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The Netflix drama Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story follows the case of the Menendez brothers, who murdered their parents on August 20, 1989. Brothers Lyle, who was 21, and Erik, who was 18, shot José and Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills mansion.
What first appeared like a possible mafia killing, soon emerged as a case of parricide. Menendez brothers admitted to the murders but claimed that the extreme step was taken in response to years of se*xual and emotional abuse at the hands of their parents.
The duo was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, following a widely publicized trial in 1996. They were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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The trial and sentencing of the Menendez brothers
The trial of the Menendez brothers became the most high-profile case of the time. Lyle and Erik were arrested seven months after the murders when Erik confessed to his psychologist. Erik Menendez admitted to Dr. Jerome Oziel, that he and his brother Lyle killed their parents.
Erik then further elaborated on what had happened that particular night when the murders were committed and also spoke of the alleged abuse they suffered at the hands of their father.
Judalon Smyth, Dr. Oziel's mistress leaked Erik's confession. After she quarreled with Dr. Oziel, Smyth contacted the police to report that she had heard the confession. The police obtained copies of the audio recordings of the therapy sessions which were used as evidence in the trial.
During the trial, the defense claimed that Jose Menendez had se*xually and emotionally abused his children for years. Kitty was complicit because she could have done something about it but didn't.
On the other hand, the prosecution argued that the Menendez brothers were fueled by greed and killed their parents to inherit the estate. They pointed out that the Menendez brothers spent lavishly after their parent's death.
In 1996, after a lengthy legal process, the brothers were found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit a murder.
The jury recommended life imprisonment, and the judge approved the verdict. The brothers were kept in different prisons at first. However, since 2018 they have been incarcerated together at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California.
Discovery of new evidence
In May 2023, the Menendez brothers' defense attorney, Cliff Gardner, filed a habeas petition and cited newfound evidence in favor of his clients.
The first evidence was a 1988 letter that Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin Andy Cano. In this letter, Erik described the abuse he faced at the hands of his father. Cano died in 2003 and the letter was found by his mother in his storage. Upon discovery, she gave it to Gardner.
According to CBS News, Andy Cano had testified at the trial and said that Erik had told him about the abuse when he was as young as 13.
The other new evidence involves Roy Rossello, a former member of the popular Puerto Rican group Menudo. On April 18, 2023, Rossello appeared on the Today Show and alleged that he was r*ped by Jose Menendez when he was 14.
The incident took place in the 80s when his band Menudo was signed to RCA Records, where Jose Menendez was an executive. Rossello said he had visited Jose at his New Jersey house where he was drugged and then se*xually assaulted.
The singer, who is now 54, further stated in an affidavit that he was r*ped by Jose Menendez on two other occasions in New York.
Gardner believes that if the judge considers the new evidence that proves the abuse allegations against Jose Menendez, then the brothers may have another shot at freedom. As per CBS News, it is unclear when a judge will rule in the case.
Public and legal reactions
The public view of the brothers continues to be divided between sympathy and condemnation. The case has raised debates on how alleged abuses should be handled and investigated. The case of the Menendez brothers points to questions about how the media sensationalism may have swayed the public and jury.
This latest installment of a Netflix series has reopened all these issues and created a renewed interest in the 1989 case.
The show, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, is now streaming on Netflix.
