Who Are Lyle Menendez And Erik Menendez?MONSTER Menendez Brothers  

Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez, the brothers notorious for the murder of their own parents, are again in the news. This time a docuseries, Monster, has been released in a way that defends their actions. 

It was years back in 1989 that the duo of brothers shot their parents José Menéndez and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menéndez. The parents were shot multiple times when they were at their Beverly Hills mansion.

The news circulated was that Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez had committed the murder to get their parents’ fortune worth more than 14 million US dollars. It was a heinous act, even to discuss who would have the mind to kill their parents for money. 

How Did The Menendez Brothers Execute The Double Murder?

It was indeed a planned murder. Otherwise, who will carry arms around with them, right? When their parents were standing at the den in Beverly Hills mansion, they entered with shotguns.

The father was shot 6 times and the mother, 10 times. What caused the father to die was the fatal shot in the back of the head and for the mother, the fatal shot was on the cheek. 

After this spine-chilling murder, the brothers pretended that they were not even at the place when it happened. 

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How Did They Get Caught? 

Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez led a luxurious life after the death of their parents. While the police still searched for the criminals, the brothers enjoyed extravagant dinners and trips overseas. This led the police to become suspicious of them. 

An undercover agent was deployed to find the reality. The brothers kept it a top secret and denied every claim associated. 

Erik Menendez was consulting a psychologist, Jerome Oziel, to whom he told the truth using the doctor-patient privilege. Oziel told that to his mistress Judalon Smyth and the latter opened up to the police after she broke up with the psychologist. 

Lyle Menendez was arrested shortly. Erik Menendez surrendered before the police following this. This was in 1990. They were denied bail and kept away from each other. 

The Court Trial: Did Lyle Menendez And Erik Menendez Confess The Truth?

The trial was broadcasted on TV nationwide. They were tried before the court separately. And, also they were not allowed to see each other. Initially, they were both presented before different judges in the court and it caused a mistrial. 

After that, Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez were tried together and were found guilty. Both of them were convicted of one count of first-degree murder for each, and a count of conspiracy to commit murder. The weapon found in possession was the Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun.

Currently, they serve life imprisonment without the possibility of getting parole. 

Were Lyle And Erik Abused By Their Parents? 

In the court trial, they argued that the root cause of the murder was not the desire to get rich and own the money. Rather it was triggered by the abusive ways that their father treated them, right from childhood. 

Lyle Menendez And Erik Menendez, both the brothers exerted an abuse excuse, a claim used by the defendant of no more having the ability to distinguish between right and wrong due to prolonged periods of abuse. This is medically referred to as battered person syndrome. 

The brothers said that they were sexually exploited by their father and described him as a pedophile. They described their mother as an alcoholic who supported her husband and did nothing to stop him from molesting the boys. 

It is to be noted that, in the past, two of the family members have come forward supporting the claims by the brothers. 

The prosecution, however, as its final verdict stated that the motive for the double murder was financial prosperity. 

Lyle Menendez And Erik Menendez, the Menendez brothers are now again on the news as Netflix announced the second season of its anthology series Monster based on the true story of the Menendez brothers. The first reports suggest that the show will establish a defensive vision of the act committed by the brothers. 

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