‘Monsters’ star Cooper Koch attends Menendez Brothers resentencing hearing in unexpected public appearance

Actor Cooper Koch, who portrayed Erik Menendez in Netflix's dramatization Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, made an unexpected appearance at the Menendez brothers' resentencing hearing in Van Nuys, California. Bystanders were surprised as the 28-year-old actor was seen arriving at the courthouse on Friday alongside his partner, Stuart McClave.

They were joined by Erik Menendez's wife, Tammi Saccoman, and her daughter, Talia Menendez, who have continued to be vocal advocates for Erik throughout his imprisonment.

Since the series' release in 2024, Koch has used his forum to draw attention to the Menendez brothers' case and push for what he views as a miscarriage of justice.

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Did Cooper Koch attend the Menendez Brothers' hearing in California?

Cooper Koch has not remained silent about his views since portraying Erik Menendez. Following Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón's recommendation in October 2024 that the Menendez brothers be resentenced, Cooper Koch came out in favor of the action.

In an archived Instagram story, shared through his twin brother's account, Koch stated:

"Gascón's recommendation has sparked a new sense of possibility that Lyle and Erik might finally be free after decades in prison."

The actor continued to voice his stance in February 2025 after District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced he would fight the request for resentencing. Expressing deep concern, Cooper Koch said in another Instagram story:

"It is still my firm belief that the Menendez brothers did not receive a fair second trial."

He also pointed out that key evidence, specifically the brothers' decades-long claims of abuse, had been ignored.

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What is the Menendez Brothers case about?

Lyle and Erik Menendez have been serving life terms since their 1996 conviction for murdering their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, with shotguns at their Beverly Hills estate in 1989.

The then 21- and 18-year-old brothers, who pleaded self-defense when charged with murder, claimed their parents had subjected them to years of physical, emotional, and s*xual abuse. Their defense argued that the killings were the ultimate expression of living in fear, not a methodical attempt at inheriting their parents' riches.

The Menendez Brothers' case became a national sensation in the 1990s, one of the first high-profile trials to be broadcast gavel-to-gavel. The first trial resulted in a hung jury. At their retrial, the story changed, and the brothers were finally convicted without the same focus on their abuse allegations. They have been incarcerated ever since, serving their sentences without parole.

Netflix's second season of Monster, The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, reignited international scrutiny of the brothers' guilt. Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the show adopted a story-form approach and relied extensively on the brothers' accounts of patriarchal abuse.

It also incorporated a Rashomon-style framework with several viewpoints, compelling viewers to revisit earlier assumptions regarding the case.

Though the series received mixed critical reception, it was a commercial success. When it was released, it topped Netflix's worldwide streaming lists and won numerous Golden Globe nominations. The performances by Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Erik and Lyle, respectively, were widely praised.

However, the dramatization was controversial. Members of the Menendez family, even Erik himself, voiced concerns about factual errors, such as the show's purported insinuation of incest between the brothers, an insinuation that the family strenuously denied.

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As the Menendez Brothers await a decision on potential resentencing, public discussion surrounding their case remains heated.