What do we really know about Erik and Lyle Menendez? The brothers were first arrested in March of 1990, accused of first degree murder of their wealthy parents, José and Kitty Menendez.

After 34 years of incarceration, Erik and Lyle Menendez have a chance of being freed. The newly released Netflix show “Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menendez Story” shined a light on the case and boosted the popularity of the trial.                                                                                           

 Writer and director of the show, Ryan Murphy, has received much criticism for the inaccuracy of the show. He addresses the backlash, stating, “The Menendez Brothers should be sending me flowers,” in an interview with E! News. According to Variety, Murphy strongly disagrees with the results of the brothers’ second trial and does not think they should serve life in prison, but this leaves many questioning why he would create a show that is so imprecise to the real-life case if he feels so strongly about their release. He also states “ I believe Monsters is the best thing that has happened to the Menendez Brothers in 30 years,” despite all the criticism regarding the inaccuracy of the show. 

Erik Menendez, however, has criticized the series, describing it as misleading and full of lies. Menendez believes that the series cannot be so inaccurate about the facts of their lives without bad intent from Ryan Murphy. Erik recently voiced his opinion about the series, focusing primarily on his disappointment with the portrayal of his brother Lyle. 

“I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show,” Erik says in a statement regarding the series.

In an article by Robert Rand, a journalist who has been covering the brothers for over 30 years, he states that both Lyle and Erik are thriving in prison. Lyle is a hardworking, motivated, and passionate activist who wants to make an impact in whatever way he can. He served as the head of the inmate government for 15 years at Mule Creek and is currently working on a project to create murals on prison walls. He hopes to install a small outdoor recreation area in the future. This idea caught the attention from Home Depot, which will be donating paint and supplies for the project. Erik created a hospice program at the prison and leads a meditation group that meets weekly. In addition, the brothers have started studying American Sign Language in their spare time.

“Both men have been incredible contributions to the prison system as a whole and to their fellow inmates on a very personal level. Erik and Lyle Menendez have done and continue to do their good works and contributions, done without any expectation or hope of ever being released,” attorney of the Menendez brothers, Mark Gergaros stated.

With the help of the social media app TikTok, the brothers’ chances of being freed are high. Shortly after the release of the Netflix series, Erik and Lyle became the most popular topic on TikTok. Millions of people came together, voicing their opinions on how the brothers should be freed. This caught the attention of celebrity and influencer Kim Kardashian, who feels very strongly about their release. “I have spent time with Lyle and Erik; they are not monsters,” says Kardashian to a Hollywood reporter. So how did people on social media lead to a new trial for the brothers? LA County District Attorney George Gascón spoke out in an interview with Good Morning America, agreeing with the people on social media and stating that their time served has been long enough. He claims that they have bettered themselves through working and helping other prisoners, even before they knew there might be hopes of release. 

“We’re viewing everything that happened back then through a different lens,” Gascón said in an interview with NBC. “There is no question that a jury today would look at this case probably very differently that a jury did 35 years ago.” In essence, the quote reflects the idea that the passage of time leads to a change in the collective mindset, and a modern jury may be more informed or sensitive to certain issues.

The next court date for the Menendez brothers was scheduled for November 26, 2024, but has since been postponed.  Will they remain in prison or be set free?