Brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez have spent the past 34 years in prison. They were convicted of first-degree murder without the possibility of parole for the 1989 killing of their parents Kitty and Jose Menendez.
They spent three decades in prison without much commotion, but recently their infamous case has resurfaced, and there is the possibility for a retrial or a review of the case. When the Menedez case first occurred, the world saw the brothers as evil sociopaths. They quickly became laughingstocks. But all that might be changing.
Due to the drama series “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” the brothers have regained attention. Lots of people now feel sympathetic for them and believe they should be free from jail. The Menendez brothers don’t think they were portrayed correctly in the series, but in the Netflix documentary “The Menendez Brothers” Lyle and Erik share their story from their perspective for the first time.
Erik and Lyle Menendez seemed to be living the perfect life. They were wealthy kids living in Beverly Hills, who were great tennis players, and going to Ivy League Schools. Their dad was well-known and rich. After the murders, Erik goes to his previous therapist, Dr. Jerome Oziel due to his terrible mental state. Erik confesses he and his brother murdered their parents to Dr. Oziel, and later he voice records their confessions, ultimately leading to their arrest.
With the confessions recorded, the boys had no reason not to be found guilty. Right? After the killings, they went on a shopping spree, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars. The media told the world that Lyle and Erik murdered their parents for the money, and before knowing the boy’s side of the story it sure seemed that way. As it turns out, there was a darker side to the story full of family secrets.
In both trials (the first one was deemed a mistrial) the brothers pleaded not guilty in self-defense. They claimed they were sexually abused by their father, and if they told anyone he threatened to kill them. Their mother allegedly knew about the abuse but did nothing to stop it. The brothers were unable to present any physical evidence of their father’s abuse, but various family members testified in the case. A cousin testified that Lyle told her that his dad “had been touching him,” to see if that was normal. Other family members testified explaining the physiological abuse they were aware of.
On trial, the brothers go into significant detail about specific ways their father would abuse them. Lyle suffered this abuse from ages six through eight, but Erik experienced it from age six to the time of the murderers. Some say this excuse was calculated for their 14 million dollar inheritance and others feel bad for them, saying that they were the victims of this situation. There is no doubt Erik and Lyle Menendez committed the murders, but many say they were in prison long before their arrests because they had to suffer the abuse of Jose Menendez. The jury voted about 50/50 in the first trial on first-degree murder or voluntary manslaughter. The woman voted for voluntary manslaughter, while the men voted for first-degree murder. The documentary and show both suggest that Jose Menendez was not the stereotype of what an abuser looked like, and it was easier for the woman to see past that.
The series and documentary have some clear differences and highlight different parts of the story. Not every aspect of the series “Monsters” is true, although the message of brotherly love and protection runs through both stories. In the documentary, Erik Menendez further explains the relationship between him and his brother by saying “I went to the only person who had ever helped me, that had ever protected me, and then ultimately this happened because of me”.
The documentary shows a very vulnerable aspect of their crime, talking about the weight they carry. Erik believes “every aspect of this tragedy is [his] fault,” in the documentary but in the series we never hear this directly, it is hinted strongly through his suicidal ideations. Lyle also explains that he could “Never really escape that night”.
Another way to compare and contrast the show and documentary is what each spent the most time on. The series focuses on the boys before and during the first trial and speeds through the second. The documentary talks about how the first and second trials were unfairly different. Right before the second trial, the OJ Simpson case was done by the same judge. Simson was found not guilty, enraging the public, therefore some say the judge needed a win. Also, in the second trial, only Erik testified, none of the previous evidence was admitted, and the jurors’ options they had to vote on was either first-degree murder or no crime at all. Obviously, the crime was committed and there was clear evidence the boys did it so they were charged with first-degree murder.
In the documentary, Lyle and Erik discuss the common misconceptions of the case portrayed by the series and media. They say the series misleadingly portrays him and his brother. For example, in the show, Lyle is shown as a rude and aggressive person, although Lyle and his family say he is actually a very kind and gentle person. Erik even says there are “blatant lies rampant in the show,” and the co-creator purposely has lied about certain facts of their crimes. One of those misconceptions is that tapes of Lyle talking about his crime and the fame he gained from it were an admitted piece of evidence. It showed the tapes as a big piece of the second trial, but that is certainly untrue. Those are just a few out of many Lyle and Erik discuss
Despite receiving criticism from the Menendez brothers themself, Monsters has received a lot of attention and praise from viewers. Olympia High School Junior, Grace Collins reveals her love of the show but recognizes it has flaws. She says “Parts of the show were inaccurate and dramatized, which must be taken into account.” Additionally, Collins believes the brothers have “served their time and deserve to be free.”
The idea Erik and Lyle have served their time is a common theme among teenagers. Olympia High School Senior Maddy Stratton agrees. “Currently, their only memories are being abused by their father,” Stratton explained, “They were abused in horrifying ways and deserve to experience life without it.” Similar to the brothers’ perspective she believes the show portrayed them incorrectly. “I don’t think the way they portrayed the brothers was correct. They made Lyle seem heartless and Erik seem more sensitive.”
As education and awareness about abuse and molestation increases, the more sensitive the case becomes. Many believe if the case were presented today, the outcome would have been different. A reporter of this case back in 1989 explained to ABC News years later the valuable lesson to be learned from this case, no matter your opinion, “Ignore the hype. Remember–always remember–that no matter how big a story gets, it’s always about real people, real life, in the first instance.”
Tik Tok movements and Kim Kardashian – an advocate for Lyle And Erik Menendez, combined with new evidence might be enough to set them free from prison. Recently a letter Erik wrote referencing the abuse was found and a member of the popular 1980s Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, Roy Rosselló, claims he was sexually assaulted by Jose Menendez. The Los Angeles District Attorney announced “It is his moral and ethical obligation to review the Menendez brothers’ case. It has been 35 years since their sentencing. It is time to decide whether these men have paid their dues to society.”
Everyone has different opinions of the Menendez case, but one thing’s for sure. Soon their fate will be decided once and for all.
