For years, it seemed like all hope was lost. In 1996, Lyle and Erik Menendez were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for gunning down their parents, Kitty and Jose, in 1989. Over the next decade, they exhausted all of their appeals. “By 2005, they thought they were going to spend the rest of their lives in prison,” their attorney, Mark Geragos, says. “And they resigned themselves to it.”
But in the past year, everything changed dramatically. The introduction of shocking new details of Jose’s abusive behavior, along with the bombshell Netflix miniseries Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, sparked a groundswell of support for the brothers — from Kim Kardashian to the outgoing LA County DA, who made it clear he believes they have served enough time for their crimes and filed for a resentencing hearing, scheduled for December 11. At press time, Lyle and Erik’s chances of being released from prison looked promising, via either clemency granted by California Governor Gavin Newsom, having their murder conviction reduced to manslaughter by a judge, or resentencing by the parole board. “It’s time for them to come home,” Erik’swife, Tammi, said. But as In Touch’s investigation into what their new life will be like reveals, their first days of freedom will be “very difficult,” criminal justice expert Wendy Feldman tells In Touch. “Because they went away as monsters.”
THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY
Three decades ago, not many people believed them. The brothers’ stories about how they endured years of sexual and physical abuse by Jose led to a hung jury in the first trial. Their claims were later mostly excluded from the second trial, in which they were convicted of double murder. At the time, “there were virtually no systems in place to support survivors, and public awareness of trauma and male sexual abuse was minimal,” Kim wrote in an NBC opinion essay. “[So] the public remained skeptical.” Many, including the original prosecutors, still contend that Lyle, now 56, and Erik, 53, committed brutal, premeditated murder out of sheer greed. Even testimony from former Menudo member Roy Rosselló that he’d also been sexually abused by music executive Jose as a teen and a letter — unearthed in 2018 and allegedly written by Lyle in the months before the murders, in which he confessed to being terrified of his dad — haven’t changed minds. Now, the brothers will be “very tempted” to tell their side of the story, Feldman, who has worked with various Menendez family members over the years, tells In Touch. “Everyone is going to want an interview. And they should do none.”
Her advice for the brothers as they navigate their first days of freedom? No press for at least a year. Feldman, founder of Wendy Feldman Consulting Group Strategic Crisis and Media Management, also urges them to avoid following the path that Gypsy Rose Blanchard took after serving nine years for being involved in the killing of her abusive mother. “It’s never smart to do a reality show,” says Feldman.
LIFE ON THE OUTSIDE
Instead, the brothers have expressed an interest in continuing the work they started behind bars. Lyle launched a prison beautification project, while Erik established programs to help inmates become better equipped when they rejoin society. “Our fervent hope is that the brothers will continue to support their current projects from the outside and use their platform to expand on making prisons better,” law professor Chandrika Kelso, who has worked with them through her Helping Without Prejudice Foundation, told Newsweek.
Their other focus has been on helping victims. Lyle has said he was “devoting my life in prison to sex abuse survivor issues,” and he should continue doing so, Feldman tells In Touch. “The first thing they should do is start a foundation for abused men and get involved in the community. Show the world why you deserve to be out.”
And whatever they do, she says, “go somewhere other than Beverly Hills,” where the brothers committed their crime, she says, adding that Erik and Lyle, who spent their childhood in New Jersey, “are lucky” to have the support of most of their family. But it will still take some time to transition back into society. “I’ve always said that prison is easy. Re-entry is very hard,” Feldman says.
Both men are married and will face those relationships in person for the first time. “The women are going to have to make the adjustment more than the men, but their wives will help in [the brother’s] accountability when they first get out,” says Feldman. “When you’ve been institutionalized for that long, you’re going to need a very disciplined schedule.”
Once they’ve reacclimated, Feldman suggests they take on speaking engagements and write a book. Erik has hinted there’s more to their story, which they’ll tell together when it’s time. “So much hasn’t been told. Not speaking out doesn’t help anyone,” Erik said earlier this year. “Those horrible events bonded us in a way that will never be broken.” Added Lyle: “It’s been 34 years of incarceration, and for the first time, I feel like it’s a conversation where people now can understand and believe.”
