In 1989, Erik and Lyle Menendez became household names when they killed their parents, Kitty and Jose. Most people know that story, but do you know what happened next? The Menendez brothers were sentenced to life in prison, where they wound up living next to O.J. Simpson.
In 1994, O.J. Simpson wound up at the L.A. County Men's Central Jail for allegedly murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. In an interview with Larry King, Erik recalled preparing for Simpson's arrival. "I was watching the chase on television, that infamous chase," he said. "And they had me clean out his cell a few days ahead of time. They knew he was coming to jail...before he even knew."
Erik remembered Simpson walking in, shackled and chained, with "about 15 deputies," who put him in a nearby cell. They were temporary neighbors, but Erik said Simpson was "an upbeat, charming person."
Surprisingly, this was not the first time they met. Years prior, Jose Menendez worked as an executive at Hertz Car Rentals, and Simpson was a spokesman for the brand. One night, Jose invited him over for dinner and introduced the football star to his sons.
In 2017, Lyle reflected on their reunion with People. "O.J. Simpson came over to our house several times," he said. "I certainly never thought that we'd be later meeting in prison, facing murder charges." The Menendez brothers pleaded not guilty, but Lyle encouraged Simpson to take a plea deal.
In Robert Rand's book The Menendez Murders, Lyle told the author that he offered Simpson some legal advice. "I expressed my concern that Robert Shapiro [one of Simpson's lawyers] wouldn't let him tell the truth. I said I knew it obviously wasn't planned and that he had snapped in the heat of passion." When Rand asked if Simpson seemed guilty, Lyle said, "Absolutely."
Still, he and Erik tried to help Simpson accommodate to life under lockdown. Erik told Rand that Simpson struggled to deal with the reality of his imprisonment. "He was real delusional, thinking that he was going to get out in three weeks." At one point, Erik wrote Simpson a letter. "I told him a lot of things," Erik recalled. "'This is his life,'" I said. 'When you cry -- remember those tears. Hold them because you're crying for your children, you're crying for everything you're losing...Remember who's doing it to you and fight -- continue to fight. You've got to start to worry about your life, not your reputation.'" After Simpson read the letter, Erik said, "Every time he walked by my cell, he smiled and gave me a wink."
Though Simpson and the Menendez brothers were in the same unit, the football star apparently received better treatment. Erik claimed that Simpson ate better food and was allowed to keep his cell door open -- privileges that he and Lyle didn't have. "They were treating him like royalty," Erik told Rand. "Everyone was in awe of him. Everyone wanted to talk to him."
Ultimately, Simpson was acquitted of murder, which Erik believes affected his and Lyle's sentencing. "O.J.'s verdict had a very negative effect on our case," Erik said. Simpson's trial triggered mass outrage toward the Los Angeles judicial system, which Erik discussed in The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All.
"There was this sense that an extreme injustice had happened," he said. "And now we're gonna have to right it with every defendant that comes up. We were the next defendant."