The Menendez Brothers Have Been Incarcerated in the Same Prison Since 2018

It's been more than 30 years since Erik and Lyle Menendez were first accused of killing their parents, who they claimed were abusive, in their Beverly Hills home, and their story still attracts plenty of attention. The latest round of attention has focused in part on whether the brothers are being housed in the same prison as they serve out their life sentences, and if they have, how long they've been under the same roof. 

The Menendez have lived in the same prison since 2018. It was in February of that year that Lyle Menendez was transferred from Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California to the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. The brothers are also living in the same housing unit in the prison. 

In a post on the Facebook page belonging to both brothers that was attributed to Lyle, they announced that they would be reuniting for the first time in 22 years. "We have been working for the past 6 years to get the Corrections Department to place us together," the post explained. "I have requested to be transferred to San Diego to be with Erik. It has been a long torturous ordeal but never did I feel hopeless.

"I am very grateful to announce that on Monday the request was finally granted. Erik and I will be reunited in the very near future," the post continued. 

Terry Thornton, deputy press secretary at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, explained that at a classification hearing for Lyle, it was determined there was no reason the brothers could not reunite. 

"They can and do interact with each other, all the inmates in that facility,” Thornton said. 

In the post announcing that he would be transferred, Lyle also expressed gratitude for the support he'd received from those who followed his journey.

"I would like to thank the huge number of people across the country who felt strongly that my brother and I should be together and took the time to pray for that result and wish us well," Lyle wrote. 

Both brothers are classified as "Level 2" or "medium-custody" inmates, and both are serving without the chance of parole. Thornton also explained that it's possible for an inmate's level to decrease in the prison through good behavior and rehabilitation programs. 

"There are a lot of case factors that go into deciding where an inmate is to be housed," Thornton explained at the time. "Any kind of family issues, any programs the offender might be eligible for, what the offender needs in terms of educational programs—all of these factors, as well as others, are taken into consideration." 

Although the Menendez brothers have no hope of ever walking free, the brothers appear to take some solace from the fact that they are able to be together. Both brothers are now in their 50s, and they still post regular updates about their lives on social media.