It all began on August 20, 1989, when José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez were shot to death in their Beverly Hills house, taking almost seven years of constant trials and thousands of hours of TV coverage. Lyle and Erik Menendez, Jose and Kitty’s two sons, were found guilty of shooting and killing their parents. They were originally sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
However, things have changed, as they were resentenced this past May. Since they were under 26 years old when the crime was committed, they were able to become eligible for parole. However, it’s important to consider the factor of public sympathy. Did all the attention drawn to the case actually help?
How They Were Caught
The Menendez brothers and their parents’ murder became one of the most famous criminal cases of children killing their parents in the 90s due to family drama, Hollywood adaptations, and the dramatic testimonies. The murderers were marked as brutal, as José and Kitty were left unrecognizable after suffering 15 rounds from two 12-gauge shotguns. At first, the police believed it was a mob hit. The brothers told police they were going to see a movie but had forgotten Erik’s ID. When they went home to retrieve it, that’s when they said they found the bodies and called 911.
Yet, the brothers didn’t seem to be grieving. According to a report by Biography, “It was like they had won the lottery.” In the span of six months, “the brothers had spent almost $700,000 of the [$14 million] fortune…[Lyle] bought things like a Rolex, a Porsche, loads of clothes, and a restaurant. Erik bought things such as a Jeep Wrangler, a personal tennis coach, and an investment in a rock concert….”
These behaviors continued until an audiotape of both brothers confessing to the murders came to light. Doctor Jerome Oziel, their therapist, was having an affair with Judalon Smyth, and Smyth contacted Beverly Police to reveal the confession, which led to the brothers’ arrest. But it wasn’t that simple, due to doctor-patient confidentiality. It took two years to figure out if it was admissible as evidence in court. Biography also stated that “the Supreme Court of California ruled that two of three tapes were eligible. This included the tape that contained the admission of guilt.” The brothers said it was in self-defense, as they were being sexually abused by their father.
The Conviction and the Modern Pushback
It was the second trial in 1995 that led to their first sentencing. In the Biography article, it says, “With ‘insufficient’ evidence that José had abused his sons, Smyth had testified that Dr. Oziel had manipulated the brothers into confessing, which was not proven to be true.” They were then convicted of two counts of first-degree murder on March 21, 1996. They did find public sympathy due to their testimony of an alleged abusive background
Years later, the case gained even more public attention. When the trial was being covered on CourtTV in 2020, TikTok began to discuss the reason behind the murders and the alleged sexual abuse. Many began to see the brothers as victims. This was further developed by the Netflix project Monsters: The Lye and Erik Menendez Story, along with The Menendez Brothers, another Netflix project featuring interviews with the brothers. There began a movement for their release, especially in the context of freeing victims of abuse.
A Lighter Sentence
After much pushing, the judges then gave the brothers a lighter sentence. They appeared for the first parole hearing, but both were denied release. According to ABC News, “Commissioners said Erik and Lyle Menendez broke rules in prison, despite acknowledging both of them worked to rehabilitate themselves and help other inmates.”
It seems most people want the best for the alleged victims, as almost all their family members support it as well. The brothers received three-year denials from the parole board, so we’ll have to wait and see once again. WCVB says, “ They will likely be considered for administrative review within one year and have another hearing as soon as 18 months.” They also state that “They also have a pending habeas corpus petition filed in May 2023 seeking a review of their convictions based on new evidence supporting their claims of sexual abuse by their father.” Will we find out the truth? Are the Menendez brothers victims in all of this? Only time will tell if the law is on their side.
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