A Case of Tragedy and Controversy

The Menendez Brothers Case, a Murder That Stunned the Nation

Photo by Sebastian Pickhler on Unsplash

Erik Menendez and Lyle Menendez were convicted for the murders of their parents, Jose Enrique Menendez and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez, which took place Aug. 20, 1989, in their home in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California.

Investigations began when the brothers called 911, claiming to find the bodies after their night at the movies. Neighbors reported hearing gunshots and screaming on the night of the murder. In an exclusive place like Beverly Hills, which hosted the elite, this was unheard of. When police walked into the crime scene, the TV was on, shells from the shotgun casings were present and there was brain matter and blood everywhere. Initially, the brothers weren’t treated as suspects, that was until the brothers started to shop excessively. Eventually, authorities were able to track where the murder weapons were bought, and the trial officially began.

“I think the case being high profile likely created bias,” sophomore Josie Russo said. “I don’t think it is shocking that a murder would take place in a place like Hollywood because Hollywood tends to be corrupt.”

Authorities arrested L. Menendez and later E. Menendez for the murders of their parents. The prosecution argued that the motive was the 14 million inheritance to be shared by the brothers. The brothers opted to plead not guilty. The defense claimed that the killing was an act of self-defense that resulted from years of sexual abuse at the hands of their father, their mother a bystander. The case blew up nationwide as it was broadcast on television.

“I do believe the case would be handled differently if it took place today because the public's opinion has changed in favor of the Menendez brothers unlike when the case first happened,” Russo said. “Given recent cases in which murder was committed because of abuse, the sentence was lesser than the one the Menendez brothers had received.”

While the prosecution presented the facts of the murder, the defense focused on the “why.” Relatives, friends, coaches and therapists were all called to the stand as witnesses of the relationship between the kids and the parents. The brothers received backlash from the public, who were reluctant to believe that privileged white men fell under the archetype type of a victim. Both L. Menendez and E. Menendez gave confessions on the stand of how their father would touch them, force them to have oral sex with them and threaten them if they thought about opting out. A cousin of theirs testified that in 1976, eight-year-old Lyle told her about the molestation from their father. The cousin went to tell the brothers’ mother, who didn't believe her, and the family never discussed it again. The brothers stated that K. Menendez knew about the abuse and still let it continue. The brothers believed that on the night of murder, their parents were planning to kill them. They decided to do it first, committing an act of imperfect self defense.

Ultimately, the jurors were given the options of charging the brothers for three types of murders: first-degree murder, which is life in prison without parole; second-degree murder, which is a lesser sentencing and manslaughter, which would’ve been a significantly reduced sentence of around 5-10 years. The prosecution aimed for first-degree murder, while the defense aimed for manslaughter. The verdict was that the jury was deadlocked and unable to come to an agreement, declaring a mistrial.

“We made the mistake of taking a show of hands. All of the men raised their hands in favor of first-degree murder and none of the women raised their hands,” juror Hazel Thornton said. “I think the men had a really hard time accepting the fact that a young man could possibly be abused by his father. And the women were more empathetic in terms of understanding the abuse.”

Due to external pressures and media ridicule, L. Menendez didn’t testify in the second trial. The judge, embarrassed over the lack of verdict in the first trial, was determined to get a conviction in the second, changing what he allowed the defense to present. The testimonies from various people who knew the brothers and their parents were no longer allowed to be taken into consideration. With no testimonies from outside people and L. Menendez himself, the defenses’ main argument fell apart. The case no longer included three different types of murders, rather it became a situation where the options are either first-degree murder or no crime at all. The final verdict was a unanimous conviction of life without parole. The legal proceedings lasted a total of 11 months across the span of nearly three years.

“When the judge keeps out evidence that Diane Vander Molen said that Lyle said that when he was eight-years-old ‘my dad’s touching my penis’ and when the defense theory is that Lyle has suffered from sexual abuse from his father, thats evidence that cant be kept out,” appellate attorney Cliff Gardner said. “But it was.”

In the 2020s, the case shot back into public light due to different societal views surrounding sexual abuse. People began to talk about it on various social platforms including Tiktok. Now, in 2024,  a new Netflix series has come out, gaining popularity. The series, dubbed “Monsters,” tells the story of the brothers but is considered inaccurate and controversial by many. The brothers spoke out for the first time in a documentary on Netflix called “The Menendez Brothers,” which discusses the entire case with first-hand commentary. Notable celebrities, such as Kim Kardashian, also began to speak on the topic. With new evidence submitted by the brothers, Los Angeles district attorney “George Gascon” supported their petition for a resentencing.