Erik Menéndez and Lyle Menéndez‘s legal issues resulted in two high-profile trials — but where are the key players from their murder case now?
The Menéndez brothers’ parents, José and Kitty Menéndez, were found dead at their Beverly Hills home in 1989. After Lyle called the police, they discovered José was shot six times and Kitty was shot 10 times. Lyle and Erik weren’t initially persons of interest but were arrested one year later after their therapist recorded sessions where they confessed to the murders.
During their high-profile trial, the brothers accused their parents, José and Kitty, of alleged physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Erik and Lyle were found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole in 1996.
Their case received renewed support in September 2024 after becoming the focus of Ryan Murphy‘s Monsters series. Erik, however, slammed how he and Lyle were portrayed in a public statement. Less than one week after Monsters was released, Netflix announced that Lyle and Erik were interviewed for The Menéndez Brothers documentary. The October 2024 release includes footage from conversations with juror Betty Oldfield, Kitty’s sister Joan Vander Molen and prosecutor Pamela Bozanich.
Amid the new interest in their case, Erik and Lyle were granted a new hearing for their case. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office recommended in October 2024 that Erik and Lyle’s sentences be reduced and they were resentenced in May 2025 to 50 years to life. This made them eligible for parole in the future but Erik’s request was denied.
Keep reading for a breakdown of all the major players in the Menéndez murder trials and where they are now:
