Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story: Were the brothers kept in different prisons?

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the crime drama series, released on September 19, 2024, on Netflix. Directed by Ryan Murphy, the show revisits the infamous Menendez brothers' case for the murder of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, on August 20, 1989.

One important question about the brothers is if they were sent to different prisons after being found guilty. After they were given life sentences without parole in 1996, the brothers were first housed together. Later, though, they were split up.

Lyle was sent to Mule Creek State Prison, while Erik was sent to Folsom State Prison. They got back together at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in 2018 after being apart for almost twenty years.

During the trial, Erik said that his father had abused him physically, emotionally and sexually for years, which led to the terrible events. The defense argument was that the killings were in self-defense.

However, the prosecution said that they did it out of greed and fear of losing their inheritance. Even though the first juries couldn't decide, Erik and Lyle were found guilty of first-degree murder in 1996.

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Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story: The trial of Erik Menendez

The trial of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story drew public attention, as the prosecution and defense offered contradicting narratives. The defense focused most of its time on extremely emotional and graphic claims of abuse. Erik claimed that he was afraid for his life, as his father had sexually mistreated him years ago.

Even though the witnesses were very emotional, the first trial ended in a mistrial, as the jury couldn't agree on what to do. In 1995, the second trial went in a different direction. It was a big problem for Erik's defense that the court wouldn't let most of the evidence about the abuse be used. Erik and Lyle were put on trial together this time.

Both were found guilty of first-degree murder, but instead of the death penalty, the jury chose to give them life sentences without parole. Erik was transferred to multiple prisons over the years, but his legal battles didn't end there because his defense team kept filing appeals.

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Post-trial appeals and developments

Erik and Lyle Menendez tried several appeals after their conviction. The California Court of Appeal maintained their convictions in 1998; the state Supreme Court declined to look at the matter.

They continued to fight for their release, filing habeas corpus petitions in 1999, which both the state and federal courts denied. In 2005, their appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit also failed, leaving the brothers behind bars.

Following the release of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, people started taking interest in their case. Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed, a documentary made in 2023, showed new proof. Roy Rosselló, who used to be in the band Menudo, said that José Menendez had abused him s*xually when he was a teenager.

Moreover, considering the letters Erik wrote before the murders, their defense team wants to try the case again. A hearing is scheduled for late 2024 to review the new evidence.

The Menendez brothers' narrative is depicted in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is counted among the most strongly debated criminal cases.

Although Erik and Lyle Menendez have spent decades behind bars, their allegations of mistreatment and recent events have generated fresh attention in their case. The legal road the two brothers are on is far from finished, with a possible retrial just around.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is streaming on Netflix.