Are the Menendez Brothers, Lyle & Erik, Still in Jail? Prison Sentence Explained

With the recent release of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, there has been a renewed interest in the titular murder case. Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted of killing their parents in 1989, in Beverly Hills. After over three decades, netizens are wondering if the Menendez Brothers are still in jail. Moreover, viewers wish to know more about Lyle and Erik Menendez’s prison sentence and when the brothers will be released.

Without further delay, here is everything to know about the current developments in the Menendez Brothers case.

Are the Menendez Brothers in jail right now?

Yes, Lyle and Erik Menendez are still in prison at the RJ Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California.

As per the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Menendez Brothers are currently serving their life sentence. Their parents José and Kitty Menendez were found shot to death on August 20, 1989, in their Beverly Hills mansion. Although the police initially suspected other people, they soon noticed the brothers went on a spending spree with their inherited fortune.

The case broke open when Judalon Smyth, the mistress of Erik’s Menendez’s psychologist, Jerome Oziel, spilled that he had confessed to the murders during one of their sessions. The brothers were arrested in March 1990, and a highly publicized legal battle soon followed. During the trial it was revealed that the Lyle and Erik were allegedly abused by their father and that they had committed the murder as self-defense. (via Forbes)

Will Lyle and Erik Menendez be released from prison?

Lyle and Erik Menendez are not eligible for parole. However, new evidences have recently surfaced, that could get them out of prison.

The case that the Menendez brothers’ defense attorney Cliff Gardner is trying to make is that they were victims of abuse themselves which led to the murder as a self-defense. The evidence that Gardner has secured is a letter from Erik Menendez sent to his cousin Andy Cano, in December 1988. In that letter, Menendez had given an account of how terribly scared he was of his father. (via CBS News)

Parts of the letter read, “I’ve been trying to avoid dad. It’s still happening, Andy, but it’s worse for me now. … Every night I stay up thinking he might come in. … I’m afraid. … He’s crazy. He’s warned me a hundred times about telling anyone, especially Lyle.” Moreover, Andy Cano had testified at the trial stating that Erik Menendez had confided in him how his father used to touch him inappropriately.

Musician Roy Rosselló also came forward in April 2023, alleging that José Menendez had sexually assaulted him. In light of these new developments, Cliff Gardner filed a habeas petition in May 2023. It urges the court to overturn the decision. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has stated that the claims are under investigation.