Menendez Brothers Facts: Erik And Lyle Reunite In Prison After 22 Years

The infamous Menendez brothers, convicted of shooting and killing their parents in 1989, were reunited in prison Thursday.

Corrections department spokeswoman Terry Thornton said Erik, 47, was placed in the same housing unit as his brother, Lyle Menendez, 50.

"They can and do interact with each other, all the inmates in that facility," she said, ABC News reported.

Although Lyle was moved to the same correctional facility as his brother after his security classification was lowered in February, he was placed in a separate housing unit and hence they were not able to meet. Thornton did not comment on how the brothers reacted after meeting each other.

The parents of Lyle and Erik, José and Mary “Kitty” Menendez, were found shot to death in their Beverly Hills home at 722 North Elm Drive on Aug. 20, 1989. Here are a few facts about the Menendez brothers and the crime they committed:

1. The Menendez brothers had a difficult childhood. Although they grew up in a Beverly Hills Mediterranean-style mansion, in the lap of luxury, wanting for nothing in life, they had a far-from-perfect childhood. José, a self-made millionaire, was very demanding and was never satisfied with anything his sons did. Their mother, Kitty, on the other hand, suffered from depression, alcoholism, and drug addiction. During their murder trials, both the brothers made abuse allegations against their parents — accusations that were never well corroborated by any witnesses.

2. Although being each other’s closest confidants, both the brothers were quite different from each other. Lyle had a mean streak and was thought to be the mastermind behind the murders. His brother, on the other hand, was sensitive and quiet, helping his brother out with his plans.

3. Erik confessed to the killings in front of his therapist, L. Jerome Oziel, threatening to kill the latter if he exposed his admissions.

4. José and Kitty were shot and killed with a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun inside their home when they were watching television. Lyle called 911 and told the police the brothers found their parents dead after arriving home.

5. The brothers were arrested in 1990 and tried in front of separate juries in 1993. Mistrials were declared in 1994, followed by retrials in 1995. The following year, both were found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

6. Although the brothers asked to be put in the same prison facility to serve out their sentences, Beverly Hills detective who investigated the murder case advised officials against it for the concern that the brothers would conspire to escape if allowed to stay together. Hence they were put in facilities 500 miles apart — Lyle in Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California, and Erik in Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California — a decision that Leslie Abramson, Erik’s attorney, called "exceedingly cruel and heartless."

Nevertheless, the Menendez brothers kept in contact with each other, regularly writing to each other and even playing chess online.