The most awaited true-crime series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is finally out on Netflix, exploring the murders of José and Kitty Menendez in nine episodes. The first episode titled Blame It on the Rain opens with Lyle and Erik Menendez addressing their parents' sudden and unexpected death by murder at their Beverly Hills mansion.
As the first episode of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story progresses, Lyle's restlessness after killing his parents intensifies, leading him to call his psychiatrist Dr. Oziel. In real life also, Erik Menendez confessed that he and Erik planned to execute their parents, and made it happen on August 20, 2024.
Lyle and Erik Menendez endured s*xual, mental, and emotional abuse from their father since childhood, and their mother barely cared. Following the physical harm and constant torture, Lyle and his younger brother Erik gunned down their parents José and Kitty Menendez in 1989.
The brothers initially struggled to buy weapons to kill their parents but finally got their hands on a 12-gauge shotgun each. Since they planned a weekend to execute the murder, it fell on August 20, 1989, and the two shot their parent multiple times with Erik bursting José's head with a headshot.
Did José and Kitty Menendez torture their sons in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story?
Yes, José did harm his sons according to Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, and their mother acted like nothing happened. She started smoking and consuming pills after learning about her husband's affair and was unbothered by everything happening with Lyle and Erik Menendez.
In an interview with People, Erik Menendez talked about his traumatic experience from a young age and said:
"I loved my parents. And that is my real prison... If you had photos of the events of my childhood, they would be crime photos. I was dying long before the night I killed my parents."
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story extensively covers the anxiety and troubles faced by the Menendez brothers before and after killing their parents. The real-life trials of Erik and Lyle Menendez were the two most controversial trials in L.A. California in 1989, focusing on the tragic story of the Menendez family members.
How old were Lyle and Erik Menendez when they murdered their parents?
The Menendez couple welcomed their first child Joseph Lyle Menendez on January 10, 1968, while their second son Erik Galen Menendez was born on November 27, 1970. The brothers had a close bond and faced the harsh and violent nature of José Menendez.
During the time of the murder, on August 20, 1989, Lyle Menendez had turned 21 years old, while Erik was 18, about to celebrate his nineteenth birthday in November of that year. The brothers initially lied to the police about the murder, claiming that José and Kitty were found dead until some recordings and revelations made at Dr. Oziel's clinic came out.
They even bought tickets for the Taste of L.A. festival to present evidence in support of their absence at the time of the murder. It was Lyle who called the police two hours later at 11: 47 p.m. and informed them about the murder at the Beverly Hills mansion.
However, the truth began to come out as Erik would act incredibly anxious and odd, followed by his therapy at Dr. Oziel's office. As seen in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Erik confessed to having suicidal nightmares after killing his parents.
Are the Menendez brothers still in prison?
Yes, it's been almost three decades since Lyle and Erik Menendez started serving life sentences in different prisons. They had the first trial in 1993 and the second in 1995 after which the jury charged them with first-degree murder in 1996.
The prosecutors argued that Lyle and Erik were never molested, instead, they were drawn toward their father's money and wanted to acquire all of his wealth. However, the brothers never accepted those claims and kept sharing their stories of abuse.
While Lyle and Erik are serving their sentences and trying to be better individuals, their attorney Cliff Gardner is trying to prove the brothers were molested. In 2023, Gardner even filed a habeas petition, claiming that he has some evidence including a letter which could prove Lyle and Erik didn't lie about the abuse.
According to CBS News, Gardner said:
"The boys were abused as children. They were abused their whole life…and this is a manslaughter case, not a murder case. It’s just that simple."
Both Lyle and Erik have found new passions in art and discussions about child abuse and related problems. As seen in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the Menendez brothers were taken away in different vans, implying that they would be kept separately.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is streaming on Netflix.
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