Where the Menendez brothers are now and if they will ever get released from prison following Monsters release
Ever since the second instalment of Netflix's gory hit Monsters landed on the streaming service last week, viewers have become transfixed on the disturbing true details of the Lyle and Erik Menendez' grizzly story.
And amongst the countless questions raised by fans of the controversial series is where the brothers are now, 35 years after murdering their parents.
The crime
Back in 1989, affluent Los Angeles brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez claimed they'd returned home from a night at the movies to find their parents, José and Kitty dead at their Beverly Hills home.
Telling the police their businessman father had made a lot of enemies in his career, the two brothers claimed the mafia had likely killed the couple.
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In the weeks that followed, Lyle and Erik began spending the hefty inheritance that had been left to them.
Unable to contain his guilt any longer, however, Erik eventually confessed the crimes to his therapist, who'd recorded his statement.
The tapes were subsequently apprehended by police, after which their court case became a nation-wide sensation.
It wasn't until the brothers appeared on the stand that they revealed the truth behind their crime, alleging they were acting in self-defence, having been subjected to years of sexual and physical abuse at the hands of their father.
The pair also claimed their mother knew what was going on behind closed doors, but refused to take heed of the boys' pleas.
Lyle and Erik were retried following a deadlocked jury, the second trial of which saw their sexual abuse testimonies dismissed.
In 1994, the pair were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
What happened after they were jailed?
As it accurately demonstrated at the end of the series, the brothers were transferred to two separate California prisons, both having been considered maximum-security inmates.
Whilst behind bars, Erik and Lyle married their long-term girlfriends.
Lyle - who was also implemented into a support group for prisoners who'd been sexually assaulted - wed Anna Eriksson but the couple ended their relationship in 2001 after five years together, before going on to marry now-wife Rebecca Sneed.
Erik, meanwhile, exchanged vows with pen pal Tammi Ruth Saccoman, and is now step-father to her daughter, Talia.
Where are they now?
In 2018, the brothers were reunited for the first time in decades after Lyle was moved to Erik's facility, with reports swirling at the time that the brothers hugged and cried when they saw one another again.
The pair now remain incarcerated at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, where they are regularly visited by remaining family members who supported them during their appearances in court.
Erik has since released a statement condemning director Ryan Murphy's latest drama recreation of their crime, however, accusing producers of including 'blatant lies' as well as a 'vile portrayal' of his brother Lyle.
Will they ever be released?
Last year, the brothers' lawyer filed a petition to vacate their convictions in light of two new pieces of evidences.
One of which was a letter Erik wrote eight months before the murders, and the other was an allegation made by Puerto Rican musician Roy Rossello, who has since claimed he was drugged and raped by José Menéndez at the family's Los Angeles property.
Lyle and Erik still hope for an overturn in their convictions, though the LA County District Attorney's Office has yet to decide if they will retry the pair.
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org
Topics: Crime, True Crime, Netflix, TV And Film
Rhianna Benson