Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is a scripted Netflix series depicting the lives, crimes, and traumas of the Menéndez brothers, as well as the people who were impacted by their actions.
In case you didn't know, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is a part of the overall Monster anthology franchise created by Murphy on Netflix. Thus, it is the second installment that succeeds 2022's Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story starring Evan Peters as the titular character.
The Menéndez brothers at the center of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story are portrayed by Nicholas Alexander Chavez (Lyle Menéndez) and out gay actor Cooper Koch (Erik Menéndez). The cast also includes Javier Bardem as their father, José Enrique Menéndez; Chloë Sevigny as their mother, Mary Louise "Kitty" Menéndez; Ari Graynor as their lead defense attorney, Leslie Abramson; and Nathan Lane as the high-profile journalist Dominick Dunne.
While the plot of this Netflix show is contained within nine episodes, many people involved in this case are still alive — such as the Menéndez brothers themselves. And as a result of this being a hit series with a global reach, audiences have a renewed interest and curiosity about the real-life people portrayed in it.
Keep scrolling to catch up on the latest updates regarding the Menéndez brothers and the other real-life individuals who were fictionalized on Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, now streaming on Netflix.
Are the Menéndez brothers still in prison?
Yes, Lyle and Erik Menéndez are still in prison. They've been incarcerated since their first arrest took place in March 1990, which was about six months after their parents were murdered.
Are Erik and Lyle Menéndez together in jail right now?
Yes, Lyle Menéndez and Erik Menéndez are together at the same prison in California: the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD), which is located near San Diego. However, they weren't always allowed to live under the same prison unit.
Given that they were considered partners in crime, the Menéndez brothers were "deliberately kept apart" at different facilities, as reported by BBC News. They had one last chance to see each other in 1996, but were subsequently kept in completely different prison facilities for the 22 years that followed.
The Menéndez brothers only reunited at the same prison in 2018, when they "reportedly 'burst into tears' upon their first meeting" each other at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, which was reported by ABC News at the time.
How old is Lyle Menéndez right now?
Lyle Menéndez is currently 56 years old.
Born on January 10, 1968 in New York City, Lyle is three years older than his brother, Erik Menéndez.
How old is Erik Menéndez right now?
Erik Menéndez is currently 53 years old.
Born on November 27, 1970 in Blackwood, New Jersey, Erik is three years younger than his brother, Lyle Menéndez.
(L-R) Erik Menéndez's mug shot from August 2002; Joseph Lyle Menéndez's mug shot from July 2003.
Kypros/Getty Images
What's the new evidence in the Menéndez brothers case?
On Thursday, October 3, 2024, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said that he and his team are "reviewing new evidence and will make a decision on whether it warrants a resentencing" (via CNN).
Gascón referenced "new evidence that the brothers were molested, a move that could lead to their resentencing," as reported by the Los Angeles Times. While evidence of the Menéndez brothers being molested was presented during their first trial in 1993, the district attorney (DA) is questioning if those findings were taken into consideration by the jury.
Gascón also noted that evidence of the Menéndez brothers being molested was "largely withheld during their second trial" in 1995.
"We're not ready to believe or not believe that information," the DA reportedly said. "But we're here to tell you that we have a moral and ethical obligation to review what is being presented to us and make a determination."
AP News has reported another interesting layer regarding this new review of evidence related to the Menéndez brothers:
"Gascón, who is seeking reelection, noted that more than 300 people have been resentenced during his term, and only four have gone on to commit a crime again."
When is the Menéndez brothers' new hearing scheduled date?
Lyle Menéndez and Erik Menéndez have a new hearing coming up on November 29, 2024 (via AP News).
(L-R) Joseph Lyle Menéndez, Erik Menéndez, and attorney Leslie Abramson on trial.
MIKE NELSON/AFP via Getty Images
Is Leslie Abramson still in contact with the Menéndez brothers?
Leslie Abramson, the criminal defense attorney who represented Lyle and Erik Menéndez on trial, is turning 81 years old as of October 6, 2024.
Abramson became a high-profile lawyer following her time defending the Menéndez brothers. She actually even wrote a book, The Defense Is Ready: Life in the Trenches of Criminal Law, released in 1997 under the Simon & Schuster publishing company.
People reports that Abramson "defended more than 50 people accused of murder" over the course of her career. And, according to the State Bar of California website, she held an active legal license in the state until 2023.
Abramson, at age 81, no longer lives the life of a public person. Therefore, it's hard to determine if she's remained in contact with the Menéndez brothers in 2024.
What happened to journalist Dominick Dunne?
Dominick Dunne passed away on August 26, 2009 at 83 years of age. Over the course of his life, however, Dunne remained a very popular and successful writer, as noted in his obituary published in The New York Times.
Besides covering various high-profile criminal cases involving people such as O. J. Simpson, William Kennedy Smith, and Michael Skakel, Dunne was known for producing the 1970 gay film The Boys in the Band — which received a new version in 2020 by Ryan Murphy and was released on Netflix — and the 1971 award-winning movie The Panic in Needle Park.
Dunne also became a frequent contributor to Vanity Fair and made several TV appearances to discuss criminal cases that he had covered. A documentary film titled Dominick Dunne: After the Party was released in 2008 and is available for streaming on Prime Video as of this writing.
Dominick Dunne attending a party in 1999.
Steve Eichner/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images
How old was José Enrique Menéndez when he was murdered?
José Enrique Menéndez was 45 years of age when he was murdered. He was three years younger than his wife, Mary Louise "Kitty" Menéndez, who was also killed in their Beverly Hills home's family room in 1989.
According to The Today Show, José Enrique Menéndez was born in Havana, Cuba in 1944. He subsequently moved to the United States as a teenager to live with relatives in Pennsylvania. José Enrique went to Southern Illinois University on a swimming scholarship, and met his eventual wife, Mary Louise a.k.a. "Kitty," while in college.
The parents of the Menéndez brothers got married on July 8, 1963. However, they didn't have their first child, Joseph Lyle Menéndez, until 1968.
How old was Mary Louise "Kitty" Menéndez when she was murdered?
Mary Louise "Kitty" Menéndez was reportedly 47 years old at the time when she was killed. Though she definitely kept a lower profile than her husband, it's been widely reported over the years that she was born in 1941.
When were the Menéndez brothers arrested?
Lyle Menéndez and Erik Menéndez were arrested in March 1990 — six months after their parents' murders.
As outlined by CBS News, the Menéndez arrests happened after the Beverly Hills Police Department was tipped off by a very "unlikely source": Judalon Smith, described as "the girlfriend of a psychologist who Lyle and Erik Menéndez had been talking to."
Lyle Menéndez, who was in Los Angeles living in the Menéndez family's Beverly Hills home, was promptly arrested on March 8, 1990.
In turn, Erik Menéndez had been at a tennis tournament in Israel at the time, so his arrest only took place on March 10, 1990 (two days after Lyle). As noted by ABC7 Los Angeles, Erik was surrendered at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) as soon as he landed back in L.A.
Erik Menéndez and Joseph Lyle Menéndez on trial.
Ted Soqui/Sygma via Getty Images
When was the first trial in the Lyle and Erik Menéndez case?
The Menéndez brothers' first trial occurred between July 20, 1993 and January 28, 1994.
What happened during the Menéndez brothers' first trial?
Lyle Menéndez was the first brother to testify in the trial, claiming that he was "sexually abused by his mother and father."
According to CBS News, Lyle explained that "his father began sexually abusing him when he was only 6 years old" and only "stopped sexually abusing him when he was 8."
When Erik Menéndez testified, he claimed that their father's sexual abuse "never ended for him." Once he turned 18, Erik finally opened up to Lyle about their father's lifelong abuse.
It's worth noting that the Menéndez brothers "were tried together but had separate juries to determine their sentences," as written on Forbes.
At the end of that first trial, however, "the judge declared a mistrial" given that "the jurors couldn't agree on whether the brothers should be convicted of manslaughter because of the alleged abuse, or [convicted of] first-degree murder."
When was the second trial in the Menéndez brothers case?
The second trial for Lyle Menéndez and Erik Menéndez started on October 11, 1995.
What happened during Lyle and Erik Menéndez's second trial?
The Menéndez brothers' second trial took place over the course of five months and was presided over by Judge Stanley Weisberg. Furthermore, as reported by Time magazine, Weisberg took a very different approach to this trial.
Firstly, the judge "brought in only one jury to decide the brothers' fate." Secondly, he didn't allow the trial to be televised. Thirdly, Weisberg limited the number of testimonies related to claims that the Menéndez brothers had been victims of sexual abuse. Last but not least, the judge reportedly "prohibited the jury from voting on manslaughter charges instead of murder charges."
Judge Stanley Weisberg during the Lyle and Erik Menéndez trial.
Kim Kulish/Sygma via Getty Images
When were the Menéndez brothers sentenced?
Lyle Menéndez and Erik Menéndez were convicted of murdering their parents on March 21, 1996, which was reported by The New York Times.
A subsequent NYT report from July 3, 1996 explained that the Menéndez brothers were "sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole." In his sentencing, Judge Weisberg expressed that he "believed" that Lyle and Erik "carefully decided to kill both parents."
What happened to Judge Stanley Weisberg, who issued life sentences to the Menéndez brothers?
Many reports on Judge Stanley Weisberg described his rulings as "controversial, as outsiders continued to criticize his legal decisions" (via Us Weekly), underscoring that he also presided over the polarizing case of Rodney King's beating by police officers in 1991.
According to In Touch Weekly, Weisberg retired in 2008 after "more than 20 years of service" and started living a life away from any media attention.
