Erik Menéndez has dedicated his time in prison to being the best husband and father possible, he revealed in a letter included in his last bid for freedom.
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon on Friday filed a 57-page motion recommending that both Erik, now 53, and his older brother Lyle, 56, be released from prison.
The brothers are currently serving life sentences without parole for the August 1989 massacre of their parents Kitty and José inside their Beverly Hills mansion.
Talia Menendez, now 29, is the biological daughter of Erik’s wife Tammi, but considers Erik her father.
She has recently become one of the most outspoken advocates for her father and uncle’s freedom, and was in the room Thursday afternoon to hear Gascon’s announcement.
Gascon and the duo’s supporters, including nearly 30 family members, argue that the sentence did not adequately take into account the children’s claims that they were being sexually abused by their father and had endured years of abuse within the family home.
In a document seen by DailyMail.com, the Menendez brothers were described as exemplary prisoners who have dedicated their lives to bettering themselves and other inmates.
Talia Menendez, now 29, is the biological daughter of Erik’s wife, Tammi, but considers Erik her father.
Erik, 53 (pictured here in January 2023), said in his letter that he finds value in his life “living as a loving and caring husband and father” to his wife Tammi and stepdaughter Talia.
While she doesn’t share photos of her face publicly, she has posted several photos of her and Erik over the years, sharing special moments behind bars.
Included in the presentation were undated letters written by Erik and Lyle, shedding light on their priorities behind bars.
Erik wrote: “Today I find my value in the exchanges of kindness I have with others, in living as a loving and caring husband and father.”
He married Tammi Menendez behind bars in 1999 and took on their daughter, Talia, as his own.
Talia’s biological father committed suicide when she was 10 months old and she has visited Erik regularly behind bars since he was two years old.
While she does not publicly share photos of her face, she has posted several photos of her and Erik over the years, sharing special moments in prison.
One of the photos Talia has posted is a family photo from prison on Christmas Day when she was a child, but she covered her face.
Erik married Tammi Menendez behind bars in 1999 and took on their daughter, Talia, as his own.
Talia Menendez, now 29, is the biological daughter of Erik’s wife, Tammi (pictured with Erik).
This includes a family photo from the prison on Christmas Day when she was a child and other photos of Erik hugging and holding her.
“People think they know my father, his brother, the process and the upbringing, when in reality they have no idea how amazing he really is,” she said in a message alongside one of the sweet family photos.
‘Visiting there are some of my favorite childhood memories… My dad was more of a dad than most in the real world. I remember that the guards allowed us to bring my homework (up to 10 pages) and my dad helped me with it on each visit.’
The 29-year-old runs an Instagram page dedicated to her father’s freedom and was present in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon when Gascon made his recommendation.
The Menéndez brothers could soon walk free from prison after murdering their parents, Kitty and José (pictured center) in 1989.
Relatives of the Menéndez brothers were in Los Angeles this Thursday to learn the result of the press conference.
After the announcement, he said: ‘Today was a deeply meaningful day for our family. I am encouraged by the possibility that my father will soon have the opportunity for parole…Gascon has acknowledged that he has served enough time and should be released.’
But Talia said she was “disappointed” and hoped the district attorney would go further to try to secure Erik’s quick release.
“I firmly believe that my father deserves to come home now and I am hopeful that the judge handing down the new sentence will agree.”
Talia described the “special” moment of sharing such monumental news with her mother “and her extended family on my father’s side.”
“We spent hours talking, exchanging stories and strengthening the bond we all share.”
Diane, Kitty Hernandez’s niece, put her hands to her face and closed her eyes before the announcement.
The Menéndez brothers could soon be released from prison after more than 30 years behind bars
Erik said in his letter that “the process of rebuilding my life has been long and challenging,” forcing him to “let go of the only value system I had ever known: beliefs and principles instilled in me by my parents since childhood.” .
He has spent his years behind bars exploring “a new meaning of values, love and compassion within a community.”
“I’ve had to reshape my understanding of success and reevaluate what it means to live a life of true purpose.”
The presentation revealed that Erik received only seven violation notices during his 34 years of incarceration.
These have all been for relatively minor incidents: two fistfights in 1997 and 2011, possession of a cell phone and “excessive physical contact with a female visitor” in 2006.
Lyle (pictured in January 2023) bought a Porsche Carrera, a Rolex watch and two restaurants immediately afterward.
The duo, then only 18 and 21 years old, killed their parents, José and Mary Louise ‘Kitty’ Menéndez, inside their million-dollar home in Beverly Hills in August 1989.
Erik also refused to provide a urine sample in 2003 and misled a guard about taking controlled medications on one occasion in 2005.
A letter written by Lyle focused on his experiences inside prison as a known survivor of sexual abuse.
She said: “The unprecedented publicity surrounding the case and my own confessions as a ‘survivor of sexual abuse sparked an avalanche of communication with other victims of rape and incest across the country and the world.’
“My own life will never be free of suffering, but I found a way to use shared experiences to help others and myself heal.”
Lyle said he has dedicated himself to connecting with prison abuse survivors and has spent “countless hours” on the cause, “personally writing thousands of letters to abuse survivors in response to the ones they sent me.”
‘Another surprising result of having spoken so publicly about my own sexual abuse is the huge number of prisoners who have come forward with their own shameful experiences with this trauma.
‘They found in me a safe place to share.’
The presentation revealed that Lyle has committed only five rule violations inside the prison, and once had to be moved out of the general population to the “special needs” section due to his unwillingness to fight or defend himself.
Chilling crime scene photos show blood-soaked couch where José Menéndez was shot
“It is important to note that Lyle Menendez has not been in a single fight in the 30 years he has been incarcerated,” the document states.
“In 1997 they had to move him from the General Population to the Special Needs yard because he couldn’t defend himself when they attacked him.”
His rule violations include possession of a cell phone, misuse of the community phone, possession of a lighter and receiving a pair of Adidas shoes from a guest.
He also once refused to abandon administrative segregation.
Gascon said in his presentation that the brothers’ behavior behind bars for an extended period demonstrates that they pose no risk to the community.
He also urged a court to consider the youth of the duo at the time of the crimes – just 18 and 21 years old.
Under California law, offenders under the age of 26 at the time of the crime who receive any sentence except life in prison without parole are eligible for parole consideration after 25 years behind bars.
With this in mind, Gascon hopes that both Erik and Lyle will be resentenced and can be released on parole immediately taking into account the time already served.
Ultimately, a judge will be responsible for the final decision, but this development has given hope to family members who have been calling for his release for years.