Observing the story from the beginning was journalist Robert Rand, who reported on the story for multiple outlets, covered the trials and interviewed the brothers both before their arrests and since, even talking to Lyle as recently as a few weeks ago. Rarely have parents been so defiled by their children, or victims by their killers.”Â, Regardless of how fair or unfair their sentencing was, Erik and Lyle Menendez have moved on with their lives over the past 30 years.Â, Shortly after his imprisonment, Erik received a letter from Tammi Saccoman, whose husband had recently died by suicide, he told PEOPLE. Although California does not allow conjugal visits for inmates serving life sentences, their correspondence slowly developed into romance — and in June 1999, the two got married in the prison waiting room, according to CNN.Â, Lyle, for his part, married former model Anna Eriksson in July 1996, but the two divorced in 2001 when she found out he was “cheating” on her by sending letters to other women. He then found love with defense attorney Rebecca Sneed, who Lyle married in 2003, according to E! Both became productive citizens in their prison communities. Leslie Zoeller said, according to ABC News. The Menendez brothers have been referenced in popular culture on numerous occasions throughout the years, even spawning a couple movies about the subject. The Law & Order Season 1 episode "The Serpent's Tooth" is loosely based on the Menendez Brothers case. The 1990s trials of brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez were long and drawn out, spanning nearly three years before the siblings were sentenced. Lay me on the bed, and he’d have a tube or Vaseline and he just played with me.”Â, The brothers apparently had not spoken of this abuse to anyone before their arrest. The Menendez Brothers and O.J. But they’ve never had sex with their wives? They are not in the same cell but they’re in the same pod. 12/9/20 Egypt Covington Death: Suspect's Preliminary Hearing Delayed. People don’t understand. After shooting their parents to death, Lyle and Erik Menendez partied, gambled, and indulged in pricey shopping sprees. Menendez, 64, accepted an abundance of campaign donations, gifts and vacations from Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist, prosecutors alleged when Menendez faced trial in 2017. There [are] a lot of people who never felt they had the complete story…, Lyle and O.J. Crime Time is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. If the trial was held today, I believe they would have gotten manslaughter instead of murder, and that’s what I believe it should have been. They see each other all day, every day. Erik created a hospice program in the previous prison he was in and the one he’s in now. was clearly communicating that he was responsible for the murders. Simpson: Revealing Conversations Between Unlikely Jailhouse Friends. During the trial, the defense based their case on the years of abuse Lyle and Erik suffered at the hands of their parents. The Andersen (Kitty’s family) and Menendez families all had pieces of the puzzle but no one sat them all down and put them together. A+E Networks. He then found love with defense attorney Rebecca Sneed, who Lyle married in 2003, according to E! What is marriage like for them? I believe them because of 29 years of talking to the immediate family members. 12/9/20 Legal News Update. “I’m not saying what I did was right or justifiable. “It was just a remarkable moment,” Lyle told DailyMailTV. A post shared by … My reputation will be ruined and I’ll never work again.’. These identical siblings had more in common than looks and genes -- they also shared a rap sheet. The boys suffered years of abuse. was admitting responsibility. They don’t get conjugal visits. If … What is the biggest new revelation in your book? The case of Erik and Lyle Menendez, who murdered their parents in 1989, has become one of the most notorious killings in the United States. Why are people still so captivated by this case? A letter that was written by Erik Menendez to his cousin Andy Cano in December 1988. and said he should consider taking a manslaughter plea and admit he was responsible for the murders. The first time I visited Lyle in November 2016, his wife (Rebecca Sneed) was there. The original trial contained information, evidence and testimonies that caused a mistrial, of which i firmly believe was and is the truth. I found this with Jose’s sister, Marta Cano, in March 2018 in a [box of Andy’s possessions.] (Andy passed away in 2003.). Are the streets of California safer tonight because Erik and Lyle are in prison? 12/4/20 Moviegoer Killed Over Cell Phone Use & Popcorn. Feb. 12. You are allowed to kiss when you come in and when you leave. The Menendez brothers were convicted of first-degree murder on March 20, 1996, and sentenced to two consecutive life prison terms without the possibility of parole. Disturbing Details of the Pike County Massacre, What To Do During An Active Shooter Incident, Chanel Lewis Convicted of Killing NYC Jogger, Disturbing Details of Carla Stefaniak's Deadly Vacation, Jeanine Cammarata Murder Suspects Charged, College Student Samantha Josephson Murder Suspect Arrested, Steven Avery Granted Hearing of New Evidence, THE DARK WEB: Fraud and Murder in the Digital Underground, Man Allegedly Kills Woman After Rainbow Family Gathering, Best Apps and Ways to Use Your Phone During an Emergency, 4 Shocking Murders Committed By Teenagers, Idaho Apartment Mass Stabbing Suspect Sought Vengeance, Police Say, 5 Horrific Family Homicides (by the Children), 6 Wrongful Convictions That Were Overturned, Tragic End for a Father, His Daughter and Their Alleged Baby. 30 Years After the Menendez Brothers Murders, Read PEOPLE's 1990 Cover Story. Because people aren’t sure of the truth. Lyle believed O.J. After two trials, the brothers were convicted in 1996 and sentenced to life in prison. Did O.J. I believe they have served their time. Murder and The Menendez Brothers: A Court TV Mystery – Episode 4 – Rhyme or Reason It wasn’t just the juries debating the issues as the trial progressed. I believe there should be a review of the case. Erik would have been 17, Andy would have been 15. Erik leads a weekly mindful-mediation group. Menendez and his brother, Eric, both of Beverly Hills, were both convicted for the August 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. Almost 30 years ago, brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez shot to death their wealthy parents in the den of their Beverly Hills home in a crime that stunned and gripped the nation. What if it had been discovered earlier? The Menendez trial is a very famous and controversial case but unfortunately also very understanding and important in the perspective of someone whose been sexually abused as a child their self. I believe it would have had a significant impact on the juries at the first trial. “Sometimes it would be a short period of time, sometimes longer. The brothers were in separate California prisons for more than 20 years but stayed in contact by letter. Lyle was head of the prison government and he’s been an activist for prison reform in California. In the letter, Erik Menendez talks to Andy about the ongoing molestation by his father, that he’s afraid every night because his father is going to come down the hall. ... 12/4/20 Judgment: The Menendez Brothers. I’ve had extensive contact with their relatives. More than two decades after the wealthy Menendez brothers' crimes captivated the nation, a new documentary is casting a spotlight on their grisly killings. Almost 30 years ago, brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez shot to death their wealthy parents in the den of their Beverly Hills home in a crime that stunned and gripped the nation.