The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story: What Happened to Them After the Events of the Show?

In the Season 2, Episode 9 finale of Ryan Murphy's Monster, it was briefly mentioned that the brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, who killed their parents, are still in prison.

Although they were sentenced to life in prison, they are now eligible for release after more than 30 years. We tell you what happened to the real Menendez brothers.

What Happened in Real Life?

In 1989, 21-year-old Lyle Menendez and his 18-year-old brother Erik shot and killed their parents, Jose and Kitty. The brothers told police they were at the movies watching Tim Burton's Batman at the time of the attack. However, during a session with a psychologist, Erik confessed to the murder, leading to the brothers' arrest in 1990.

At trial, the Menendez brothers tried to prove that they acted in self-defense. Lyle and Erik had allegedly been abused by their parents for years. As the tragedy approached, the brothers became concerned that their parents would get rid of them so they wouldn't tell anyone about the family secrets.

Prosecutors claimed that the Menendez brothers committed the murders primarily to get their parents' money. In 1996, Lyle and Erik were sentenced to life in prison without parole. The brothers appealed, but their appeal was denied in 1998. In 2004, attorneys filed a new appeal, which was also denied.

Menendez Brothers Reunited Years after Conviction

Lyle and Erik Menendez were sent to different prisons to serve their sentences. In February 2018, Lyle was transferred to the prison where Erik was being held. They were in different units.

In April of that year, Lyle was transferred to Erik's unit and the brothers met for the first time in 22 years of separation. During the meeting, both Lyle and Erik burst into tears. The prison administration allowed them to talk in a separate room for an hour.

Can Lyle and Eric Be Freed?

In May 2023, attorneys for Lyle and Erik Menendez filed papers requesting a new trial. New evidence had come to light in the case, including a letter Erik wrote eight months before the murder describing sexual abuse by his father and testimony from former Menudo boy band member Roy Rossello.

In the 2023 documentary series Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed, Rossello claimed that Jose drugged and raped him in the 1980s. As of September 2024, there was no news of a retrial. Lyle is currently 56 years old, and his brother Erik is 53.