He worked his way up the ladder at a number of businesses. The famous interviewer literally cried out in disgust and annoyance. Succession Features in Rupert Murdoch's Divorce, Rupert Murdoch Is Not Getting Married Again, Behold: Signature Poses of Your Favorite Royals. Ive Been a True Crime Buff Since I Was Old Enough to Read. He would work his children to the bone in athletics, especially tennis, and everything else. Goodreau, who was on the East Coast when the transaction occurred, said his ID card had been stolen or lost while in Lyles Princeton dorm room. Right: Menendez married his prison pen pal Tammi Saccoman, a wealthy widow, in a jailhouse ceremony in 1999. They would high five each other because they pulled it off.. The house in which Jos and Kitty were killed was located on one of the most exclusive blocks in Beverly Hills and was at different times occupied by Michael Jackson and Elton John. Lyle showed promise as an up-and-coming tennis athlete, while Erik had aspirations of getting into politics. The Menendez brothers murder their parents Lyle and Erik Menendez shoot their parents, Jose and Kitty, to death in the den of the family's Beverly Hills, California, home. Watch the true story unfold in the drama "Menendez: Blood Brothers", the NBC series "Law and Order True Crime: the Menendez Murders", or the documentary "Truth and Lies: The Menendez Brothers - American Sons, American Murders.". You can navigate days by using left and right arrows. The brothers, featured on ABC's 20/20 in April of 2021, have a new generation of defenders - on Instagram and TikTok. Erik and Lyle Menendez - Crime Museum Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Thats when they discovered their parents decimated bodies and dialed 911, they said in their interviews. Lyle was arrested near their home on March 8, 1990, while Lyle, then competing in a tennis match in Israel, was arrested at LAX airport upon his attorney-arranged return to the United States. 1,679, This story has been shared 1,559 times. Although the Menendez brothers were not immediately suspected, Erik couldnt take the guilt and confessed his involvement to his psychotherapist, Dr. L. Jerome Oziel. With California investigators on the East Coast, they began interviewing the Menendez familys New Jersey-based relatives. The case especially gained attention as the world faced the COVID-19 pandemic. On the outside, things seemed quite normal for the family, begging the question: who would want to kill L.A.s newest executive and his wife in cold blood? Maybe they were trying to look younger, or more wholesome, or otherwise less capable of murdering their parents. Ryan Murphys record-breaking anthology series Monster is coming back to Netflix with yet another gruesome season. Who Is Suspected Pentagon Leaker Jack Teixeira? Why the Menendez Brothers Killed Their Parents - Biography The night of the murders, the brothers told police theyd gone out that night to see a movie but had to make a pitstop to retrieve Eriks ID. I was told during the trial by the bailiffs that the brothers would high five each other, particularly after a good day in court when they were testifying, Bozanich said. That defense earned them separate mistrials in 1993 but didn't succeed in their subsequent 1996 retrial, which concluded with convictions and life . Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed, the new Peacock docuseries premiering May 2, explores a provocative new allegation against the brothers late father. Lyle was 21 and Erik was 18 at the time of the double murder. The case returned to the spotlight in 2017, when Erik participated in a tell-all for a documentary while serving his sentence, appealing to a new generation navigated by social media and living against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement, according to New York Times journalist Ezra Marcus. Each brother has gotten married in prison to women on the outside. They planned on spending as little time as possible in the home, but on the night of the murders, Jos reportedly forbade the boys from going out, prompting a heated argument. Thats something that happened, Lyle said, "but I dont think characterizing it that way is putting it in the right context.. Suspicions were raised when Lyle and Erik used the life insurance money to make head-turning purchases, including a Porsche Carrera, Rolex watches, and a $60,000-per-year tennis coach for Lyles continued lessons. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. 1,559, This story has been shared 1,516 times. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Some said Jos planned to take Lyle and Erik out of the will for fears theyd blow their inheritance on their new girlfriends. After Joseph Lyle Menendez was born in 1968, the family moved to New Jersey, where, Jose was 35 when he became executive vice president at Hertz, a subsidiary of Radio Corporation of America, more commonly known as RCA. It's their theatricality that has made the Menendez men so infamous, their flare for courtroom drama and off-putting outfits, and the. The initial cases ended in mistrial because of a convincing (and surprising, when it was introduced) argument from the defense: Attorney Leslie Abramson and her team contended that both Lyle and Erik had been molested by their father since childhood. , and early investigations focused on that possibility. Right? hammered Deputy District Attorney Pamela Bozanich while Lyle was on the stand during his first trial. That defense earned them separate mistrials in 1993 but didnt succeed in their subsequent 1996 retrial, which concluded with convictions and life sentences without the possibility of parole. Though Oziels disclosure violated doctor-client privilege, it was enough for investigators to take a closer look at the brothers. The first two juries (one for each brother) deadlocked, and a mistrial had to be called. In 1996, when twentysomething brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez were on trial for the murder of their Beverly Hills parents, Jse and Kitty, their legal team argued that they had committed the . The brothers during one of the court hearings For the most part, the lack of a conviction was considered a travesty. The couple wed in 1963 and moved to New York. Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted in 1996 of murdering their mother, Mary Louise, a former beauty queen who went by Kitty, and their father, Jose, a music executive, despite defense arguments. 1,768, This story has been shared 1,717 times. After the murder and arrest, the Menendez trial news made headlines in all TV stations, radios, newspapers and magazines.. "Those kids watched their mother become a doormat for their father," Lamm told Vanity Fair. Those in the know said Jos was also concerned because his sons helped commit several burglaries in the Los Angeles area, taking about $100,000 in jewelry and cash the previous year. Both have gotten married while behind barsLyle twice. Before the new docuseries streams, get up to speed on this key figure in the Peacock special. 5 Lyle (left) and Erik Menendez Credit: AP:Associated Press Why did Lyle and Erik Menendez kill their parents? This trial will take you behind the facade of the rich houses, the fancy cars, the wealthy friends, and impressive social engagements, Lansing told jurors. He practiced up to 10 hours a day and flew to the Middle East to compete. You couldnt escape it.. Lyle and Erik Menendez's Cousin Who Testified About Their - ABC News Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Right: The Menendez Murders, a Law & Order mini-series, will depict the infamous court case. Instead, people still interested in the Menendez Brothers fate had to wait for written news accounts of the events. So he confessed to his therapist what he and his brother had done. Their sons Lyle and Erik, who were 21 and 18 respectively at the time of the killings, also seemed like the platonic ideal of the Reagan era United States. . Their slain father Jose had been born in Cuba and fled during the revolution. The story behind the Menendez Brothers | Updates & Recent News In the months that followed the slayings, neither Menendez brother acted like young men who had recently found both of their parents dead in a brutal, bloody murder scene. ", Kim Kardashian Teases 'American Horror Story' Role as Ryan Murphy Calls Her "True Force in the Culture", Does Buck Die on '9-1-1'? Lyle and Erik Menendez claimed that they killed their parents in 1989 because they feared for their safety following a lifetime of sexual abuse perpetrated by their father, Jos, an RCA Records executive, and condoned by their mother, Kitty. Jose was 35 when he became executive vice president at Hertz, a subsidiary of Radio Corporation of America, more commonly known as RCA. 30 Years After Menendez Brothers Murders - People "It was similar to a situation where you have pro-life and pro-choice people and put them in an argument together.". 'Citadel' Episode Guide: When Do New Episodes Premiere on Prime Video? After Joseph Lyle Menendez was born in 1968, the family moved to New Jersey, where Erik was born in 1970. The brothers didnt spend all of their six months of freedom shopping and dreaming out loud, though. Erik and Lyle Menendez, two brothers who grew up in Beverly Hills, California, were convicted of murdering their parents Jose and Louise "Kitty" Menendez on the night of August 20, 1989.. Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed thus plays like the tip of a potential iceberg that has yet to be fully assessed. Jose left RCA in 1986. He worked his way up the ladder at a number of businesses. In 1980, he became head of the companys record division, RCA-Ariola. Im not going to live my life for my father, but I think his dreams are what I want to achieve. The Menendez brothers were the only children of entertainment businessman Jose Menendez and his wife Mary Louise, otherwise known as Kitty. Oziel's mistress overheard the taped session, and she went to police. Menudo member alleges father of Menendez brothers raped him - USA Today On a recent Sunday morning, Lyle Menendez sat in the day room at California's Mule Creek State Prison quietly talking on the phone about his dad Jose and mom Kitty, who he and his younger. ", Stream It Or Skip It: 'Moonage Daydream' on HBO Max, a David Bowie Biography That's More Sensual Experience than Documentary, Personality Crisis: One Night Only Finds Punk Pioneer David Johansen Recounting His Many Lives, Stream It Or Skip It: 'The Legacy of J Dilla' on FX/Hulu, Exploring The Life, Beats, And Career Of The Late Hip-Hop Hero, Stream It Or Skip It: Little Richard: I Am Everything on VOD, A Biodoc As Vibrant As Its Subject, The Peter Pan & Wendy Sea Shanty Is An Ear Worm That Will Haunt Your Dreams, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Peter Pan and Wendy' on Disney+, Director David Lowery's Lightly Visionary Disney Rehash, Where Was Peter Pan and Wendy Filmed? Rossell alleges that Jos Menendez, who was an executive at RCA Records at the time, sexually assaulted him when he was a teen member of the band. In 2017 alone, three major re-enactments have been staged on TVa two-hour documentary on ABC, a Lifetime movie, and an eight-hour NBC mini-series starring Emmy winner Edie Falco as the brothers lawyer, Leslie Abramson. Streaming Schedule, Season 5, Part 2 Debut Info, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved, Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders, 'American Horror Story' Season 12 Casts Michaela Ja Rodriguez and Cara Delevingne, Patti LuPone Blasts Kim Kardashian for Newly Booked 'American Horror Story' Role: "What Are You Doing With Your Life? They dreamed of athletic success, musical success, financial successand they were even interested in politics. The Menendez Brothers Said Their Father Sexually Assaulted Them. Now In March 1996, both Lyle and Erik were convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Is 'Are You There God? 1,964, This story has been shared 1,768 times. That defense earned them separate mistrials in 1993 but didn't succeed in their subsequent 1996 retrial, which concluded with convictions and . I was devastated, said family friend John Burnett. The investigation eventually turned to Lyle and Erik. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. The crime scene on August 21, 1989. Credit: Fabiola Franco/Tribune Broadcasting/Getty Images. Lyle purchased a Rolex, a Porsche, lots of clothing and a restaurant back in Princeton, where he had been living before the murders, while Erik was more practical, opting for a Jeep Wrangler, a $50,000 personal tennis coach and a $40,000 investment in a rock concert that never happened. They also attended therapy sessions with Dr. Jerome Oziel. He hoped to turn it into a franchise. I still believe that the Menendez brothers did what they did out of fear because they felt that they were gonna be killed, said Delahunt. Lyle and Erik Menndez - Wikipedia The brothers, featured on ABC's 20/20 in April of 2021, have a new generation of. Youre a normal kid who killed your parents, Walters said. 1,516, This story has been shared 1,358 times. Jose and Kitty Menendez are seen here in this undated family photo. They were charged with the first-degree murders of their parents. Part of the reason for that sidelining, it appears, is that Roy doesnt fully remember what took place. What Happened to Bonnie Hood at Camp Nelson? Jose was shot six times in the back of the head, while Kitty was shot ten times. All Rights Reserved. The brothers have admitted to killing their parents. Finally, the Supreme Court of California ruled that two of the three tapes were eligible to be used in the trial, including one that contained Lyles admission of guilt. They went home to get Eriks false identification he had so they could go to a bar, retired Beverly Hills Detective Sgt. He wooed and married Kitty, a beauty pageant queen, and then rose from washing dishes to becoming a successful young entertainment executive. A look back at the unthinkable Beverly Hills murder that's gripped the nation for three decades. DAHMER Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, starring Evan Peters as the titular serial killer, detailed the cannibalistic murder spree Dahmer conducted undetected for over a decade. Figuring out whether the tapes with the confessions fell under doctor-patient privilege or were admissible as evidence in court took two full years, with lawsuits and appeals flying back and forth between the prosecution and the Menendezs lawyers. They were shot multiple times at close range with a shotgun and rendered unrecognizable. She lives in New York. When this younger generation is learning about the Menendez case, theyre able to draw on a very vivid, primary source, which was the recording of this trial, said Marcus. Once they moved to California, Erik began to run with some teenage delinquents, getting himself in trouble for a string of burglaries. Why did Lyle and Erik Menendez kill their parents? He hired a team of bodyguards to accompany him on his shopping excursions, and later testified to their spoils, which included $40,000 worth of clothes and a $60,000 Porsche. Here's When It Returns With New Episodes, Drew Barrymore Halts Segment After "Severely Old" Mac and Cheese Noodle Flies off Her Desk: "It's Rock Hard". The battle for the tapes dragged out for 30 months, until the Supreme Court of California intervened. He lived with a cousin in Pennsylvania before winning an athletic scholarship to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. Everything To Know About Menendez Brothers' Dad Jose Menendez | True In 1988, after getting caught in a string of burglaries, Erik was required by the court to meet with a therapist named Dr. Jerome Oziel. The trial began in 1993 and was broadcast on a relatively new cable network called Court TV, which was devoted to turning the legal system into a hybrid of entertainment and sporting event. He landed at the independent film company Carolco Pictures, which produced the Rambo big-screen franchise. The brothers claimed the fatal shooting was a form of "imperfect self-defense," according to The New York Times. Lyle testified that he believed his brother because he, too, was allegedly sexually assaulted by Jos at a young age. He signed famous groups like the Eurythmics, Duran Duran and Menudo, Vanity Fair reported. Born into lives of wealth and privilege as the sons and only children of Hollywood executive Jos Menendez, 45, and his wife, Kitty, 47, the brothers claimed they had returned home from the. Lyle was a star tennis player who attended Princeton and seemed destined for a career in business like the father he openly worshipped; Erik turned out to be even better at tennis, helped along by his fathers obsessive intervention, and wound up as a nationally ranked player in his age bracket. Jose was also protective of the family name. It seemed like Jos was so competitive, he was doing everything he could to try to make him better, their former swim team coach told the Los Angeles Times in 1990. The Menendez brothers: Their childhood, the murder, the trial The jury in Erik's case deadlocked on January 10, 1994; the jury in Lyle's case deadlocked two weeks later. 'Monster' Season 2 Sets Menendez Brothers as Killer Subjects