Could the Menendez Brothers Be Released From Prison Following “Monsters”?

Erik and Lyle Menéndez’s infamous murder case has resurfaced in the media due to Ryan Murphy‘s Monsters. There are discussions about their potential release after spending years in prison.

The Menéndez brothers’ parents, José and Kitty Menéndez, were discovered dead in their Beverly Hills residence in 1989. Lyle contacted the authorities, leading to the revelation that José had been shot six times and Kitty ten times. Initially, Lyle and Erik were not considered suspects but were apprehended a year later after their therapist recorded confessions during sessions.

During their widely publicized trial, the brothers alleged they suffered physical, emotional, and sexual abuse from their parents. In 1996, Erik and Lyle were convicted of first-degree murder and received life sentences without the possibility of parole.

The case was referenced in numerous 90s shows, including Law & Order, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and The Sopranos. The Menéndez brothers were also mentioned multiple times in the FX series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story in 2016, which Murphy produced. Alongside Monsters, Murphy continues to play a role in the American Story franchise.

Commemorating the 35th anniversary of José and Kitty’s deaths, NBC aired an eight-part special in 2017 titled Law & Order: True Crime — The Menéndez Murders. Murphy adapted this case into season 2 of Monsters, which starred Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch as Lyle and Erik. The limited series reignited support for the Menéndez brothers as they sought to appeal their sentences.

In October 2024, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office suggested reducing Erik and Lyle’s sentences due to new evidence alleging that their father had sexually abused them. However, after Nathan Hochman took office a month later, this recommendation became uncertain. A judge eventually resentenced them in May 2025 to 50 years, making them eligible for parole.

Continue reading for an overview of their appeal attempts over the years:

What Were Erik and Lyle’s Original Sentences?

Lyle and Erik were arrested in 1990 on two counts of first-degree murder. Three years later, the brothers stood trial separately, arguing that a history of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse drove them to kill their parents.

The first trial ended in a mistrial due to a deadlocked jury. A retrial commenced in 1995, but much of the evidence regarding their abuse was deemed inadmissible. Tried together, Erik and Lyle were ultimately convicted of first-degree murder. In 1996, jurors chose life without parole over the death penalty.

Following their sentencing, Erik and Lyle were transferred to different facilities. Lyle went to Mule Creek State Prison, while Erik was moved among various prisons, including Folsom and Pleasant Valley State Prisons.

They reunited in 2018 in the same housing unit at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, marking their first encounter after nearly two decades of imprisonment.

How Many Appeal Attempts Have Taken Place?

The California Court of Appeal upheld Lyle and Erik’s convictions in 1998, and the California Supreme Court declined to review the case later that year. Both brothers filed habeas corpus petitions with the California Supreme Court in 1999, which were denied. They pursued similar petitions in federal court and were similarly denied in 2003.

Defending their case, Erik and Lyle’s team appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which rejected their application in 2005.

What Inspired the Most Recent Request for a Retrial?

In 2023, a Peacock docuseries titled Menéndez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed revealed allegations from singer Roy Rosselló, who claimed he was drugged and raped as a teenager by José, the brothers’ father. These accusations were incorporated into a petition presented to the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The petition cited new evidence, including Rosselló’s claims against José and a recently uncovered letter Erik wrote to his cousin Andy Cano, detailing his father’s alleged sexual abuse months prior to the murders.

“Nobody had examined [the cousin’s] personal effects until 2015, when it was found, ten years following our last appeal,” Erik and Lyle’s post-conviction attorney Mark Geragos stated to People in September 2024. “We argue that the second trial did not adhere to constitutional protections for various reasons. A Habeas [Corpus petition] includes new evidence, which is crucial since this case had stagnated for nearly 17 years.”

Geragos outlined the potential outcomes of the request. “The judge can deny it, order the DA to respond, or do what he did, which was to issue an order for the DA to respond informally, a process they have taken seriously for the past 15 months because we’ve presented substantial evidence to them,” he elaborated. “[We included statements from 24 family members] all advocating for a resentencing, alongside various other documents and evidence for consideration while they deliberate.”

What Is the Current Update of the Retrial Request?

A representative from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office commented that they “are investigating the claims included in the petition.”

“The matter is pending an informal response, which is due on September 26, 2024,” the district attorney’s office informed People.

In the same month, Netflix announced that Lyle and Erik participated in an interview for the upcoming documentary The Menéndez Brothers. Set to release in October 2024, it features footage of discussions with juror Betty Oldfield, Kitty’s sister Joan Vander Molen, and prosecutor Pamela Bozanich.

“Everyone asks why we killed our parents,” Lyle stated in the trailer, featuring an interview recorded from prison. “Perhaps now people will grasp the truth.”

Erik added: “What transpired that night is widely known, yet so many aspects remain untold. We weren’t the ones narrating our life’s story. Two kids don’t commit this crime for money.”

Erik and Lyle were granted a new hearing for their case a month later, following the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office referencing new evidence suggesting their father had sexually abused them. Although the office recommended a sentence reduction in October 2024, Hochman later retracted this when he assumed office. In March 2025, Hochman’s office withdrew its request to modify the sentences, citing that the brothers had not shown full accountability for their actions. Nonetheless, Erik and Lyle were resentenced two months later to 50 years, rendering them eligible for parole after fulfilling the necessary requirements.