By Sarah Roebuck
Corrections1
LOS ANGELES — Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted on March 20, 1996, for the shocking murders of their parents in Beverly Hills. Months later, they were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Even decades after their conviction, the Menendez case continues to capture attention, recently reigniting interest with Netflix’s new series “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”
The series, which premiered Sept. 19, explores the lives of Erik and Lyle Menendez before the 1989 murders of their parents, as well as the events that followed.
Actors Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch portray the brothers, with Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny portraying the brother’s parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. This is the second chapter in the Monster anthology, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, following the first installment about serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.
On August 20, 1989, Lyle, 21, and his 18-year-old brother Erik entered their parents’ home armed with shotguns, fatally shooting their father, Jose, and mother, Mary Louise, a.k.a. “Kitty,” according to a Los Angeles Times report. Lyle Menendez called 911, saying he and Erik found their parents dead.
Initially, investigators suspected Jose and Kitty Menendez’s murders were a gangland hit due to Jose’s business ties, according to the Los Angeles Times. However, the brothers’ sudden spending spree — such as Lyle buying a Porsche, Rolex and expensive clothes, and Erik a custom Jeep — raised suspicions. The case shifted when police obtained incriminating recordings from their therapy sessions. Lyle was arrested on March 8, 1990, and Erik surrendered three days later.
The case headed to a televised trial that concluded in January 1994. The brothers were tried separately. During the trial, the brothers testified that their father had sexually abused them since childhood and that their mother knew about it, according to the New York Times. The trial ended with two hung juries, leading to a retrial that was not televised.
The retrial began in 1995 with a single jury, according to the New York Times. In March 1996, both brothers were convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. They were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Erik and Lyle Menendez are serving their life sentences at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California, according to records from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.