When the shocking allegations of the brothers were added to the horror of the crime, the Menendez murders became one of the most famous criminal cases of the 20th century.
Still “Was it self-defense or a brutal crime for inheritance?” If you are ready to learn the blood-curdling details of the Menendez murders, whose questions cannot be answered correctly, let’s start.
A family that could be called the model of the “American dream”.
The Menendez family seemed, by 1980s standards, the perfect depiction of the “American dream.” Father José had married Kitty, the beauty pageant queen.
The house where José and Kitty were killed was located in one of the most exclusive locations in Beverly Hills. It was even used by Michael Jackson and Elton John at different times.
Father José was obsessed with success and put pressure on his sons.
Their son, Lyle; He was a star tennis player, studying at Princeton, who seems to have had a successful career in business like his father. Later, their other son, Erik, turned out to be even better at tennis, and through his father’s obsessive interventions, he became a nationally ranked player.
José was known as a hardworking father who overworked his children in athletics and other sports. With such an obsessive father, they had no choice but to succeed.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times in 1990, the former swim coach said, “José looked very competitive, Erik had very little self-confidence because nothing he did was ever good enough.” he said.
The image of the crime scene made us think that the murders were committed by a mafia.
The Menendez murders were a gruesome and brutal crime. José and Kitty were killed by two 12-gauge shotguns, nearly unrecognizable by 15 rounds.
As gruesome as the crime scene looked, police thought the killings were a mob attack, and initial investigations focused on business rivals.
Lyle was 21 and Erik 18 when the murders were committed.
On the night of the murders, the brothers said they went to see the Batman movie, but when they returned to get Erik’s identity, they saw the dead bodies of their parents. He called 911 and said, “Someone KILLED MY PARENTS!” The murder investigation had begun after Lyle’s whistle-blower tipped him off.
In the months after the murders, their parents acted as if they hadn’t been brutally murdered recently. On the contrary, it was as if they had just won the lottery. In 6 months, they spent $700,000 from their father’s $14 million fortune.
Rolexs, Porsches, Jeeps bought as if nothing had happened…
Lyle; He had bought Rolex, Porsche, lots of clothes and a restaurant. In addition to buying a Jeep, Erik also owns a $50,000 personal tennis coach and gym. He also invested $40,000 in a rock concert that never happened.
In 1988, after Erik was caught for multiple thefts, the court-appointed Dr. She began meetings with a therapist named Jerome Oziel. Before long, Erik confessed to killing his parents.
They said that they were exposed to sexual abuse as well as psychological violence by their fathers.
Therapy sessions continued, and the brothers were recorded as they confessed to the murders. Erik said they committed the crime “to save their mother from José’s suffering”. Lyle made it clear that they were both involved in the crime. At the same time, they claimed that their father was controlling and abusive.
Lyle recounted the times: “In the bedroom, we would do what we call ‘object sessions’ and slide our pants down or take them off. Sometimes it would be short, sometimes it would be longer. He’d put me on the bed and get some Vaseline and play with me.”
The psychologist took the confession tapes in which they said everything to the police.
The psychologist contacted Beverly Police to explain that the Menendez brothers confessed to their parents’ murder. The Menendez brothers were soon arrested.
The trial, which began in 1993, was broadcast on Court TV, which turned the legal system into an entertainment event. This channel turned the murder case into a big soap opera, covering not only the trial but also hours of broadcasts before and after the trial.
His lawyers argued that it was self-defense.
Unable to say they were innocent, Lyle and Erik claimed that their father went far beyond the pressure of emotional abuse and high expectations. The entire public was shocked when they said that José had abused them since childhood, and their differing friends and family members were divided.
Their lawyer, Leslie Abramson, argued that the two acted in self-defense after growing up in such a violent and traumatizing home. Years later, one of her cousins said in an interview with ABC News that she believed what kids said because they said similar things to her as a kid.
They were found guilty in 1996, while everyone was holding their breath and waiting for the result.
Lyle and Erik were found guilty of first-degree murder in 1996. They were sentenced to life in prison without parole. The brothers, who were sent to separate prisons, were allowed to stay in the same prison in 2018.
Documentaries and films are still being made on the Menendez murders.
Decades after the murders, the crime committed by the brothers remains puzzling. Numerous TV movies, mini-series and documentaries have been made about the murders.
Sources: Court TV, Biography, Rolling Stone
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