Eric Menendez, Convicted in Gruesome Killing of Parents, Now Teaches Fellow Inmates About God

Beverly Hills brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted of the gruesome 1989 murder of their parents. Now Erik is teaching his fellow inmates about God.

The men’s paternal aunt, Marta Cano, recently spoke with ABC about how Erik had asked her for some books. He told her that he’d been teaching religion to fellow inmates. “So, he was really making sure that the prisoners knew that there is a God that loves us,” Cano said. “That was marvelous to me because he never got that at home.”

The Menendez brothers were convicted in 1996 of first-degree murder for gunning down Jose and Kitty Menendez. They claimed to have suffered years of horrific abuse, including sexual abuse at the hands of their father. After a pair of trials ended in hung juries, the brothers were convicted. Lyle and Eric were sentenced to two life terms in prison without the possibility of parole.

Last week the Menendez brothers were reunited after 21 years in separate prisons. When they saw each other again on Wednesday, they “burst into tears.”

Cano believes that the men have matured through their “suffering” in prison. “The other good thing is they have been able to mature separately. Sometimes we cling on to somebody else, and we never mature.”

During their incarceration, the brothers were not able to speak on the phone, so they wrote to each other. Sometimes they’d “play” chess by sending moves to each other through the mail.

Cano’s still holding out hope that one day the brothers will be released. She told ABC she will continue to lean on her faith. “You have to leave some things in God’s hands, and God takes care of them.”