Lyle and Erik Menendez were arrested and went to jail in March 1990 for the 1989 murders of their parents.
Lyle was 22 years old, and Erik was 19 at the time of their arrests.

Crime Timeline

The brothers shot their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, on August 20, 1989, in their Beverly Hills home.

  • Lyle was 21 and Erik was 18 during the killings.
  • They weren't arrested until six months later: Lyle on March 8, 1990 (turning 22 in January), and Erik on March 11, 1990 (still 19, birthday in November).

This delay came after Lyle confessed to a therapist, who reported them to police.

Ages at Key Moments

Here's a breakdown of their ages across the case:

Event| Date| Lyle's Age| Erik's Age| Source
---|---|---|---|---
Murders| Aug 20, 1989| 21| 18| 13
Lyle Arrested| Mar 8, 1990| 22| 19| 57
Erik Arrested| Mar 11, 1990| 22| 19| 57
First Trial| 1993| 25| 22| 9
Conviction/Sentencing| 1996| 28| 25| 9

Born January 10, 1968 (Lyle) and November 27, 1970 (Erik), their youth factored into recent 2025 resentencing for parole eligibility.

Trial and Claims

They claimed abuse by their father as self-defense, but prosecutors saw greed over the estate.
Both got life sentences, upheld until recent reductions to 50 years to life due to ages under 26 at the crime.

Parole denied in 2025; next shot in 2028.

Recent Buzz

The case resurfaced with Netflix's 2024 docuseries, sparking forum debates on trauma vs. murder.
Supporters highlight abuse allegations; skeptics focus on spending sprees post-crime.

In January 2026, it's trending again amid parole talks—Lyle (58) and Erik (55) remain imprisoned.

TL;DR: Arrested at 22 (Lyle) and 19 (Erik); crime at 21 and 18.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.