You’ve probably seen the TikToks or that Netflix show with the chilling shotgun blasts. It’s hard to escape the Menendez name lately. But behind the Hollywood dramatizations and the grainy 90s court footage, there’s a very real, very stagnant clock ticking inside a San Diego prison cell. People keep asking the same question: the Menendez brothers how long they been in jail exactly?
The short answer? A lifetime.
As of January 2026, Lyle and Erik Menendez have spent over 35 years behind bars. That’s more than three decades. They went in as boys in their early twenties and are now middle-aged men with graying hair and a mountain of legal paperwork.
The Timeline: How Long Have the Menendez Brothers Been in Jail?
To understand the scale of their time served, you have to go back to the beginning. The night that changed everything was August 20, 1989. That’s when Jose and Kitty Menendez were killed in their Beverly Hills mansion.
But the brothers weren't arrested immediately. They spent months burning through their parents' inheritance on Rolexes and Porsches, which is basically what sealed their fate in the eyes of the public. They were finally arrested in March 1990.
If you're counting from the moment they were handcuffed, they’ve been in custody for nearly 36 years. They spent years in county jail just waiting for those famous televised trials to wrap up. It wasn't until 1996 that they were officially sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
💡 You might also like: Songs by Tyler Childers: What Most People Get Wrong
For a long time, that was the end of the story. No exits. No hope. Just a slow crawl toward the end of their lives at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility.
Life Inside the Richard J. Donovan Facility
Honestly, prison for the Menendez brothers hasn't been what most people expect. They aren't just sitting in a corner.
- Lyle Menendez (now 58) actually earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from UC Irvine while inside. He even started a master’s program. He’s been big into prison reform and a "beautification" project for the yard.
- Erik Menendez (now 55) has spent years working with terminally ill inmates in hospice care.
They were actually separated for decades. Lyle was at Mule Creek and Erik was in San Diego. It wasn't until 2018 that they were finally reunited in the same housing unit. Imagine not seeing your only brother for 20 years while living in the same state prison system. Sorta brutal, regardless of what you think of the crime.
The 2025 Resentencing Bombshell
Everything shifted in May 2025. After years of petitions and new evidence—like that letter Erik wrote to his cousin Andy Cano or the allegations from a former Menudo member—a judge actually listened.
Judge Michael Jesic threw out the "life without parole" sentence. He resentenced them to 50 years to life.
📖 Related: Questions From Black Card Revoked: The Culture Test That Might Just Get You Roasted
Now, on paper, 50 years sounds like they still have a long way to go. But because they were under 26 when the murders happened, California’s "youthful offender" laws kicked in. It made them eligible for parole immediately.
Why Aren’t They Free Yet?
This is where it gets complicated. Being "eligible" for parole is not the same as walking out the front gate.
In August 2025, they had their first real shot. Erik went first, then Lyle. The parole board acknowledged their growth and their "clean" records (mostly), but they still denied them. The board basically said they needed more time to prove they weren't a risk.
It was a massive blow to the family members who have been protesting outside the courthouse. Their next chance won't come until 2028.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Case
People love to argue about whether they "deserved" it. But the legal reality in 2026 is different than it was in 1993. Back then, the idea of "male sexual abuse" wasn't something a 90s jury was ready to process.
👉 See also: The Reality of Sex Movies From Africa: Censorship, Nollywood, and the Digital Underground
Today, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office is totally split. The former DA, George Gascón, was all for letting them out. The current DA, Nathan Hochman, has been way more skeptical. He’s argued that the brothers still haven't taken "full responsibility" for the lies they told back in the day.
There's also the clemency route. Governor Gavin Newsom has the power to just sign a paper and let them go. He’s been "reviewing" the case for what feels like forever. He ordered a deep-dive risk assessment back in late 2024, and while the reports were generally positive, he’s a politician. Letting out "the Menendez brothers" is a huge political risk, no matter how many celebrities like Kim Kardashian post about it.
The "New Evidence" That Changed the Clock
The reason we’re even talking about how long they’ve been in jail is because of two specific pieces of evidence that surfaced recently:
- The Roy Rosselló Allegations: A former member of the boy band Menudo came forward claiming Jose Menendez abused him, too. This backed up the brothers' claims that their father was a predator.
- The 1988 Letter: A letter Erik wrote to his cousin months before the murders detailed the abuse. This was huge because it proved they weren't just making it up to get out of a murder charge after the fact.
Actionable Steps for Following the Case
If you’re trying to stay updated on the Menendez brothers’ status, don't just rely on Netflix. Things move fast in the California court system.
- Check the CDCR Inmate Locator: You can actually look up Joseph Lyle Menendez and Erik Galen Menendez on the California Department of Corrections website to see their current location and "earliest parole suitability" date.
- Monitor the 2028 Parole Calendar: Their next hearing is the big one. If they get a "grant" from the board then, they could be home by the end of that year.
- Watch for Gubernatorial Statements: Newsom is the wild card. If he grants clemency before his term ends, the "how long" question finally gets a closing date.
The reality is that 35 years is a long time. Whether you see them as cold-blooded killers or victims who snapped, the legal system is finally grappling with a question it ignored in the 90s. For now, the clock at Richard J. Donovan keeps ticking.