After a recent health scare, Erik Menéndez is back in prison. He had been moved from his cell to a San Diego hospital last month. His lawyer had called it a "serious medical condition."
Erik’s stepdaughter, Talia Menéndez, shared the news of his return. She posted on Instagram Stories that her "dad is out of the hospital and back in prison." She added that he is now getting ready for his upcoming parole hearing. This update came on Sunday, August 3, as reported by TMZ.
Talia had previously spoken out about Erik’s health in late July. She revealed that Erik, who is 54, was in the hospital for painful kidney stones. At the time, she posted, "Today Erik had surgery for the second time due to complications with both kidneys, which had multiple large stones."
Erik’s wife, Tammi Menéndez, also gave updates. On July 24, she shared on X that Erik had already gone through two surgeries and was waiting for a third.
Tammi wrote, "Today Erik had a second surgery. This surgery was successful. He will need a third surgery, which we hope will be done soon." She explained the difficulties of getting medical care while in prison. "Since Erik is in prison, there are many complications and delays in surgery. Tonight he is still nauseous and in pain, however he is recovering from the surgery."
She also expressed gratitude to supporters and prison staff. Tammi added, "We thank everyone for their good wishes and prayers. Complications happen during surgery, but this is a very stressful time for us. Also, we are grateful to the custody and medical staff at CRT, who did their best during this difficult situation."
On July 22, the Menéndez brothers’ lawyer, Mark Geragos, spoke to TMZ. He confirmed Erik was facing a medical emergency. However, he kept the exact details private, citing patient privacy laws and attorney-client privilege. Geragos then made a public plea to California Governor Gavin Newsom, asking for Erik’s release from prison.
Geragos stated, "I don’t want to get ahead of anything. Erik has a serious medical condition right now. I’m not going to violate HIPAA or attorney-client privilege, but if there’s anyone who should get special permission — especially now, a month before the hearing — it’s Erik." He believed Erik needed to be free to focus on his parole hearing. "It’s a serious condition and I think he needs to be out to focus on the hearing," Geragos added. "I don’t want to go into details of the medical condition, but I think that’s the right thing to do."
Erik and his brother Lyle Menéndez, 57, are held at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Center in San Diego, California. They were convicted of killing their parents, Jose and Kitty Menéndez, in 1989. Both were found guilty of first-degree murder in 1996. Their initial sentence was life in prison without any chance of parole.
Their case gained new attention, partly because of the Netflix true-crime series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story. This led to a new sentencing in May. The brothers were resentenced to 50 years to life. This means they can now be considered for parole under California’s youth offender law.
Erik and Lyle are set to appear before a parole board. Their two-day hearing is scheduled for August 21 and 22.