logo
Menendez brothers' lives now from weddings to prison reunion after brutal attack

Menendez brothers' lives now from weddings to prison reunion after brutal attack

Daily Record14-05-2025

Erik and Lyle Menendez, recently made eligible for parole, were 18 and 21 when they shot their parents to death at point-blank range and much has changed after 30 years behind bars
It's been over three decades since Erik and Lyle Menendez murdered their parents, José and Mary Louise 'Kitty' Menendez, with multiple gunshot wounds at their lavish Beverly Hills mansion. At the time, the brothers were aged just 18 and 21.
Their heinous crime, committed in 1989, eventually culminated in 1996 convictions for first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The brothers received life sentences without parole, despite their lawyers' arguments that they had been subjected to years of sexual abuse by their father.

Fast-forward to the present, and the brothers' narratives were recently brought to life in the Netflix series Monsters. This week, in a significant turn of events, a Los Angeles judge revised their sentences to 50 years to life, rendering them eligible for parole.

However, the public's perception of the Menendez brothers remains frozen in time, thanks in part to archival court photographs and the recent on-screen portrayals of their younger selves by actors Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch. Yet, after spending over 30 years behind bars, Erik and Lyle, now both in their 50s, have undergone vastly different experiences.
We take a closer look at their current lives, starting with a reunion behind bars.
The conclusion of the Monsters series depicted the brothers being transported to separate prisons, contrary to their request to be housed together.
In an interview earlier this year, Erik, 54, recalled the "bullying and trauma" he endured during his early days in prison. Providing insights on the 2 Angry Men podcast, he said: "I was separated from Lyle, and I remember the day that I was told Lyle just got assaulted and got his jaw broken.
"I'm thinking he's over there, I'm going through this over here, and at least we could protect each other, maybe, if we were together, but we were not even allowed to be together."

Despite years of separation, in a twist of fate, Lyle, now 57, was transferred from California's Mule Creek State Prison to the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego in 2018, where his brother Erik resided.
An ABC News report captured the emotional reunion after more than two decades apart: "They just hugged each other for a few minutes without saying any words to each other. Then the prison officials let them spend an hour together in a room."

Prison lives
As a result of their consistent good behaviour, the brothers have been housed in a "non-designated programming facility" within Donovan.
This specialised section provides inmates with additional liberties, encouraging rehabilitation and education, with academic subjects as well as yoga and art classes on offer.
Erik has channelled his time in incarceration towards aiding fellow prisoners, particularly those battling terminal illnesses. In 2018, his aunt told ABC News: "[Erik] was really making sure that the prisoners knew that there is a God that loves us. That was marvellous to me because he never got that at home."

The Menendez brothers, famous for their grim past, have channelled their artistic side by painting a mural on the walls of their unit and supporting individuals who suffered from childhood sexual abuse.
Marriages
Shooting their parents at close quarters at 18 and 21 and their subsequent conviction for murder hasn't stopped the brothers from finding love behind bars.

In 1999, Erik Menendez married Tammi Saccoman within the confines of Folsom State Prison. Tammi initiated contact during Erik's first trial, leading to a relationship culminating in marriage, and she also penned a book titled They Said We'd Never Make It: My Life With Erik Menendez.
Lyle has similarly navigated marital waters twice while in prison, initially with ex-model Anna Eriksson, which eventually led to divorce. In 2003, he wed Rebecca Sneed within the perimeter of Mule Creek State Prison.

Discussing his conjugal life, Lyle revealed to ABC News: "I've found I can have a healthy marriage that is complicated and built around conversation and finding creative ways to communicate, sharing, without all the props that are normally there in marriage in terms of going out to dinner and having as much intimate time together and so on."
Contrastingly, a source informed People last year that Lyle and Rebecca discreetly concluded their 21-year marriage. The parting has reportedly been established "for a while", and Lyle was said to be in a romance with a young student from Manchester.
Despite the separation, it is believed Rebecca continues to advocate for his release.

Freedom
Following the reduction of their sentences at Van Nuys Courthouse in Los Angeles, the brothers exchanged smiles and waves with their relatives. Throughout the hearing, they accepted responsibility for their criminal actions and expressed remorse for the falsehoods presented during the initial investigation.
Outside the courtroom, defence attorney Mark Geragos stated that it was a "great day" and that they were "one huge step closer to bringing the boys home".
The brothers' cousin, Anamaria Baralt, addressed the judge, advocating for a "second chance at life" for Erik and Lyle. She shared: "It's been a nightmare. I am desperate for this process to be over."
A further hearing is scheduled to take place within the next month, and a final decision regarding their potential release will be made by the state parole board in due course.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

First look at Liam Payne's final ever TV show before his tragic death as Netflix releases trailer for Building The Band
First look at Liam Payne's final ever TV show before his tragic death as Netflix releases trailer for Building The Band

Scottish Sun

time10 minutes ago

  • Scottish Sun

First look at Liam Payne's final ever TV show before his tragic death as Netflix releases trailer for Building The Band

NETFLIX has released the first look trailer for Liam Payne's final ever TV show before his tragic death. Talent contest Building The Band was filmed months before his death last October. 8 Netflix has released the first look trailer for Liam Payne's final ever TV show before his tragic death Credit: Getty 8 Talent contest Building The Band was filmed months before his death last October. Credit: Netflix 8 The show features pods similar to those in Love is Blind Credit: Netflix Netflix has released a teasing trailer and release date for its upcoming show Building The Band, which will feature the late Liam Payne as a guest judge. The programme adopts a Voice format, where singers audition for each other and select their bandmates without laying eyes on them first. But that's where the similarity ends because the set looks similar to the pods from the popular reality dating show Love Is Blind. The trailer shows viewers a glimpse of aspiring musicians entering the pods, with contestant Donzell stealing the spotlight. The other contestants are left loving his vocals as they try to form their ultimate band based on musical energy, chemistry, and talent. The footage doesn't reveal Liam or any of the judges, or explicitly reference his participation in the programme. Liam is a judge and mentor alongside singers Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland. Speculation had been rife that the Netflix project would be axed, or Liam's part would be cut out of respect, following his fatal balcony fall at the age of 31 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A source said: 'Liam was on great form at filming so everyone's pleased fans will get to see the 'real' him one last time. 'It will be bittersweet when the show is released. Final two men charged over Liam Payne's tragic death WILL stand trial "Netflix have gone out of their way to make sure his family are happy. "Producers sent them the footage so they are fully aware of what to expect and they have given it their blessing.' Much like the origins of Liam's band One Direction, the show, filmed in Manchester, creates a group from strangers. Host and Backstreet Boys' star AJ McLean said: 'Liam lit up the room any time we were on set. "We spent pretty much six weeks, 14-hour days locked in a sound stage together, sharing stories. "We were talking about music, about life, about sobriety. 'He was a light and we are dedicating the show to him. 'I'm glad people get to see this side of him. To remember him this way. Because this is really truly who he is. He's now in a safer place.' Meanwhile, two men accused of supplying Liam with cocaine just hours before he fell to his death will face trial, prosecutors have confirmed. Waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz and ex-hotel worker Ezequiel David Pereyra have been behind bars since January after they were charged over the One Direction star's death. The pair will be put on the stand and could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of drugs offences. 8 Singers audition for each other and select their bandmates without laying eyes on them first Credit: Netflix 8 The trailers show a glimpse of musicians entering the pods Credit: Netflix 8 Liam is a judge and mentor on the talent show Credit: Netflix 8 Building the Band audition pods Credit: Netflix 8 Host and Backstreet Boys' star AJ McLean said: 'Liam lit up the room any time we were on set Credit: Getty Building The Band is set to air on Netflix on 9th July.

First look at Liam Payne's final ever TV show before his tragic death as Netflix releases trailer for Building The Band
First look at Liam Payne's final ever TV show before his tragic death as Netflix releases trailer for Building The Band

The Sun

time15 minutes ago

  • The Sun

First look at Liam Payne's final ever TV show before his tragic death as Netflix releases trailer for Building The Band

NETFLIX has released the first look trailer for Liam Payne's final ever TV show before his tragic death. 8 8 8 Netflix has released a teasing trailer and release date for its upcoming show Building The Band, which will feature the late Liam Payne as a guest judge. The programme adopts a Voice format, where singers audition for each other and select their bandmates without laying eyes on them first. But that's where the similarity ends because the set looks similar to the pods from the popular reality dating show Love Is Blind. The trailer shows viewers a glimpse of aspiring musicians entering the pods, with contestant Donzell stealing the spotlight. The other contestants are left loving his vocals as they try to form their ultimate band based on musical energy, chemistry, and talent. The footage doesn't reveal Liam or any of the judges, or explicitly reference his participation in the programme. Liam is a judge and mentor alongside singers Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland. Speculation had been rife that the Netflix fatal balcony fall at the age of 31 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A source said: 'Liam was on great form at filming so everyone's pleased fans will get to see the 'real' him one last time. 'It will be bittersweet when the show is released. Final two men charged over Liam Payne's tragic death WILL stand trial "Netflix have gone out of their way to make sure his family are happy. "Producers sent them the footage so they are fully aware of what to expect and they have given it their blessing.' Much like the origins of Liam's band One Direction, the show, filmed in Manchester, creates a group from strangers. Host and Backstreet Boys' star AJ McLean said: 'Liam lit up the room any time we were on set. Liam Payne's sad death On October 16, 2024, Liam Payne sadly died, leaving family, friends and fans devastated. Here we take you through the biggest stories to unfold since his tragic passing: Liam's death is announced. The star's family release a heartbreaking statement. Liam's cause of death revealed after he fell from a balcony. The singer's One Direction bandmates pay tribute. Cheryl Cole describes 'earth shattering' agony following the death of son's father. Mourners gather at vigils around the world to honour the late star. Liam's girlfriend Kate Cassidy makes an emotional tribute. Liam's body is flown back to the UK with his family. Zayn Malik reschedules his tour dates due to 'unforeseen circumstances' following Liam's death. Liam's family announce his funeral. "We spent pretty much six weeks, 14-hour days locked in a sound stage together, sharing stories. "We were talking about music, about life, about sobriety. 'He was a light and we are dedicating the show to him. 'I'm glad people get to see this side of him. To remember him this way. Because this is really truly who he is. He's now in a safer place.' Meanwhile, two men accused of supplying Liam with cocaine just hours before he fell to his death will face trial, prosecutors have confirmed. Waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz and ex-hotel worker Ezequiel David Pereyra have been behind bars since January after they were charged over the One Direction star's death. The pair will be put on the stand and could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of drugs offences. 8 8 8 8 8 Building The Band is set to air on Netflix on 9th July.

OneFour on prison, police and their long-awaited debut: ‘We wouldn't be who we are today if we didn't go through that'
OneFour on prison, police and their long-awaited debut: ‘We wouldn't be who we are today if we didn't go through that'

The Guardian

time27 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

OneFour on prison, police and their long-awaited debut: ‘We wouldn't be who we are today if we didn't go through that'

As evidence of what's changed for the Australian hip-hop act OneFour, the group's Jerome 'J Emz' Misa points to the blue sky behind him. 'Right now I'm going for a midday walk – I never used to do this back in the days!' the rapper laughs, his Zoom screen shaky as he puffs through the streets of western Sydney. 'Physically and mentally, I feel like there's been a lot of positive changes.' For one, while OneFour made their name as the first in Australia to embrace drill, a Chicago-born genre that tells often-nihilistic tales of street violence, J Emz no longer identifies as a driller. 'I'm an artist and a musician – and [my music] comes from that perspective,' he says. The group, who grew up together in Mount Druitt, were teenagers when they first started making music in a local youth centre. They're now in their mid-to-late-20s and have had 'a lot of time to reflect' on where young adulthood in one of Sydney's most disadvantaged postcodes took them. 'If you're Polynesian, you grow up in church, and you have certain principles and morals that you live by, that you're taught by parents,' J Emz says. 'But what we all had to go through in the street went against those principles or morals.' What they went through has been well documented. In 2019, the same year the group enjoyed breakthrough success with their single The Message, OneFour hit two major setbacks. First, three of the group's members were jailed over a violent pub brawl. Second, their lyrics were taken by New South Wales police as evidence the group were engaged in gang warfare. Strike Force Raptor, a specialised police squad created to tackle outlaw motorcycle gangs, made it their mission to stop OneFour from ever performing in Sydney – and have, so far, more or less succeeded. Despite the group's repeated denials of involvement in gang violence, the police have cancelled their tours, barred them from entering the Aria awards on the night they were nominated, and arrived with metal detectors and undercover officers to the premiere of their 2023 Netflix documentary. What should have been the start of a brilliant career sputtered and stalled, and maintaining momentum has been an issue. But it hasn't stopped them becoming heroes. As local hip-hop manager and tastemaker Christopher Kevin Au puts it: 'With OneFour, people are buying into much more than the music – they're attached to the story. The trajectory of OneFour has seen them become the ultimate underdog tale.' Now, OneFour are chewing over their journey on their long delayed debut album, Look At Me Now. 'The album is based on a story of overcoming the obstacles that we've had to experience, growing from the people we were when we first started making music to the people we are today,' J Emz says. 'Look at us now – and look at where we are with our careers now.' Today, OneFour are arguably the biggest act in Australian hip-hop (bar their friend and collaborator the Kid Laroi), with several multi-platinum singles to their name. While they have always been proudly independent, the group recently struck a distribution deal with Sony Music subsidiary The Orchard, lending them more institutional backing than they've ever had. It's at Sony's Sydney office that I meet three of the band's four core members for an initial group interview: J Emz, Dahcell 'Celly' Ramos and Spencer 'Spenny' Magalog. There have been some lineup shifts in recent years. As of 2023, all members of the band are now out of prison, though Salec 'Lekks' Su'a, who was born in Samoa but holds New Zealand citizenship, was deported to New Zealand after finishing his sentence. Last year the group's longtime manager stepped down from his role, and original member Pio 'YP' Misa (younger brother of J Emz) left to join the priesthood, a decision he discussed in a tearful Nine News interview. A condition of this interview was that YP's departure not be discussed, and with some awkward topics to skirt around, there is sometimes a stiffness in our conversation. But one thing the group is happy to talk about is the album. Look At Me Now packs plenty that will feel familiar to OneFour fans – eshay slang, gunshot samples, quintessentially Australian references to Coles, Penrith Panthers and Honda Civics, and pithy lines like 'They put money on our heads / We call that shit an op shop' (a reference to a recent alleged murder plot). But there's also a new introspection to many of the tracks. 'We show a different side of ourselves – we get a bit vulnerable,' J Emz says. That includes Phone Call, the group's first love song, featuring the R&B singer Mabel. But other tracks tackle big topics like the environments that raise us, how easy it can be to get caught up in the system, and what it means to pull yourself out of one sort of life and into another. There are bars about the young kids let down by our schools and the friends who've been sucked in by drugs and landed in prison. On the album opener Change, J Emz implores young listeners to learn from his mistakes; elsewhere, Spenny raps about waking up in cold sweats from the memories of things he's done. J Emz says he doesn't want to be a role model for anyone ('I don't want that spotlight'), but he's aware there is a younger generation who look up to OneFour, not just as hitmakers but as representatives of Mount Druitt and Pasifika people on the world stage. When I talked to fellow Mount Druitt hip-hop act Kapulet in 2020, he described the group's influence on the young people of their neighbourhood: 'Before, everyone used to want to be footy players. Now everyone wants to be a musician.' 'We know our music goes a long way, and it reaches a lot of people,' says J Emz. 'So when it came to the album itself, I feel like it is the right thing to do … to be that positive role model.' OneFour say the album is 'for those who want more' from life, and hope it motivates their listeners. They're disappointed they won't get to share it live with fans in their home town; while the group is set to visit the rest of the country as part of their album tour, a Sydney show still isn't possible: 'We've tried,' J Emz says. Instead, the group staged a listening party at a secret location in western Sydney on Thursday, where the album was played over a soundsystem. To date, the only times they've been able to perform in their home city are in festivals or supporting act slots. In their war against OneFour, NSW police have often hit venues hosting the band with prohibitive user-pays police bills that effectively force the gig's cancellation. Guardian Australia understands that the group's Sydney show with the Kid Laroi in November only went ahead after the payment of a six-figure police bill, funding several riot squads, horseback patrols, plus police at the perimeter of the show and at Parramatta station. In fact, across a seven-year career, OneFour have only played about 20 shows – a number any other artist would do within six months of an album tour. The official police line is that they fear 'antisocial behaviour' should OneFour be allowed to perform, which is exasperating for the band. 'We haven't had any major incidents involved with our shows,' says J Emz. 'Everything's gone safely. It's tough when you've been doing it for years, and it's just a matter of them [the police] just letting go of whatever they got against us.' It doesn't feel coincidental that this extraordinary level of police intervention has been exercised against a group of Pasifika men; for their part, NSW police have described their own actions as 'lawfully harassing' the band. When I ask the usually chatty J Emz if it feels like discrimination, he has only one word in answer, which arrives to the awkward laughter of his bandmates: 'Yes.' But OneFour are surprisingly positive about what they have gone through and what's to come. 'We wouldn't be who we are today if we didn't go through that stuff, if it was just a walk in the park,' says J Emz. 'I feel like that's why people resonate with our music and find it so authentic.' OneFour are, J Emz feels, 'a living example of what's possible with music'. Spenny agrees: 'Without music I would have ended up on a different path, a whole different lifestyle … music for me, changed me – and basically saved my life.' Now, he just wants people – and the police – to understand what most other artists don't have to spell out: 'We're musicians. We love our craft, and we're just trying to get our story out to the world.' Look At Me Now is out 13 June (Sony Music). OneFour are touring Australia from 21 June.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store