Inside Menendez brothers’ ‘celeb’ prison life…speakerphone weddings to pen pal wives, bizarre fan mail & Kim K visits

THEY became infamous for the brutal murders of their parents successful August 1989 astatine their plush Beverly Hills mansion and person spent 35 years down bars.

Now Erik and Lyle Menendez - whose lawsuit was highlighted successful a caller Netflix play and documentary - could soon beryllium freed aft a territory lawyer recommended that the brothers beryllium resentenced.

The brace person been locked up since they were arrested for slaughtering Jose and Kitty Menendez aft an aggravated statement implicit their father's alleged sexual abuse.

Defence lawyers astatine their 1996 proceedings claimed their abusive begetter had threatened to termination them and, subsequently, the complaint should person been downgraded to manslaughter.

After respective appeals, Los Angeles' territory lawyer George Gascón is present asking for them to beryllium given 50 years to life, meaning they would beryllium instantly eligible for parole due to the fact that they were nether 26 astatine the clip of the murders.

It follows an affectional property league held past week by their parents' families, who called for the brothers' release. Celebrities specified arsenic Kim Kardashian person besides advocated connected their behalf.

Behind prison walls, they person built relationships, married, taken up jobs and adjacent secured assemblage degrees.

They person besides received countless bizarre letters from hoards of women who person been captivated by their lawsuit from the start.

Robert Rand, the brothers' adjacent person who has played a large relation successful their efforts to beryllium released, told The Sun: "They’ve some go precise invaluable members of their inmate community.

"Both brothers pb immoderate classes, including their unfortunate interaction classes, and besides some brothers are enrolled successful a assemblage programme done the University of California Irvine.

"Lyle Menendez conscionable got his BA grade a mates of months ago, and Erik Menendez volition beryllium finished with the programme successful a fewer much months.

"And too each of that, they besides privately counsel different inmates who person been sexually molested erstwhile they were children.

"They've been doing that the full 34 years and six months that they've been successful situation due to the fact that they evidently recognize what an maltreatment subsister goes through."

Lyle, present 56, and Erik, 53, person besides taken the pb successful different aspects of their situation community, including the mounting up for a immense mural.

Robert added: "Erik is the pb creator and main designer of the mural that's being painted connected the interior partition — this elephantine interior partition of the situation wherever some brothers are housed.

"In summation to the mural, which I conscionable went and saw a mates of months ago, they’re besides going to instrumentality the centre of the yard, which is conscionable a spot of dirt, and it's going to beryllium converted into a beauteous garden.

"All the materials person been donated by backstage groups, truthful taxpayers paid for nothing.

"Several people, including the comedian and histrion Rosie O'Donnell, person donated $100,000 to his mural plot task that volition decidedly beryllium unsocial successful California.

"The situation officials judge it volition beryllium the largest mural wrong of a situation successful the world."

Romance down bars

Despite their incarceration, some Erik and Lyle went connected to marry, with the second tying the knot twice.

On July 2, 1996 - the time helium and his member were sentenced to beingness imprisonment for the murders of their parents - Lyle, past 28, joined exemplary and salon receptionist Anna Eriksson.

Anna began corresponding with Lyle successful 1993 during his archetypal trial, which ended successful a mistrial.

She aboriginal relocated to California successful 1994 to enactment him and attended his lengthy retrial, which started successful 1995 and ended with their convictions successful March 1996.

Although the mates could not speech vows successful person, they proceeded with a ceremonial implicit speakerphone.

Lyle said his vows successful custody. Meanwhile, Anna was successful the bureau of defence lawyer Leslie Abramson. Lyle's aunt Marta Cano was besides present.

But their matrimony did not last. In 2001, Anna filed for divorcement aft reportedly discovering Lyle had been cheating with different women - by penning to them from his cell.

Two years later, helium joined his newfound love, writer Rebecca Sneed. Their narration had developed implicit a decade, opening with letters and progressing to in-person visits.

Rebecca was a well-known writer and had covered the brothers' case.

This time, Lyle was capable to accidental his vows successful person. They wed astatine the Mule State Prison successful Sacramento, wherever helium was housed until helium was moved to the aforesaid installation arsenic Erik.

Speaking astir their connection successful 2017 People interview, Lyle said: "Our interactions are mostly escaped from the accustomed distractions and we astir apt stock much intimate conversations than astir joined couples, whose lives are filled with interruptions."

At the time, Rebecca could sojourn him play arsenic she lived adjacent Sacremento.

In the interview, helium added: "We speech connected the telephone daily, sometimes aggregate times. This steady, progressive narration brings maine bid and joy, counterbalancing the unpredictable, stressful situation of prison."

He besides spoke astir the challenges Rebecca had "endured" to beryllium with him.

"She’s endured a lot, but she has the courageousness to grip the obstacles," helium said. "It would beryllium easier for her to locomotion away, but I’m profoundly grateful she hasn’t."

Erik has been joined to Tammi Saccoman since 1999. When she archetypal started communicating with Erik, Tammi was inactive joined to her hubby Chuck, a palmy existent property developer.

In an interview, she recalled watching his proceedings connected TV. "I could spot the symptom successful his eyes," she said. “I felt truthful atrocious for him."

Although she had immoderate doubts astir Erik's maltreatment claims they began a romanticist narration aft Tammi made the traumatic find that her hubby had been abusing her 15-year-old daughter, his stepdaughter.

Chuck aboriginal turned himself into the constabulary and killed himself 2 days later, leaving down the couple's daughter, 9 months.

She said: "I reached retired to Erik. He comforted me; our letters started taking connected a much superior tone."

She said she aboriginal "concluded" that she "never wanted to beryllium without Erik".

Describing however tense she was erstwhile they met for the archetypal clip successful August 1997, she said: "Erik had nary thought what I looked like; I'd lone sent him a tiny, 1-by-1 picture.

"But erstwhile helium walked into the room, helium was truthful afloat of life, helium hopped down the stairs. It was similar I was gathering an aged friend."

While prisons successful California let conjugal visits, prisoners serving beingness sentences without the anticipation of parole were exempted from the privilege.

Although the rules were changed successful 2016, Lyle and Erik are inactive not allowed arsenic they committed a convulsive offence against a household member.

Speaking astir the deficiency of intimacy, Tammi told MSNBC successful 2005: "A buss erstwhile you travel in, a buss erstwhile you leave. You tin clasp hands, and that portion of it is precise difficult, and radical don't understand."

Prison life

After the brothers were sentenced, they were devastated erstwhile they were separated and taken to antithetic facilities.

Despite galore appeals, they remained isolated for 22 years earlier they were yet reunited astatine the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility successful 2018.

At the time, Robert Rand told ABC News: "They conscionable hugged each different for a fewer minutes without saying immoderate words to each other.

"Then the situation officials fto them walk an hr unneurotic successful a room.' Now they get to spot each different each time during meals and successful recreation time."

Speaking astir the reunion successful a Netflix documentary premiered this year, Lyle said: "I consciousness similar it was yet the accidental to heal. And it was starting connected that day."

Erik added: "When abruptly this supplication of being capable to spot my member again was answered, the joyousness of seeing him again and being capable to wrapper my arms astir him and springiness him a hug was overwhelming. It was conscionable happiness."

The brothers are categorised arsenic radical A inmates, who person the astir privileges erstwhile it comes to visits and telephone calls wrong California's situation system.

Although telephone calls were pricey for astir of their incarceration, they became escaped for prisoners and their families from January 2023, acknowledgment to the Keep Families Connected Act.

Prisoners successful the authorities besides began getting physics tablets successful 2021. Erik and Lyle's situation started receiving them conscionable past year.

The tablets cannot entree societal media oregon net browsers but let inmates to support up with the quality and work magazines.

In summation to escaped emails and telephone calls, prisoners are besides fixed constricted minutes for video calls and substance messages. They tin besides wage for more.

Their situation portion offers activities specified arsenic yoga, usher canine training, and creation lessons. One of the facility's astir unsocial features is the Echo Yard.

It is simply a designated abstraction for inmates committed to idiosyncratic growth, rehabilitation and maintaining affirmative behaviour.

Known for its calmer ambiance compared to different situation yards, it encourages inmates to prosecute successful transformative programs, including acquisition courses, vocational grooming and therapeutic services.

This situation aims to trim violence, foster community, and hole individuals for eventual reintegration.

New question of 'fans'

Robert says the brothers are precise overmuch alert of the outpouring of enactment they person received since the merchandise of the caller Netflix play Monster, a documentary and the TikTok question to escaped them.

"They cognize astir the Menendez enactment each implicit the world. Besides posting videos each implicit societal media, the Menendez supporters are penning them tons of letters.

"They are getting much letters than they ever got during the 90s. They were getting 1000 letters a week. Half of those letters were from groupies who wanted to conscionable them."

A 1990 hoops paper featuring Mark Jackson of the New York Knicks gained notoriety erstwhile fans noticed the Menendez brothers sitting courtside successful the background.

It was taken soon earlier their arrest. The paper became a true-crime collector’s item. In caller months, fans person sent galore copies of the paper to situation for the brothers to sign.

'Entitled' jibe

Although the brothers person been described arsenic exemplary prisoners, their clip down bars has not been without trouble. In 2005, Lyle opened up astir the carnal confrontations he's had successful prison.

He said: "I person gotten into fights… galore fights. But I ne'er combat first. You person to larn to beryllium smart. There is simply a perpetual authorities of fearfulness that exists arsenic inheritance noise.

"You ever person to beryllium alert of who is astir you. You person to continually hone your endurance instincts."

According to Us Weekly, Erik besides claims that helium was bullied erstwhile helium was archetypal sentenced to prison. He besides recovered it hard to set to the "violent noises" successful prison.

The brothers person often divided opinions among the inmate population. While immoderate person praised them for being inspirations and mentors, 1 situation defender slammed them for being "entitled."

An ex-inmate, Anerae 'X-raided' Brown, who spent clip with some brothers successful the situation strategy said successful an interview: "Lyle was the feline who started teaching maine the worth of utilizing my popularity to my vantage successful a mode wherever I tin beryllium influential for affirmative things.

"He was the archetypal idiosyncratic to say, ‘Hey man, I deliberation you should motion up for these classes, there’s different mode to bash your time.'"

Horrific crime

In 1989, the Menendez household appeared to beryllium the representation of success. Jose Menendez was a wealthy amusement executive, and his wife, Kitty, raised their 2 sons, Lyle and Erik, successful Beverly Hills.

But connected August 20, that representation shattered erstwhile Lyle, 21, and Erik, 18, changeable their parents with shotguns successful the family’s mansion.

The brothers initially claimed their parents were murdered successful a mob hit, but six months later, they confessed to the killings successful therapy, which yet led to their arrest.

The archetypal proceedings successful 1993 became 1 of the astir sensational of the decade, capturing worldwide media attention.

Defence attorneys argued that the Menendez brothers had endured years of terrible physical, sexual, and affectional maltreatment by their father.

They alleged that Jose Menendez was controlling and convulsive and had molested his sons from a young age.

Their mother, Kitty, was portrayed arsenic complicit, indifferent, oregon overwhelmed by her husband’s abuse.

The brothers’ defence argued they acted retired of a premix of fearfulness and desperation, believing their parents planned to termination them to support the family’s secrets hidden.

Prosecutors, however, contended that the murders were premeditated acts of greed, carried retired truthful the brothers could inherit their parents’ fortune.

After 2 trials, Lyle and Erik were sentenced to beingness without the anticipation of parole, a verdict that has remained controversial.

Resentencing hope

This week, it was revealed that the Los Angeles County territory lawyer had recommended that the brothers beryllium resentenced.

Their beingness without punishment was asked to beryllium replaced with 50 years to beingness successful prison, meaning they would beryllium disposable for parole immediately.

The caller improvement came aft the reappraisal of caller grounds that was not antecedently submitted to the court.

Robert Rand, who precocious uncovered Erik's missive to his relative Andy, told The Sun: "It's a five-page letter. I was going done documents successful Andy’s dresser, and it was astir apt astir halfway done the 2nd page.

"He wrote a paragraph wherever helium started complaining astir the maltreatment by his father, and that each nighttime helium was acrophobic that his begetter would travel into his room, and helium didn't cognize what to bash astir it.

"And I was speechmaking this, and I was shocked to spot it due to the fact that I realised that it was a carnal portion of evidence. It wasn't conscionable idiosyncratic saying something, but a existent carnal portion of evidence.

"And I realised this could person a large interaction connected the brother’s lawsuit and their effort to reopen the case."