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Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is the second season of a series by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan after Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
The Netflix series premiered on September 19, 2024, and delves into the infamous case of the Menendez brothers. The brothers were accused of the brutal slaying of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, on August 20, 1989.
Lyle and Erik Menendez, aged 21 and 18, respectively, when they murdered their parents, became notorious figures in American legal history. One night in Beverly Hills, the brothers fatally shot their parents in their family home. The trials that followed were filled with shocking revelations. The claims of years of abuse and counterarguments of financial motives took place during the trial.
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The official synopsis reads,
“This riveting true-crime drama probes the lives of the Menendez brothers, convicted of the brutal 1989 murders of their parents in Beverly Hills.”
The story of Lyle and Erik Menendez: The night of the murders
Lyle and Erik Menendez were 21 and 18 years old, respectively, when they killed their parents. The murders took place in their Beverly Hills mansion. They shot their parents multiple times.
The brothers initially claimed to have found their parents’ bodies after returning home from a movie. However, after the investigation started, the inconsistencies in their story became clear. Lyle and Erik Menendez's trials became a media phenomenon. Claiming they killed their parents out of fear for their lives, the brothers stunned the country during their first trial in 1993.
Their father, Jose Menendez, had mistreated them for years by inflicting s*xual, physical, and emotional abuse, according to their testimonies. The brothers thought their parents intended to kill them since the defense claimed the mistreatment had reached a breaking point.
The prosecution argued, meanwhile, that the murders were planned and driven by avarice. The brothers engaged in extravagant spending sprees following the murders, purchasing luxury goods including sports cars and Rolex watches, which aroused questions about their actual motives.
The first trial and the mistrial
In 1994 Lyle and Erik Menendez's first trial was dismissed as a mistrial. Divided between those convinced of their guilt based on premeditated murder and those who felt the brothers had acted in self-defense, the jury was unable to reach a majority decision. The graphic accounts of mistreatment during the trial begged doubts about the validity of their defense.
The second trial and conviction
In the second trial in 1996, the court rejected much of the brothers' abuse evidence, weakening their defense. This time, the jury found Lyle and Erik Menendez guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced them to life without parole. The explosive nature and televised coverage of the 1990s' most discussed trial was justified.
Why did Lyle and Erik Menendez shoot their parents?
The question of why Lyle and Erik Menendez murdered their parents has been a point of debate. The defense's case rested on years of claimed s*xual abuse, by Jose, their father.
After confronting their parents about the abuse, the brothers claimed they feared for their lives, and that resulted in lethal shootings. Conversely, the prosecution suggested that the brothers killed their parents to inherit their fortune by pointing at their ostentatious expenditure following the murders.
Production and direction
Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan produced Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Well-known for their work on other true crime tales, they gave this most recent release a unique approach.
The series benefits from their attention to detail and careful character portrayal, with the actors delivering compelling performances that shed new light on the infamous case.
New evidence and continued attention
New evidence emerged in 2023 that would perhaps validate the brothers' allegations of mistreatment. Allegedly penned by Erik Menendez to his cousin, months before the murders, a letter detailed the continuous s*xual violence against them.
A former Menudo member also claimed that Jose Menendez had mistreated him in adolescence. This fresh material has sparked demands for a retrial and revived interest in the case.
Read more: Fact check: Was Erik Menendez gay? Explained
Currently serving life terms in the RJ Donovan Correctional facility in San Diego, California, are Lyle and Erik Menendez. Before reuniting in 2018, they had spent more than 20 years living in different prisons. The Menendez brothers remain in public view thanks to fresh evidence and documentaries, thus the case attracts interest even after all the years.
