On August 20, 1989, the Menendez brothers, Lyle and Erik Menendez, murdered their parents after fatally shooting them. The brothers had arrived at their Beverly Hills home in California, armed in 12-gauge shotguns. When they arrived home, their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, were watching TV.
The murder story gained traction after it was revealed that the second season of Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series “Monsters” will focus on the killings. The series, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” stars Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny and became available for streaming on September 19, 2024.
What We Know About the Menendez Brothers Case
Following their arrest, the Menendez brothers claimed that they had killed their parents out of self-preservation. They claimed they had suffered years of sexual abuse by their Hollywood mogul father, and their mother, a former pageant queen, had disregarded the claims.
However, their claim was refuted by the authorities, who stated that the murder was motivated by greed. Authorities have backed their claims by pointing to the extravagant buying spree the brother went on after their parent’s death. Their purchases included expensive watches, cars, and tennis lessons.
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Following their conviction and sentencing, the brothers have attempted to overturn their convictions without success. Their most recent effort came in May 2023, when the brothers’ attorney filed a petition in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The brothers’ attorney had cited the revelation of new evidence in the Habeas Corpus petition.
The attorney had cited the claims of Roy Rosselló, a former Menudo member, who alleged that Jose sexually abused him in the 1980s. Additionally, the attorneys cite a newly discovered letter Erik had rewritten to his cousin Andy Cano alleging his father’s sexual abuse before the murders.
How Did the Menendez Brothers Get Caught?
After their parents’ murder, someone tipped the police about a confession Erik had made. Erik had confessed to the murder to which recordings were made. However, the brothers already had police attention on them due to their extravagant lifestyle following their parents’ deaths.
Although the Menendez brothers were placed on trial in 1993, they were acquitted after the trial ended in a deadlock. Subsequently, on March 10, 1996, the siblings were convicted of their parents’ first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. The brothers underwent separate trials in 1996, unlike in 1993 when they were tried together.
Erik and Lyle asserted that their mother knew that their father had abused them sexually when they were young. Based on the California Incarcerated Records and Information Search, the brothers are serving their sentences at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility.
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How Old Are the Menendez Brothers Now?
In 1989, when the murder was committed, Lyle and Erik Menendez were 21 and 18 years of age, respectively. The brothers were detained in March 1990 on charges of killing their parents in the first degree. The arrest led to a well-publicized, multi-year legal struggle involving two juries, two trials, and one mistrial.
When the brothers were finally sentenced in 1996, Lyle was 28, while Erik was 25. The brothers received two consecutive life sentences without the option of release from prison. Serving time at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, Lyle is now 56 years old, while Erik is 53 years old.
Meet the Menendez Brothers’ Parents
Kitty Menendez was born in 1941 to Charles and Mae Andersen as the youngest of four children. Kitty grew up in a middle-class family in Oak Lawn, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. However, her life was not perfect, as her parents divorced when she was just a child.
In 1962, Kitty won the Miss Oak Lawn beauty pageant and met her husband, José Menendez. José was a young Cuban immigrant who fled Fidel Castro’s regime, arriving in America at the age of 16.
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Kitty met José, a Southern Illinois University swimming scholarship athlete, as a college student. Despite being two years older, Kitty was smitten with José, who was 18 then. Subsequently, in 1963, José married Kitty despite the disapproval of his family, who believed he was too young.
After getting married, José and Kitty moved to New York City, where José enrolled at Queens College. Subsequently, in January 1968, José and Kitty welcomed their first child, Lyle.
In November 1970, José and Kitty welcomed their second child, Erik. Initially a school teacher, Kitty became a full-time housewife at José’s request, setting aside her career aspirations. Unfortunately, their children ended up taking their lives in a cold-blooded, premeditated killing.
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