Where are The Menendez Brothers Now? How Old Are They?
by Ushapriyanga | Updated May 09, 2023
The Menendez Brothers Wiki
Lyle and Erik Menendez, who are brothers, were found guilty of murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, at their luxurious residence in Beverly Hills in 1989. In an undated photo, the two brothers can be seen standing next to their father, who was a prosperous Cuban-American entrepreneur.
Joseph Lyle Menéndez, born on January 10, 1968, and Erik Galen Menéndez, born on November 27, 1970, are siblings from the United States who were convicted in 1996 of murdering their parents, José and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menéndez. During the trial, the brothers claimed that they committed the killings because they were afraid that their father would harm them after they threatened to expose him for years of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.
The prosecution, on the other hand, argued that the motive was to inherit their father's multi-million dollar estate. They underwent two separate trials, with one jury for each brother. However, both juries were deadlocked, resulting in a mistrial. In the second trial, they were tried together by a single jury, which found them guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Where are The Menendez Brothers Now?
Erik and Lyle Menendez, who are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole, were reunited in April 2018 at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility located in San Diego, California. Despite being incarcerated since 1996, the brothers have been able to lead relatively ordinary lives. Lyle Menendez has been married twice. He first met his former model wife, Anna Eriksson, after she began writing to him. They exchanged vows over the phone in 1996.
However, they divorced five years later after Anna discovered that Lyle was communicating with another woman. It's possible that the woman he was talking to was Rebecca Sneed Menendez, whom Lyle married in 2003 and is still married to as of the time of writing. Soon after their wedding, Rebecca became a lawyer to support Lyle.
In contrast to Lyle, Erik has been married only once. During his trial, Tammi Menendez corresponded with Erik and continued to do so even after he was found guilty. Unfortunately, Tammi lost her husband to suicide in late 1993 while she was still married. Despite this, Erik and Tammi continued to write to each other for the next four years, leading to their first face-to-face meeting in 1997. They eventually tied the knot in 1998 and are still married to this day.
Where are The Menendez Brothers From?
José Enrique Menéndez, Lyle and Erik's father, was born in Havana, Cuba, and moved to the United States at the age of 16, shortly after the start of the Cuban Revolution. He attended Southern Illinois University where he met Mary Louise "Kitty" Andersen, whom he married in 1963 after they moved to New York City. They later relocated to New Jersey, where Lyle and Erik were born in 1968 and 1970 respectively. The family resided in Hopewell Township and the boys attended Princeton Day School.
In the summer of 1976, Lyle confided in his cousin Diane Vander Molen that he was being sexually abused by his father, but Kitty dismissed the allegations and took her husband's side. In 1986, José's corporate career led the family to Beverly Hills, California, where Erik began attending Beverly Hills High School the following year. He was an average student but showed exceptional talent in tennis, ranking 44th in the US for 18-and-under players. Meanwhile, Lyle was enrolled at Princeton University but struggled with poor grades, eventually getting suspended for plagiarism.
How Old are The Menendez Brothers?
Lyle Menendez was born on January 10, 1968, and Erik Menendez was born on November 27, 1970. Currently, Lyle is 55 years old and Erik is 52 years old. When they committed the murders, Lyle was 21 years old and Erik was 18. On August 20, 1989, they used shotguns to kill their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, at their Beverly Hills home, shooting Jose in the head and Kitty in the face and stomach.
On March 20, 1996, both Lyle and Erik were found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. They received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole on July 2, 1996. Throughout their trial, their legal team argued that they had been sexually abused by their father.
Where are The Menendez Brothers Today?
Lyle and Erik Menendez are currently incarcerated together at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, where they were reunited in April 2018 after more than 20 years apart. Lyle and Erik Menendez were found guilty of murdering their parents and have been incarcerated ever since.
Prior to their reunion, Lyle had been imprisoned at Mule Creek State Prison, while Erik had been serving his sentence at Pleasant Valley Prison. The brothers' last meeting had taken place on September 10, 1996. According to ABC News, their reunion involved a few minutes of silent embrace followed by an hour spent together in a room allowed by prison officials.
Where are The Menendez Brothers Now - FAQs
Lyle and Erik Menendez are brothers who were convicted of murdering their parents in 1989.
Lyle and Erik claimed that they were sexually abused by their father and killed their parents in self-defense.
Lyle and Erik were convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in 1996.
Yes, Lyle was imprisoned at Mule Creek State Prison from 1996 to 2018, while Erik was imprisoned at Pleasant Valley State Prison during that same period.
Lyle and Erik hugged each other for a few minutes without saying any words to each other. They were then allowed to spend an hour together in a room.