Netflix's true-crime series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story introduces audiences to Dr. Jerome Oziel, played by Dallas Roberts. It tracks back to the 1989 Menendez murders when brothers Lyle and Erik killed their parents at their Beverly Hills home. Oziel plays an essential role when a guilty Erik confesses everything during therapy.
The motive behind the Menendez murders is central to the case—was it all about money or because of past abuse? Either way, Dr. Oziel was a key player in the conviction of the Menendez brothers.
Dr. Jerome Oziel recorded Erik's confession which came out during a therapy session and made a copy to his girlfriend, then Judalon Smyth. Smyth reported the crime and, eventually, the brothers were caught. Oziel's role, however, is rather suspicious through serious ethical and professional misconduct that still carries great weight in the real case and the Netflix series.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story: Dr. Jerome Oziel’s role in their downfall
Dr. Jerome Oziel played a controversial role in the Menendez brothers' trial. The first confession by Erik Menendez to Oziel turned out to be the big turning point that finally caught the attention of law enforcement and led them to arrest the brothers, as depicted in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
Cosmopolitan states that Erik even sent Oziel a creepy voicemail right before their therapy session on Halloween in 1989. During that session, he described the crimes in detail and confessed to them.
This confession came just two months after the gruesome murders of Kitty and José Menendez, in which the brothers shot their parents 16 times. Initially, the police did not suspect Lyle and Erik since they were acting like bereaved sons who had run back home to find that their parents were murdered.
It is through Oziel's tapes and Smyth's disclosure that the real story was revealed. Capital FM said that Oziel secretly taped many of Erik's therapy sessions without his permission. This smudged doctor-patient confidentiality. It resulted in a legal circus during the trial and the defense team tried to blow the whistle on Oziel as he was seen violating ethical boundaries.
The defense tried to discredit him in the process, citing rumors of improper relationships with some of his patients, which, of course, didn't do much for him in court. But after all, it was one of these recordings along with his testimony that proved crucial in the conviction of the Menendez brothers.
The real-life consequences for Dr. Jerome Oziel, as seen on Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
After the Menendez case, as seen on Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Dr. Jerome Oziel experienced a severe fallout: a serious fall from career to personal life. The Los Angeles Times reported in 1997 that his psychology license had been revoked.
He has been accused of violation of confidentiality and an inappropriate relationship with female patients. This charge was raised during the trial. He said he never did anything wrong.
According to him in an interview that ran in Bustle 2017:
“I did not surrender my license due to the accusation, which implies I gave up my practice because I did things alleged in the original accusation. That is flatly and completely false.”
He also claimed to have closed shop already, enjoying a great business opportunity, and was not looking back into California.
Dr. Oziel, who prefers to be called Jerry now, lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He works at the Marital Mediation Center, keeping couples together through mediation instead of therapy. This provides them with an exit from divorce. After he aided in the conviction of one of the most notorious murder defendants in U.S. history, he's led a pretty quiet life.
In the Netflix series, Dallas Roberts as Dr. Oziel hits the complexity of the character. For example, as per Netflix Tudum, Oziel's role in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story got quite a lot of attention. It showed how much he was a part of shaping the investigation and the trial. The show further zeroes in on his questionable behavior and relationship with Judalon Smyth.
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The new part of Ryan Murphy's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is out on Netflix, and it features Dallas Roberts as Dr. Jerome Oziel.
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