The Menendez brothers, Erik and Lyle, remain a topic of interest and controversy decades after their high-profile trial. Their journey through the criminal justice system has been marked by both tragedy and challenges. As they serve their life sentences, questions about where they are incarcerated continue to surface.
Here is everything to know about the Menendez Brothers.
Which prison are the Menendez brothers in?
Erik and Lyle Menendez are reportedly both serving their life sentences at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California.
The Menendez brothers are serving life sentences without the chance for parole. However, new evidence may boost their claim of self-defense against their parents due to years of abuse. Their attorney, Cliff Gardner, is pushing for their release.
One key piece of evidence is a letter Erik Menendez allegedly wrote to his cousin, Andy Cano, in December 1988, in which he expressed fear of their father and detailed his struggles to avoid him. Additionally, in April 2023, Roy Rosselló, a former member of the boy band Menudo, accused Jose Menendez of assaulting him during a visit to their home in the 1980s, claiming he was drugged and raped (via Forbes).
In May 2023, Gardner filed a petition for a new hearing, citing Erik’s letter and Rosselló’s affidavit as new evidence to challenge the brothers’ convictions. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is currently reviewing these allegations.
Are the Menendez brothers in the same prison?
Currently, the Menendez brothers are in the same prison.
Following their conviction, the brothers were initially separated and placed in different prisons, marking a significant gap in their relationship. The last time they saw each other was reportedly in 1996 when they were only able to see one another across the prison yard without any form of communication.
In the years that followed, Lyle made multiple requests to be transferred closer to Erik. His persistence paid off on February 22, 2018, when he was moved from Mule Creek State Prison in Northern California to San Diego, where Erik had been held since 2013. Their long-awaited reunion finally took place on April 4, 2018, when Erik was transferred to Lyle Menendez’s unit.
Journalist Robert Rand described the emotional scene: upon seeing each other, the brothers immediately broke down in tears and embraced without uttering a word. They were subsequently allowed to spend an hour in a private room, marking a significant reconnection after years apart.
