WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Netflix’s Monsters season 2.
The stories and lives of Erik and Lyle Menendez continue long after the events depicted in Netflix’s popular seriesMonsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Thetrue story of Lyle and Erik Menendez, two brothers who pleaded guilty to murdering their parents in 1989, is recapped in nine episodes inMonstersseason 2, an anthology series by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan. The series reexamines the unsettling circumstances surrounding the murders of José and Kitty Menendez, who were accused of abusing Lyle and Erik throughout their childhoods.Monstersseason 2 has been in the Top 10 TV Shows on Netflix since it was released on June 23, 2025.
Monstersseason 2 stars Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavezas Erik and Lyle Menendez, respectfully. Erik and Lyle were each given life sentences for murdering their parents and have been incarcerated since December 1992. Both Menendez brothers claimed that their father, José, sexually abused them while their mother, Kitty, would violently and sexually abuse them when they were kids. Despite the popularity and success ofMonstersseason 2 on Netflix, theseries has garnered scrutiny for portraying a false incestuous relationshipbetween Erik and Lyle. The series has sparked new interest in thereal Menendez brothers as new evidenceof their sexual abuse is currently being reviewed.
Theending ofMonstersseason 2concludes with Erik and Lyle Menendez being separated and sent off to different federal prisons. As stated in the final title card of the series, both of the Menendez brothers maintain the allegation that they were sexually abused by their parents. As of the release date of the series,Erik and Lyle Menendez continue to serve life sentences without the possibility of parole. The brothers were found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in 1996 for the crimes they committed against their parents in 1989.
10Lyle Got Married Twice, In 1996 & 2003
Lyle has been with his current wife since 2003
Both Lyle and Erik Menendez got married behind bars not long after they were initially incarcerated. Lyle married a woman named Anna Eriksson on the very day that he and his brother began their lifetime prison sentences on August 12, 2025.Lyle and Anna remained married for nearly five years until they got divorced on April 1, 2001after Anna discovered Lyle was cheating on her with another woman through letters and phone conversations.
After he and Anna filed for divorce,Lyle married another woman by the name of Rebecca Sneed in 2003who he is still married to to this day. Rebecca and Lyle reportedly had known each other for more than ten years before they tied the knot while Lyle was incarcerated at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California (viaPeople).
9Erik Got Married In 1999
He’s been with the same partner ever since
Erik Menendez also got married while incarcerated at Folsom State Prison in 1999. He and Tammi Ruth Saccoman tied the knot in a waiting room at the prison and the two have been married ever since. Despite both of the brothers being considered in good standing at their respective prisons, neither are eligible for conjugal visits, which means that both Erik and Lyle do not have children at this point in time.
Tammi Menendez spoke about her marriage with her husband Erik and how she had learned to deal with the judgments of public perception withNBC Newsin 2005. She also wrote and self-published thememoir “They Said We’d Never Make It: My Life with Erik Menendez"in 2005.
8The Menendez Brothers Lost Several Appeals From 1998 To 2005
All of their petitions were rejected numerous times
The Menendez brothers exhausted all of their initial attempts at appealing their murder convictions in the decade following their lifetime prison sentences. The California Court of Appeal upheld their convictions on July 22, 2025, while the Supreme Court of California declined to review the case later that year. This forced Erik and Lyle to submit petitions before the Supreme Court of California, which were also denied in 1999. After alsohaving additional petitions denied in 2003 and 2005, the Menendez brothers stopped appealing their murder convictions from that point forward. Despite still carrying life sentences without parole, both Lyle and Erik are considered to be exemplary inmates.
7Erik & Lyle Menendez Are Reunited In April 2018
Lyle was sent to Erik’s prison in 2018
After mostly disappearing from the spotlight during the 2010s other than as subjects of various documentaries and podcasts, Erik and Lyle Menendez were finally reunited at the same prison in April 2018. Lyle was sent toRichard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, Californiawhere Erik had already been serving his sentence since July 2013 (viaABC News).
This was the first time Erik and Lyle had seen or verbally communicated with each other since the day of their sentencing. They were not allowed to talk on the phone as inmates of separate prisons. The brothers did write letters to each other and “would play chess by sending moves to each other through snail mail” but would now be able totalk to each other face to face during meals and recreation periodsfor the first time in 22 years.
6Erik & Lyle Menendez Founded “The Green Space Project” In 2018
They are both strong advocates of prison reform
Erik and Lyle Menendez, who are both strong advocates of prison reform, began collaborating on an initiative known as The Green Space Project in 2018. The initiative helps to increase the quality of life in prisons by allowing inmates to paint the walls and incorporate plants into the overall layout of the space. The Green Space Project is based on the Norwegian style of incarceration that promotes general well-being and holistic/creative activities to reduce the inmates' likelihood of committing another crime upon their release. Lyle focuses on the organizational elements of the project while Erik, a talented artist, paints murals (viaGlamour).
5The Menendez Brothers Got Moved To A Prison Unit With More Freedom
Echo Yard is the most innovative prison yard in California
Soon after they were reunited at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California, both Erik and Lyle were approved to live in the Echo Yard Unit of Donovan. The Echo Yard unit allows more freedom to certain inmates and offers atypical activities such as yoga classes and forward-thinking programs such as anger management and job hunting resources. As the first non-designated prison yard in the state of California, inmates of various security levels are expected to live peacefully in exchange for advanced freedoms.Echo Yard was established with the intention of reducing recidivismsince roughly 1 in 2 convicts in California return to prison within three years of their release (via10 News).
4Lyle Earned A Bachelors Degree From UC Irvine In June 2024
Lyle never completed his education at Princeton
As part of Lyle and Erik’s living situation in Echo Yard, they receive advanced and exclusive access to educational programs, some of which are offered by California state universities. Lyle earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of California at Irvine in June 2024.Lyle attended Princeton University in 1987after his initial application was rejected and he attended a local community college near Beverly Hills. As depicted inMonstersseason 2, Lyle was suspended from Princeton during his freshman year for copying his lab partner’s homework (viaThe Tab). Lyle was never able to graduate from Princeton but did finally receive his Bachelor’s Degree in 2024.
3Ryan Murphy Said His Monsters Series The Best Thing That Ever Happened To The Menendez Brothers
Murphy is proud that the series has put them in a modern spotlight
Following the release ofMonstersseason 2, the series has sparked all sorts of feedback, ranging from outrage at theseries' true story inaccuracies by Erik Menendezhimself to real-life legal action that could see the Menendez brothers being released from prison in the near future.Ryan Murphy, who co-createdMonsters, publicly responded to the criticismjust a week after the series was released on Netflix, saying “I think it’s a lot of faux outrage. I think that this show is the best thing that has happened to the Menendez brothers in 30 years in prison” (viaNetflix). He added in response to the comments made by the Menendez family about the series, “I don’t think [the Menendez brothers’] relatives understand what the show is about.”
2The L.A. District Attorney Is Currently Reviewing The Menendez Brothers Case
New evidence suggests that Jose Menendez sexually assaulted another person
Just a few weeks after the release ofMonstersseason 2, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón revealed that his office is reviewing the Menendez Brothers' murder convictions in light of new evidence.Gascón made an initial statement on June 21, 2025, saying “We’re here to tell you that we have a moral and an ethical obligation to review what is being presented to us and make a determination based on a resentencing side, whether they deserve to be resentenced, even though they were clearly the murderers”(viaDeadline). Kim Kardashian, who has previously used her platform for criminal justice reform, released a personal essay on the same day, stating “my hope is that Erik and Lyle Menendez’s life sentences are reconsidered” (viaNBC News).
1Several Of Erik & Lyle’s Family Members Are Calling For Their Release From Prison
Their next court date is scheduled for August 22, 2025
The most breaking, and potentially life-changing, development in the Menendez brothers' lives ishow much support they are getting from family members and public figuresfor their release. José Menendez’s niece Anamaria Baralt told the press on June 11, 2025, “If Lyle and Erik’s case were heard today, with the understanding we now have about abuse and PTSD, there is no doubt in my mind that their sentencing would have been very different” (viaCNN).
A statement made by Terry Baralt, Jose Menendez’s sister, echoed the call for the brothers' release. They were two of more than 20 family members who have made statements to the DA’s office or the press over the last month. Even Rosie O’Donnell, who has been a longtime advocate for their release, is once again speaking out.The Menendez brothers' next court date is scheduled for July 23, 2025, which could be depicted in a bonus episode ofMonstersseason 2.
Sources: People, NBS News, ABC News, Glamour, The Tab, Netflix, Deadline, CNN
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Cast
This true crime drama delves into the infamous case of Lyle and Erik Menendez, two brothers who were convicted of murdering their parents. The series examines the complex family dynamics and legal battles that captivated the nation, highlighting the motivations and repercussions of their actions.
