ID's Menendez Brothers: Misjudged? - What did the Menendez Brothers do to their parents?

ID's special documentary, Menendez Brothers: Misjudged?, will revisit the infamous courtroom trial of Lyle and Erik Menendez in the 90s after admitting to murdering their parents in court. The exclusive will air this Sunday, August 7, 2022, at 9:00 pm ET on Investigation Discovery and Discovery+.

The official synopsis states:

"Thirty years ago, the nation watched every moment of the Menendez Brothers’ dramatic trial in real time on Court TV. Now, thanks to TikTok and social media, an entirely new generation is learning their story for the very first time. Details of the murder were seared into our collective memory: the 911 call, the crime scene photos, the Rolexes."

It further adds:

"The media narrative – that two Beverly Hill boys killed their parents out of greed and allegedly concocted a fantastic account to get out of it – remains a national punchline. But now, three decades later, as Gen Z discovers the case, they see the story of two boys who suffered horrific abuse at the hands of their mother, father… and the media. Did we get it all wrong?"

As one of the most high-profile and prominent cases of the 90s, the special documentary will take a fresh look at the case from a completely different angle than those already existing. As per the synopsis, Menendez Brothers: Misjudged? will likely revisit the case, portraying Erik and Lyle as victims of abuse and re-examining the captivating spectacle of a trial that had the nation on edge for years.

Read further to learn more about the case and why the Menendez brothers did what they did decades ago in 1989.

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Why did the Menendez brothers kill their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez?

The Menendez Brothers' case dominated the headlines in the late 80s and early 90s, mostly for the brazen nature of Lyle and Erik Menendez, who murdered their parents Jose and Kitty in their home.

The two boys ambushed their parents on August 20, 1989, while they were sitting on the couch watching TV in the family's Beverly Hills mansion and fired 15 rounds at them using the shotguns they had previously purchased. Erik (18) claimed to have fired first, but Lyle (21) proved to be the one with superior shooting skills: He fatally struck Kitty in the face while also shooting Jose in the back of the head.

It was the elder brother who called 911 and informed them of the discovery they made upon returning home from the movies, a lie that was very conveniently told. In his call to the cop, he said in his hysterical voice that,

"Someone killed our parents!"

The Menendez brothers then went on to spend their family's fortunes on travel, parties, and purchasing expensive stuff that their parents wouldn't have allowed them to indulge in otherwise.

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The Menendez Brothers allegedly endured years of abuse

During the 1993 combined trial, which gripped the nation before arriving at a mistrial, Erik and Lyle claimed to have experienced severe physical and emotional abuse from both of their parents, including s*xual misconduct by their father. Family members supported their assertions, and there was also plenty of physical proof, but the prosecution claimed that the killings were perpetrated for financial gains.

Due to the fact that the jury failed to reach a decision, the Menendez brothers each had to go through their own trial, during which they were both found guilty and were sentenced to two separate prisons for life in 1996.

Erik, now 51 years old, spoke on the abuse they endured that ultimately pushed them to murder their birth-givers, saying,

"I killed the two people I loved the most. I loved my dad. Listen, how much anger can you have toward someone after killing them? I loved my parents. And that is my real prison. I look forward to dying."

Explaining further, he added,

"Oh, people say that I had everything, that I was rich and lived in Beverly Hills. But if you had photos of the events of my childhood, they would be crime photos. I was dying long before the night I killed my parents."

In a 2017 interview, 53-year-old Lyle reportedly commented on the crime he committed decades ago. He said:

"I am the kid that did kill his parents, and no river of tears has changed that and no amount of regret has changed it. I accept that. You are often defined by a few moments of your life, but that’s not who you are in your life, you know. Your life is your totality of it."

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As previously stated, Menendez Brothers: Misjudged? will air on ID this Sunday, August 7, 2022, at 9 pm ET. Tune in to learn more about the 90s case that shocked the high-class Beverly Hills community.