An ex-wife of convicted killer Lyle Menendez has spoken out about the intense relationship she shared with him as he awaits a decision on whether he will be freed.
Anna Eriksson was married to Lyle from 1996 to 2001. The pair met in 1993 when Anna reached out to him during his first trial, which ended in a mistrial.
Two years later, Lyle and his brother Erik were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the brutal 1989 murders of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in California.
Erik and Lyle were 18 and 21 at the time.
The brothers, who have already served 35 years in jail, are now eligible for parole after a judge recently reduced the brothers’ sentences from life without parole to 50 years to life.
Though they still need approval from the state’s parole board to be released. A parole hearing has been set for August 21.
“Those who know them know the world isn’t a safer place with them behind bars,” Anna said.
“Lyle and Erik pose no risk to society… They committed one violent act long ago, but they have worked so hard to redeem themselves ever since – by helping those around them, seeking higher educations, and seeing therapists.”
Anna says she reached out to Lyle while watching the trial on live television as it forced her to reflect on her own upbringing.
“I felt empathy for them because I saw how my own two younger brothers had suffered in a violent environment,” Anna said.
“I watched Erik’s attorney, Leslie Abramson, thank the public for sending in letters of support. I felt compelled to write a letter myself – but to Lyle instead, just a brief note telling him to ‘hang in there.’
“I was surprised when I received a letter back only days later. So began an ongoing exchange between us.”
The duo started to exchange letters each week and would talk about their mutual interests and daily lives.
Those letters soon turned into daily phone calls before Anna began visiting Lyle at the LA County Jail, where he was being held.
“At first, Lyle was simply my friend and, despite our bond being formed during a traumatic time, he was light, kind, engaged, generous, and good,” Anna said.
“We grew closer over the period between the two trials, and were exclusively together before the second trial began in October 1995.”
The couple exchanged vows on July 2, 1996 – the same day Lyle and Erik were sentenced to life in prison.
“I recall those bleak days when Lyle was in jail all too well,” Anna said. “To this day, I always carry the words Lyle shared with me during this trying time, ‘Life can be tough, my darling, but so are you.’
“For five years, we made it work – but our marriage ended in 2001 after I received a letter from Lyle making it clear that he was pursuing a connection with another woman.
“People like to assume I don’t hold similarly warm feelings for Lyle, due to the nature of our split. But this isn’t true.”
Anna, who has now re-married, says the recent attention on the Menendez’s case has left her “riding the same waves of emotions as back in the nineties – grief, frustration, and hope, over and over again.”
She adds: “I truly hope they walk free soon.”
Who are the Menendez Brothers now married to?
With the prospect of freedom now on the horizon, Erik and Lyle are reportedly already planning what their new life will look like on the outside.
For Erik, who married Tammi Sackerman in 1999 and has a stepdaughter named Talia, family will be his primary focus. The pair met in August 1997 while Erik was incarcerated at Folstom State Prison in California.
“Erik had no idea what I looked like; I’d only sent him a tiny, 1-by-1 picture,” Tammi told People Magazine.
“But when he walked into the room, he was so full of life, he hopped down the stairs. It was like I was meeting an old friend.”
Erik has also previously spoken about how Tammi has helped him “get through” his sentence.
Lyle recently separated from his second wife, Rebecca Sneed.
The pair married in November 2003, 10 years after they had first begun talking through letters and in-person prison visits.
In a social media post in late 2024, Rebecca confirmed things were amicable between them.
“Lyle and I have been separated for a while now, but remain best friends and family,” she wrote.
“I continue to run his Facebook pages, with input from him, and I am forever committed to the enduring fight for Lyle and Erik’s freedom, as has been so evident over the years.”
Where can I watch shows about the Menendez Brothers?
You can stream The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All on Prime Video.
