’
ABC News | Author: Meredith Deliso | Mar 19 2025
Menendez brothers timeline: From the 1989 murders to their new fight for freedom
ABC News | Author: Emily Shapiro | Mar 17 2025
Why the Menendez Brothers Killed Their Parents
Biography | Author: Jordan Zakarin | Mar 10 2025
Inside the story of the notorious Menendez brothers case
CBS News | Author: Alicia Tejada | Feb 25 2025
How Did the Menendez Brothers Get Caught? Why Erik’s Private Therapy Confession Led to Their Arrest and Conviction
People | Author: Rebecca Aizin | Sep 24 2024
Nightmare on Elm Drive
Vanity Fair | Author: Dominick Dunne | Sep 26 2017
TV Shows & Documentaries Youtube links:
Forty Eight Hours – S37.E21 – The Menendez Brothers’ Fight for Freedom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYz3cNXD3ZY