Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story has once again created a buzz around the Menendez Brother. Despite serving their life sentence without the possibility of parole, the Menendez brothers are married but do not have biological kids.
The gruesome assassination of José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menéndez in 1989 still sends shivers down the spine.
The incident might’ve been one of the most well-documented and talked about cases in the history of America.
The sons Lyle and Erik Menendez, together known as the Menendez Brothers, were responsible for the harrowing act and are serving their sentences.
California’s Conjugal Visit Ban Prevents Lyle Menendez From Experiencing Traditional Marriage and Parenthood
Lyle Menendez is currently serving his life sentence at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California.
Despite being married twice, Lyle Menendez does not have any kids because, in California, there is a prohibition of conjugal visits for inmates serving life sentences.
Lyle’s first marriage was to former salon receptionist and model Anna Eriksson in 1996.
Their love story started blossoming when Eriksson wrote a letter to Lyle during his first trial alongside his brother Erik.
They began to correspond regularly to each other’s letters and eventually developed a relationship.
On July 2, 1996, the couple exchanged their vows. They conducted the marriage via speakerphone, and Erik’s attorney, Leslie Abramson, and their aunt, Marta Menendez, attended the ceremony.
Sadly, Eriksson filed for divorce in 2001. She alleged that Lyle was unfaithful to her and exchanged letters with other women without her knowledge.
In 2003, two years after divorcing Eriksson, Lyle married Rebecca Sneed, a magazine editor at the time.
They, too, used to communicate with eachother through letters and had known eachother for over a decade.
Lyle mentions his marriage with Rebecca has helped him cope with prison. Lyle told ABC News,
““One thing I’ve learned is that your physical comfort is much less important than your connection with the people around you. I’ve found I can have a healthy marriage that is complicated and built around conversation and finding creative ways to communicate, sharing, without all the props that are normally there in marriage in terms of going out to dinner and having as much intimate time together and so on.”
Rebecca has been able to stay under the radar of the public eye and hasn’t done any interviews.
Even after more than 20 years of marriage, they do not bear any kids due to the prohibition of conjugal visits in California.
Additional Information
- Lyle and Erik Menendez were implicated in two burglaries in which they stole more than $100,000 worth of money and jewels.
- Unlike Lyle, Erik Menendez has two stepdaughters from his wife Tammi’s previous marriage.
- Lyle’s first marriage took place the same day of his conviction and life sentencing along with Erik.
