Yahoo Lifestyle So, Who Are the Wives of Lyle and Erik Menendez?
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is the latest Netflix series to take over our evenings and group chats. The true crime drama tells a dramatization of the story of Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were found guilty of first-degree murder after killing their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in 1989.
The brothers have always claimed their parents abused them throughout their childhood and explained this was the reason behind their crimes. However, the prosecution argued the pair was after the family’s impressive wealth.
The nine-part series covers the brothers’ crimes, the trial, and the abuse they allegedly faced. One thing the series doesn’t go into, however, is the romantic lives of the real-life brothers, who are currently serving two life sentences in a San Diego jail and have gotten married since their trials began.
So, who are the wives of the Menendez brothers? Here’s what you need to know.
Who is Lyle Menendez married to?
Eldest Menendez brother Lyle, 56, has been married twice. His first marriage was to Anna Eriksson, who was a model, from 1996 to 2001.
The pair originally became acquainted after Anna wrote Lyle a letter during his first trial (the brothers were initially tried separately, but after both trials resulted in hung juries, they were then both tried together), and the two built their relationship up through letters.
In 1994, Anna moved to Los Angeles in order to be closer to Lyle, and they married over the phone on July 2, 1996—aka the day Lyle was sentenced to life in prison. They remained together until 2001 when Anna filed for divorce, claiming Lyle had been unfaithful to her by writing letters to various other women during their marriage.
In 2003, Lyle got married again to his current wife Rebecca Sneed, a journalist. The two reportedly knew each other for a decade before becoming a couple once Lyle split with Anna.
Rebecca lives in California and became an attorney after her marriage to Lyle. She has never done any interviews about her relationship with Lyle, however, he’s been vocal about the strength of their marriage, telling People in 2017, “We try and talk on the phone every day, sometimes several times a day. I have a very steady, involved marriage and that helps sustain me and brings a lot of peace and joy. It’s a counter to the unpredictable, very stressful environment here.”
Who is Erik Menendez married to?
Erik Menendez, 53, is currently married to Tammi Menendez, and the two have been together for more than 20 years.
The pair first got in contact in 1993, after Tammi wrote a letter to Erik while he was in jail. At the time, Tammi was married and had a teenage daughter from a different relationship. She had her husband’s blessing to write to Erik, and the pair struck up a friendship.
In 1996, Tammi’s husband Chuck, whom she alleged had been sexually assaulting her daughter, died. Reportedly, he turned himself in to the police and died by suicide two days later. Tammi had a nine-month-old daughter with him at the time.
Hours after they began corresponding, Tammi and Erik met for the first time in 1997 in Folsom State Prison. Tammi had initially been planning to move to Georgia after her husband’s death, but after meeting Erik, she changed her plans and moved to Sacramento to be closer to him.
In 1998, Erik proposed to Tammi and they got married at Folsom State Prison. Tammi has spoken frequently about her marriage to Erik, saying she believes he is a “very good person” in 2005. That same year, Erik called Tammi a “lifesaver.”
‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ is now streaming on Netflix.
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