The wife of Lyle Menendez has announced their separation after more than 20 years of marriage.
Rebecca Sneed, Lyle’s second wife, made the announcement on a Facebook page bearing his name that she runs.
“This is NOT a cheating scandal,” Sneed wrote. “Lyle and I have been separated for a while now but remain best friends and family. 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.”
Menendez and Sneed have been married since 2003. NBC News reported at the time that the pair had known each other for 10 years.
The separation announcement came just days before Lyle and his brother, Erik, are set to appear virtually in court after they submitted a motion for resentencing.
Previously, the brothers — who are serving life sentences for the murders of their parents — filed a habeas corpus petition that cited evidence intended to support their claims that their father, Jose Menendez, sexually abused them.
If a judge rules in their favor, it’s possible Lyle and Erik could be released after decades behind bars.
Lyle Menendez.
Ted Soqui/Sygma/Getty
“Our interaction tends to be very free of distractions and we probably have more intimate conversations than most married spouses do, who are distracted by life’s events,” Lyle told us in a 2017 interview about his marriage. “We try and talk on the phone every day, sometimes several times a day. I have a very steady, involved marriage and that helps sustain me and brings a lot of peace and joy. It’s a counter to the unpredictable, very stressful environment here.”
Sneed did not specify when she and Lyle first separated, but says she will continue to update his supporters on the Facebook page.
“I will never stop fighting for them,” she wrote. “Please continue to join us in this fight!”
