 "Lyle, left, and Erik Galen Menendez sit in a Beverly Hills, California courtroom, May 14, 1990 as a judge postponed their preliminary hearing on charges of murdering their parents last August. File Image/AP")
The story of Lyle and Erik Menendez continues to polarise public opinion in America more than three decades after they murdered their parents, Jose and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez.
The 1989 killings in the family’s Beverly Hills mansion ignited nationwide fascination, spawning courtroom drama, media frenzy and an enduring debate over abuse, privilege and justice.
On August 20, 1989, the Menendez brothers used a 12-gauge shotgun to kill their parents while they were watching television in their den.
Lyle, 21, and Erik, 18, fired multiple rounds. Jose was killed instantly by a close-range shot, while Kitty was hit several times, including as she attempted to flee.
The brutality of the crime and its setting in one of Los Angeles’ wealthiest neighbourhoods captured national attention.
Lyle made the initial 911 call, sobbing as he claimed to have discovered his parents’ bodies. In the days following the murders, the brothers suggested that the killings may have been related to organised crime or Jose’s business dealings.
Jose Menendez, a Cuban-American immigrant who had built a successful career as a music and film executive, was known for his powerful role at RCA Records, where he signed prominent acts such as Duran Duran.
But within months, suspicions began to rise.
From mourning sons to prime suspects
In the six months following their parents’ deaths, the Menendez brothers spent lavishly. Lyle purchased designer watches and vehicles, while Erik retained an elite tennis coach at an annual cost of $60,000.
Both moved into luxury condos in Marina del Rey. Their extravagant spending, which totalled more than $1 million, raised eyebrows among investigators.
The breakthrough in the case came when Erik confessed to his psychologist, Jerome Oziel, who later shared the confession with his mistress.
She reported it to authorities, setting in motion the brothers’ arrests. In March 1990, Lyle was taken into custody, followed shortly by Erik, who surrendered to police.
A courtroom drama that divided America
The brothers were charged with first-degree murder and stood trial in 1993, each with a separate jury. Prosecutors argued that the murders were calculated acts committed for financial gain.
According to the prosecution, the brothers wanted to claim their parents’ multimillion-dollar estate. The defence did not deny the killings but contended that the brothers acted in self-defence after enduring years of emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of their father, with their mother allegedly enabling the abuse.
Diane Vander Molen, a cousin of the Menendez brothers, testified about an incident from 1976 when Lyle, at age eight, confided in her that Jose was inappropriately touching him.
Vander Molen recounted confronting Kitty Menendez, who dismissed the claims and physically pulled Lyle away without further discussion.
“By her demeanour, I could tell that she was not believing any of this,” Vander Molen later recalled, telling ABC News in 2017.
“And [she] went downstairs, and Lyle had already gotten into the bed next to mine, and she went ahead and yanked him by the arm and took him back upstairs, and I never heard anything else about that.”
The first trial ended in January 1994 with both juries deadlocked.
In the retrial, which began in October 1995, the judge consolidated the cases and barred much of the testimony related to the alleged abuse. This significantly hampered the defence.
In March 1996, Lyle and Erik were convicted of two counts each of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. That July, they were sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Years of appeals and renewed attention
Over the next decade, the brothers pursued legal avenues for appeal. Their convictions were upheld by the California Court of Appeal in 1998 and the state Supreme Court the same year.
Federal habeas corpus petitions filed in 1998 and 1999 were denied, as was an appeal to the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2005.
While the legal path appeared to have reached a dead end, the Menendez case resurfaced in public discourse in 2017 with the docuseries The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All.
In it, Erik detailed events leading up to the killings. He described an argument with their parents, where Lyle confronted Jose over the alleged abuse and declared, “You’re not going to touch my brother.”
According to Erik, their father responded angrily: “I do what I want in my family. He’s not your little brother, he’s my son.”
Lyle also recalled a moment of panic. “I realised that they had been waiting for Erik to get home like I had been. And I just freaked out. I thought they were going ahead with their plan to kill us.”
In Erik’s words: “I felt like my heart was going to explode, it was just pounding. I felt like my life was over right then.”
Resurfacing evidence and calls for resentencing
The narrative surrounding the Menendez brothers took a dramatic turn in May 2023 when a former member of the boy band Menudo, Roy Rosselló, publicly alleged that he had been raped by Jose Menendez when he was 14.
This explosive claim brought renewed scrutiny to the original abuse allegations. In addition to Rosselló’s testimony, the defence submitted a letter Erik had written to a cousin before the murders, describing his father’s abusive behaviour.
Following these developments, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón’s office began reviewing the new evidence.
On October 24, 2024, prosecutors petitioned the court to consider resentencing the brothers to terms that would allow the possibility of parole.
The move received support from some members of the public and family, including celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Rosie O’Donnell.
A viral TikTok campaign further amplified calls for the brothers’ release, especially among younger generations exposed to the case through the Netflix biopic Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which premiered in September 2024.
As the legal process unfolded, multiple court dates were postponed .
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who was asked to weigh in on clemency, deferred any action until the newly elected district attorney could review the matter.
In February 2025, District Attorney Nathan Hochman publicly stated his office would oppose both a new trial and any effort to reduce the brothers’ sentences. “They have repeatedly lied about why they killed their parents,” Hochman said, questioning the legitimacy of the abuse allegations.
Nevertheless, in March, Newsom directed the state parole board to carry out a comprehensive risk assessment to evaluate whether the brothers posed a threat to society if released.
Disagreements soon arose between Hochman’s office and the defence attorneys, leading to further delays in court proceedings.
On April 11, Judge Michael Jesic denied the prosecutors’ request to withdraw their resentencing petition. Despite internal conflicts, the resentencing went forward.
On May 13, 2025, Jesic officially reduced the brothers’ sentences from life without parole to 50 years to life. Because both Lyle and Erik were under the age of 26 at the time of the murders, they are now immediately eligible for parole under California law.
Their eligibility does not guarantee release, as the parole board must still determine whether they are suitable for reintegration into society.
How the Menendez case has divided America
The Menendez case remains one of the most widely discussed criminal trials of the 20th century. It has inspired references in pop culture ranging from Gilmore Girls to 30 Rock, and continues to generate media productions, documentaries, and online discussions.
The question at the heart of the case – whether Lyle and Erik acted out of cold-blooded greed or as a desperate response to years of unrelenting abuse – has no consensus.
Their story has been interpreted both as a tragedy of ignored trauma and as a shocking example of calculated parricide.
Supporters of the brothers, including their extended family, argue that the legal system failed to consider the psychological effects of prolonged abuse and that the 1996 jury was a product of its time, unequipped to handle allegations of sexual abuse by male victims.
“I know that they would never, ever have done what they did unless they felt that they had no choice,” Vander Molen said. “That it was either them or their parents. I believe that very strongly.”
Opponents maintain that the Menendez brothers’ actions were premeditated and self-serving. They point to the luxurious spending spree after the murders and the concealment of the crime as evidence that the killings were driven by greed.
For now, Lyle and Erik Menendez remain incarcerated at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, awaiting a parole board decision that could determine whether they will ever walk free.
Also Watch:
With inputs from agencies