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Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.
Ever since the latest addition to Netflix's Monsters series landed on the streaming service last week, subscribers have been frantically researching where Lyle and Erik Menendez are now, as well as what they look like.
The brotherly duo's heinous crime and notorious court case was announced as the focus of Ryan Murphy's brand new drama earlier this year, and after hitting screens on Thursday (23 Sept), the disturbing series has divided fans.
Who are Lyle and Erik Menendez?
Back in 1989, Beverly Hills brothers Lyle and Erik claimed they'd returned home from the movies to find their parents, José and Mary Louise 'Kitty' Menendez, violently murdered at their home with a shot gun.
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It wasn't until after the pair - played by Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch in the Netflix hit - began spending their elaborate inheritance money, however, that they became subjects of interests to the police.
And after Erik made the mistake of confessing their responsibility for the crime to his therapist - recordings of which were obtained by authorities - their televised court case became a national sensation.
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During the trial, however, the brothers opened up on the heartbreaking reason why they felt forced to end their parents' lives, claiming that they'd each been subjected to years of sexual, emotional and physical abuse at the hands of their father - allegations which were supported by several other family members.
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The brothers also alleged that their mother had been aware of her husband's abuse the entire time, but refused to believe her sons' pleas.
After a harrowing double-trial, Lyle and Erik Menendez were ultimately found guilty for the murder of their parents (played by Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny) and sentenced to life in prison.
What happened after they were sentenced?
The Netflix series accurately ends with the Menendez brothers being transferred to two separate California prisons, being that they were both considered maximum-security inmates, despite not having previously exhibited any violence.
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During this time, Erik married his long-term pen pal Tammi Ruth Saccoman and is now step-father to her daughter, Talia.
Lyle, meanwhile, was implemented into a support group for prisoners who'd been sexually assaulted.
He married Anna Eriksson, whilst in prison, before they split in 2001 after five years together, before marrying Rebecca Sneed in 2003.
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The brothers remained apart - writing regularly to one another - until February 2018, when Lyle was moved to Erik's facility, and two months later, his housing unit.
According to reports, the brothers hugged and cried when they were reunited.
Where are they now?
Both Lyle and Erik Menendez are still incarcerated at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.
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In June of this year, however, Lyle earned a BA in Sociology at UC Irvine, along 23 other inmates.
He is currently pursuing an MA degree in urban planning.
Though the Menendez brothers are serving life without parole, their respective lawyers filed a petition in May last year following the emergence of new evidence corroborating their father's abuse.
As well as the discovery of a letter Erik - who has since released a statement condemning the Netflix series - had written months prior to the murders, Puerto Rican boyband member, Roy Rossello, has since claimed he was drugged and raped by José Menéndez at the family's Los Angeles property.
The brothers still hold onto hope that their convictions could be overturned.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has yet to decide if they will retry Lyle and Erik's case based on the new evidence.
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, Netflix, TV And Film, True Crime, US News, Menendez Brothers
Rhianna Benson