The notorious 80’s murderers, the Menedez brothers, are making a comeback. Known for murdering their parents, the two brothers have been locked up since 1992. They have spent over 35 years in prison and had not seen each other for over a decade, until they were reunited in 2018. However, Erik and Lyle Menendez have recently gone viral, after the Netflix series “Monsters” was released, reenacting their story and trial. Additionally, there has been new evidence found, reopening their case and creating a retrial for the brothers.
On a warm August evening in 1989, Jose and Kitty Menendez were shot dead in their home located in Beverly Hills. 911 received a call from their son, Lyle Menendez (21 at the time) sobbing “someone killed my parents.” Lyle and Erik (18 at the time) claimed they thought it was the mafia. After the murder, Menendes brothers continuously saw their therapist, Dr. Jerome Oziel and went on a large shopping spree with their inheritance, later causing issues in their trial. However, Erik eventually confessed to Dr. Oziel that it was indeed him and his brother Lyle who murdered their parents that night. From there, the secret was revealed to the public.
In March of 1990, Lyle was arrested on the account of murdering his parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez. Days later, Erik turned himself in. They began their trial in 1993, in Los Angeles. Erik was represented by famous defense attorney Leslie Abramson and Lyle was represented by Jill Lansing. On July 20, 1993, their first trial was held. In their trial, many points were used against them and many were used in favor of them. Some of the main points used against them were the brothers’ large shopping spree and the finances the brothers gained. However, the brothers main story was that they murdered their parents out of self defense, after years of mental, physical and sexual abuse. Additionally, they were afraid their parents would murder them if they didn’t kill them first. The controversy and devastation of the case left the jury at a standstill, unable to come to a decision. After much consideration and thought, they came to a final decision. Despite clear proof of the alleged abuse, the judge declared the brothers guilty of murdering, sentencing them to life in prison without parole.
After spending years apart, Lyle Menendez, who is now 56, and Erik Menendez, who is now 53, may be reunited with the opportunity of a retrial. New evidence was found of a letter written by Erik Menendez in 1988, which allegedly contains and supports the allegations the Menendez brothers made against their father, including the sexual assault and abuse they may have endured. This little bit of evidence that has been found over 28 years after their sentencing could potentially change the rest of their lives.
Additionally, the show “Monsters” that was recently released on Netflix tells the story of the Menendez brothers’ lives and case. It stars Chloe Sevigny, Cooper Koch, Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Javier Bardem. It goes through parts of their lives, the murder of their parents and their trial. There have been claims that the show is not truly accurate in the portrayal of their story. This show has additionally brought attention to the Menendez brothers and their upcoming retrial.
Overall, the case of the Menedez murders is a very complex case. In addition, there is much controversy over whether they should be freed from prison or not. However, this will be revealed to the public after the retrial which is being held on November 29.