The Menendez Brothers Real Story: After the release of MONSTERS: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Netflix is all set to stream a documentary on the same case titled The Menendez Brothers. Slated to be released on Netflix on October 7, 2024, The Menendez Brothers is a documentary that chronicles the infamous murder trial of two convicted brothers- Lyle and Erik Menendez. As shown in the trailer, Lyle and Erik Menendez for the first time will reveal why they killed their parents back in the year. Directed by Alejandro Hartmann, The Menendez Brothers Real Story synopsis on Netflix reads, "30 years after the murders, the brothers tell their story." Since you have landed on this page, True Scoop News assumes that you have already watched the trailer and are thinking of streaming The Menendez Brothers on Netflix. Hence, you have questions where are real-life Lyle and Erik Menendez now? Below is everything you need to know-
The Menendez Brothers True Story
Before talking about The Menendez Brothers True Story, let's understand the case in brief. Real-life brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents, Joss and Kitty Menendez. While the prosecution argued they were seeking to inherit their family fortune, the brothers claimed - and remain adamant to this day, as they serve life sentences without the possibility of parole - that their actions stemmed out of fear from a lifetime of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
Lyle and Erik Menendez were the sons of Jose, an entertainment executive, and Kitty Menendez, a former teacher. Lyle and Erik shot dead their parents on point blank at Beverly Hills home on August 20, 1989. The brothers called 911 themselves after committing the crime saying they came home from a night out and found their parents' dead bodies. Initially, the authorities looked into the mob as potential suspects.
However, the notes from the brothers' therapist, a shotgun casing and a screenplay pointed to Lyle and Erik, whom prosecutors claimed were privileged, spoiled, and eager to cash in on their father's $14 million fortune. Lyle and Erik had three separate trials, during which they alleged that Jose (their father) was physically, emotionally, and sexually abusive and that Kitty was addicted to drugs and alcohol, physically abusive, and an enabler of Jose.
Where are the real-life Menendez Brothers now?
For more than 20 years, Lyle and Erik Menendez have been imprisoned separately. Lyle in Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California, and Erik about 500 miles away at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County.
Menendez Brothers to be released from prison?
Cliff Gardner while talking to "48 Hours" revealed that new evidence corroborates those longstanding claims made by Lyle and Erik and hence lessens their culpability. Gardner argues that Lyle and Erik Menendez should have been convicted of manslaughter instead of first-degree murder and that if they had been, they would have received a much shorter sentence and been out of prison a long time ago. As mentioned above, the Menendez Brothers claimed that their actions stemmed out of fear from a lifetime of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
The new evidence includes a letter that was allegedly written by Erik Menendez to his cousin, Andy Cano, in December 1988, about eight months before the crime. The letter reads, "..I've been trying to avoid dad. It's still happening, Andy, but it's worse for me now. … Every night I stay up thinking he might come in. … I'm afraid. … He's crazy. He's warned me a hundred times about telling anyone, especially Lyle."
