The Truth About The Menendez Brothers' Life In Prison

The bizarre Menendez brothers' case was one of the biggest news pieces to break in the early '90s. In August 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez reported that their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, had been killed. It wasn't until March 1990 that the brothers became suspects after their psychologist's girlfriend told the police that they had confessed to the murder. After two lengthy trials in which both Lyle and Erik claimed they were sexually abused by their father, they were found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.

In a 2005 interview with People, Erik, who had married his wife, Tammi Ruth Saccoman, while in prison, gave a glimpse of his life behind bars. "The cell I live in is tiny ... about 6′ by 4′. Two people live in the cell. The cell is so small that only one person can be up off the bunks at a time. There is a commode and a sink," he described. The one upside was that he had a window so that he could look outside, but prison life was still rough. "The thing you have to get used to in prison are the violent noises. It is very difficult to live with," Erik stated, adding that fights broke out regularly. At the time, it had been nine years since he had seen Lyle and the Menendez brothers would spend over two decades apart before they saw each other again.

Over the years, Lyle and Erik Menendez, who are among America's most infamous criminals, communicated with each other through mail. Both brothers spent their days doing good deeds in their respective prisons — Erik offered comfort to inmates with terminal illnesses while Lyle helped those with sexual trauma. Like his brother, Lyle also got married behind bars to his wife, Rebecca Sneed, in 2003. "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," he shared with People.

After spending 22 years apart in different facilities, Lyle finally saw his brother again in 2018 when he was transferred to Erik's prison in San Diego, California. "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," journalist Robert Rand told ABC News. At the time, Erik was assigned to a different part of the prison but a few months later, he was sent to live where Lyle was staying. Since then, the Menendez brothers have seen each other daily, sharing meals and enjoying the fresh air in the prison yard.

Although Erik Menendez described the first period of prison life as rough, he and his brother Lyle Menendez settled into their incarcerated life and have accomplished a lot over the years. "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; both brothers are working together on a large mural being painted on the gray concrete walls at the prison," journalist Robert Rand told A&E. He added, "Erik leads several self-help groups every week at Donovan, including a mindful meditation group, and has started a hospice group at Donovan."

Despite their contribution to the prison, former corrections officer Hector Bravo Ferrel described the Menendez brothers as having a "sense of entitlement," the New York Post reported. However, according to fellow inmate Anerae "X-Raided" Brown, Lyle and Erik have helped him vastly by encouraging him to change his life while locked up. "Lyle was the guy who started teaching me the value of utilizing my popularity to my advantage in a way where I can be influential for positive things. He was the first person to say, 'Hey man, I think you should sign up for these classes, there's another way to do your time,'" he told the publication.

There may be freedom in the future for the Menendez brothers, after all. New evidence has been revealed that may prove the sexual assault allegations against their father. Their case is being examined and a hearing will take place on November 26.