Did Erik Menendez Have a Relationship in Jail? Who is the Wife of Erik Menendez?

Did Erik Menendez have a Relationship in Jail?

Yes, Erik Menendez had a relationship while in jail. He met Tammi Menendez when she wrote him a letter in 1993. At that time, Tammi was married, but she had her husband's permission to reach out to Erik. They began corresponding and eventually met in person at Folsom State Prison in 1997.

Tammi was initially planning to move to Georgia after her husband died, but she decided to stay in Sacramento to be closer to Erik. In 1998, Erik proposed to her, and they got married at the prison. Tammi has often talked about their relationship, saying she believes Erik is a good person, and Erik has called her a "lifesaver." They have been together for more than 20 years.

Who is Erik Menendez?

Erik Menendez is one of the Menendez brothers, born on November 27, 1970. He and his brother, Lyle Menendez, were convicted in 1996 for murdering their parents, José and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez.

During their trial, Erik claimed they killed their parents because they were afraid of their father, who had allegedly abused them for many years. However, the prosecution argued that the brothers wanted to inherit their father's wealth. They were initially tried separately, but both trials ended in mistrials because the juries could not reach a decision.

In their second trial, they were tried together, but the judge did not allow evidence of the alleged abuse to be presented in their defense. Ultimately, both Erik and Lyle were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole.

Erik Menendez Children

Erik Menendez does not have any biological children. However, his wife, Tammi Menendez, has children from previous relationships. When Tammi first contacted Erik in 1993, she had a teenage daughter from a different relationship and a nine-month-old daughter with her late husband, Chuck. While Erik and Tammi have been together for over 20 years, they have not had children together. 

Erik Menendez Early Life

Erik Galen Menendez was born on November 27, 1970, in Gloucester Township. In 1987, he attended Beverly Hills High School, where he had average grades but excelled in tennis, ranking 44th in the United States as a junior player. Just two weeks before the murders of their parents, Erik and his friend Michael Joyce participated in the 1989 Boys' Junior National Tennis Championship. In that tournament, Erik advanced to the second round of qualifying in the Boys' 18 singles, while Joyce made it to the quarterfinals.

Erik Menendez Brother

Erik Menendez's brother is Joseph Lyle Menendez, who was born on January 10, 1968, in New York. Lyle, the older of the two brothers, attended Princeton University but struggled with his grades and was eventually suspended for plagiarism.

Lyle has been married twice. His first wife was Anna Eriksson, a model. They met when Anna wrote him a letter during his first trial. They built their relationship through letters, and Anna moved to Los Angeles to be closer to Lyle. They got married over the phone on July 2, 1996, the same day Lyle was sentenced to life in prison. However, their marriage ended in 2001 when Anna filed for divorce, claiming Lyle had been unfaithful.

In 2003, Lyle married Rebecca Sneed, a journalist. They had known each other for about ten years before getting together after Lyle's first marriage ended. Rebecca became an attorney after their marriage. Lyle has spoken positively about their relationship, saying they communicate regularly and that their strong marriage brings him peace and joy, which helps him cope with life in prison.

Erik Menendez Parents

Erik Menendez's parents were José Enrique Menéndez and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menéndez. José was born on May 6, 1944, in Havana, Cuba, and moved to the U.S. at 16 after the Cuban Revolution. He attended Southern Illinois University, where he met Kitty, who was born in 1941. They married in 1963 and later moved to New York City, where José earned an accounting degree from Queens College.

The couple had two sons Lyle and Erik. The family eventually settled in Hopewell Township, New Jersey, where both boys went to Princeton Day School. Allegations of abuse within the family emerged over the years. Lyle and Erik's cousin Diane Vander Molen revealed that José abused his two sons during their childhood. 

José had a successful career as an executive at companies like Hertz Global Holdings and RCA Records. In 1986, the family moved to Beverly Hills, California, when José took on the role of CEO at Artisan Entertainment.

On August 20, 1989, José and Kitty were shot and killed in their home by Lyle and Erik, who used shotguns during the attack. José suffered six gunshot wounds, while Kitty was shot ten times, with a fatal shot occurring as she tried to escape.

Erik Menendez Documentaries

Erik Menendez has been featured in several documentaries about his life and the murders of his parents. One notable project is the A&E docuseries titled The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All (2017), which includes phone interviews with Erik, sharing his perspective on the events.

Additionally, the Peacock docuseries Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed (2023) features an interview with Roy Rosselló, a former member of the boy band Menudo, who alleges that José Menendez abused him. This documentary discusses how these allegations might affect the Menendez brothers' chances of being released from prison.

These projects are part of a broader trend of media exploring the Menendez case, including other dramatizations like Menendez: Blood Brothers (2017) and the limited series Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders (2017).

Recently, Netflix announced a new season of Monster titled Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which will dramatize the case.

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