Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were convicted in 1996, are serving life sentences without parole for the shocking 1989 murders of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez. They are to spend the rest of their life behind bars, but surprisingly, this has not stopped them from finding love. Both brothers, Erik and Lyle, married while in prison, although neither of them is eligible for conjugal visits.
The Menendez brothers are incredibly famous for their brutal crimes, but every now and then people are also curious about their personal lives after incarceration, specifically whether they are married and have kids.
Menendez Brothers Are Still Married in 2024; Erik and Lyle Cherish Their Relationships With Their Wives Despite Life in Prison
Erik Menendez tied the knot with Tammi Ruth Saccoman in 1999. He had popped the question in a prison visiting room, and they married in the waiting room at Folsom State Prison. The duo saw their friendship which started with letters grow into a deep connection after they met, eventually leading to a wedding.
Erik, who is often asked if his wife is “nuts”, believes Tammi has been instrumental in offering emotional support and she deserves all the credit for helping him grow into a better person. Erik admitted he would usually feel isolated and emotionally distant before their relationship. In a 2005 interview, he said, “Tammi’s love was a major step in my choosing life.”
The couple is not physically intimate due to jail regulations, but they maintain a close emotional bond. Speaking of their unique challenges, Erik remarked, “You really have to try to make things work.”
Tammi, meanwhile, says she values Erik’s companionship and calls him her best friend. Their bond developed unexpectedly but profoundly even if they didn’t always see eye to eye. Before the couple exchanged vows, Tammi was not entirely convinced by the abuse claims against the Menendez brothers, which Erik and Lyle had used as their defense in court.
Her opinion dramatically changed in 1996 when she discovered that her first husband had been abusing her daughter, his stepdaughter, since she was 15. Her spouse later died by suicide merely a couple of days after he had turned himself into the police, leaving Tammi alone to care for their 9-month-old baby.
Lyle Menendez, on the other hand, has had multiple marriages. He first wed Chicago-born model Anna Eriksson in 1996, held via phone, which was later deemed invalid following their split a year later. Just like his brothers, the duo had built a friendship via letters with Anna writing to Lyle during his first trial, offering encouragement and support.
Fast forward seven years, Lyle, who is now bald, officially married Rebecca Sneed in November 2003. He often talks about his partner’s emotional support and expresses gratitude toward her, saying, “I have a very steady, involved marriage, and that helps sustain me.”
Lyle has mentioned that he and Rebecca talk daily, sometimes several times, which offers him peace amidst the chaos of prison life.
Menendez Brothers’ Family: Do Erik and Lyle Have Kids?
Erik Menendez is a stepfather to two kids from his marriage with Tammi Ruth Saccoman. She had two daughters, Talia, born on September 2, 1995, and her sister, Lisa, from her past relationships. Talia, especially, does not hesitate to talk about feeling a deep connection with Erik, seeing him as her real dad, not just a stepfather. She visits him often and shows her love for him on social media, leaving no shortage of effort to emphasize how close they are.
Talia met Erik when she was just a toddler, right after Tammi married him. Her biological dad passed away when she was only an infant, so Tammi was raising her by herself before she and Erik became a family. From a young age, Talia accepted the reality of her dad’s situation, thinking of Erik as living in a “big gray concrete mansion filled with bodyguards.” Tammi was upfront about Erik’s imprisonment and explained his actions to Talia in a way that made sense for her age.
Despite the challenges, Erik and Tammi worked hard to give Talia a sense of normalcy. She could bring her homework to the prison, where Erik would help her out, and they’d play board games during visits. Talia even got to play soccer outside with Erik and some other inmates.
In September 2020, Talia took to Instagram to share her side of Erik’s story, wanting to clear up misconceptions and show the loving dad she knows. She mentioned that her goal was to highlight “what an amazing human my dad is.”
Talia shared a memorable lesson from Erik that really captures his character. When there were ants in the prison, instead of killing them, Erik decided to guide them outside. He told Talia, “It’s our job on Earth to protect the ones that cannot defend themselves, even the littlest of creatures.”
During a Q&A on her Instagram, Talia was asked to describe her dad in five words. She went with “compassionate, gentle, outgoing, hilarious, and charismatic,” which really shows how much she admires and loves him.
While Talia sees Erik as a father figure, Tammi’s other daughter, Lisa, keeps more distance in her relationship with him. Even though Erik can’t physically be there due to his incarceration, he’s still become an important part of Talia’s life, showing the strong emotional bonds he’s built with his stepfamily.
Unlike Erik, Lyle Menendez doesn’t have any kids—biological or stepchildren—from his two marriages. Even though he has a blissful relationship with Rebecca, he hasn’t started a family of his own.
