Lyle and Erik Menendez shot and killed their parents Jose Menendez, 45, a wealthy entertainment executive, and Kitty Menendez, 47, at their Beverly Hills mansion on Aug. 20, 1989. While behind bars, the Menendez brothers have apparently become good friends with O'Donnell. The prison houses nearly 3,900 male inmates. Prosecutors contended there was no evidence of any molestation and said the sons were after their parents multimillion-dollar estate. And with no television cameras present -- Judge Weisburg had banned them in what he called a move to protect the dignity of the proceedings -- the 20-week retrial more closely resembled a regular murder trial, with only occasional moments of drama. Erik Brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted of the 1989 murders of their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez at their Beverly Hills mansion. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Rosie O'Donnell Menendez Brothers Should Be Freed, Has Grown They had the money. Did The Menendez Brothers There was no evidence that this was a residential robbery, said Edmonds. And it offers the haunting reminder that, at the end of the day, no one knows for sure what happens behind closed doors. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. The killing was one of the most notorious cases in the 1990s after the pair shot their father, Jose, a wealthy entertainment executive, and their mother, Kitty, a socialite, at point-blank range in 1989. You couldnt escape it.. Kill Jos, kill Kitty.. Jose Menendez pictured with his sons, Erik, left, and Lyle. The Instagram account features a profile photo of the young brothers and has 238 followers. If convicted, the brothers could be sentenced to death. Get trial, prison and family details. "I think it was the emotional pull of the defense that caused a mistrial," Deputy District Attorney Pamela Bozanich, who prosecuted Lyle, told The Times. "Both Lyle and Erik have amazing prison records, with what they've done with their time, and how they've spent their 30 plus years in jail. Edmonds. Its been more than 30 years since Erik and Lyle Menendez brutally murdered their parents in August 1989. Two kids who had been molested since the age of preschool, fighting back and standing up, and people thought they just wanted the money. Jordan Whynn, who is 24, watched the trial on YouTube while in coronavirus lockdown and launched an Instagram account called @MenendezSupporter. Our quickfire quiz BBC uncovers drugs trade link to top Syrian officials, How one temple feeds 100,000 people a day. Vander Molen says she believed young Lyles story because she saw that his fear was real. People on TikTok have connected with the brothers stories, feeling empathy for them and believing their defence that they were abused by their father. This younger generation is learning about the Menendez case. Before the wealthy family moved to Beverly Hills, the Menendez brothers grew up in an affluent neighborhood of Princeton, New Jersey. The gruesome double murder, it initially seemed, was a gangland-style killing.. Lyle, 48, and Erik, 46, were sent to different prisons to serve their sentences and havent seen each other in years. He was scared to sleep in his own bed because he was afraid that his father was going to come in and molest him that night, said Vander Molen. Born in 1968 and 1970, respectively, the two boys grew up in a wealthy New Jersey suburb with their parents, Jose, a self-made Cuban immigrant, and Kitty, a former beauty queen. Prosecutors also persuaded the judge to cut short the unflattering gossip about the parents' and the brothers' tortured family life by teachers, coaches and acquaintances, which often sidetracked the first trial. In another interview, in 1996,Erik Menendez said he felt remorse for the killings. The brothers are serving life sentences. The Menendez brothers: A look at their childhood, the murder, the In February 2018 Lyle Menendez was moved from the from Mule Creek State Prison in Northern California to San Diego's RJ Donovan Correctional Facility, after his security level was lowered. WebRyan Murphy, who has already tackled the trial of O.J. The defendants, Erik, 25, and Lyle, 28, sat quietly and calmly as the jury forewoman repeated the word guilty. Lyle and Erik continue serving life sentences, regularly leading therapy groups behind bars. Lyle and Erik Menendez on trial. You just, youre stuck with the decisions you made.. That changed this week when Erik Menendez was moved into the same housing unit as his brother, where inmates agree to participate in educational and other rehabilitation programmes. I had been told that right after his murder, people were pretty pleased that he was no longer on the earth.. This is the story of the Menendez brothers and the murder of their parents. Police headed east to speak with the businessman, and though he admitted to being connected to the mob, he denied knowing anything about Jos and Kittys murders. On Wednesday, they were moved into the same unit. Jose was intense off the tennis courts, too. So, it was strictly a hit. At the time, crime was this black-and-white thing, said Marcus. the Menendez Brothers Thornton said all inmates in that facility can and do interact with each other, but she did not comment on how the brothers reacted during their reunion. She became interested in the case after seeing footage of TikTok. Menendez WebThe Menendez brothers, who were convicted of killing their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion nearly three decades ago, have been reunited in a southern California prison. Their trial the first ended in a mistrial and the second led to their conviction garnered millions of viewers. They went home to get Eriks false identification he had so they could go to a bar, retired Beverly Hills Detective Sgt. I know that they would never, ever have done what they did unless they felt that they had no choice -- that it was either them or their parents, Diane Vander Molen, who is speaking for the first time since she testified at their trial, told ABC News. Lyle, left, and Erik Menendez leave the courtroom in Santa Monica, Calif., Aug. 6, 1990, after a judge ruled that conversations between the two brothers and their psychologist after their parents were slain are not privileged and can be used as evidence in their murder case. They were horribly abused by their parents, they did the unthinkable, which had been done to them day after day after day, and they paid the price for that. I believe them. They then drove up to Mulholland Drive, where they 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. She said everyone she talks to all have the same goal. I am the kid that did kill his parents, and no river of tears has changed that and no amount of regret has changed it, Lyle Menendez told ABC News in 2017. For one thing, the brothers were no longer the "boys" portrayed by their lawyer, Leslie Abramson, who had commanded the courtroom during the first trial. But ultimately, Bloom had an alibi, and detectives were back to ground zero. On March 20, 1996, Lyle and Erik Menendez were found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He and Erik have stuck with their story that they killed Jose and Kitty because of sexual abuse and that a final fight preempted the murders. Relatives testimony supported the brothers claims, including an uncle who said he watched Jos use a closed fist to punch a then 5-year-old Lyle in the face. The Menendez brothers murder their parents - HISTORY WebIn a TikTok, the comedian explained why she felt Lyle and Erik Menndez deserved to be set free after being convicted of killing their parents. Lyle, who said he was furious when he first learned that his father was also allegedly abusing Erik, explained, It was like I kept my part of that sort of devils pact and [my father] didnt. Both brothers married in prison. Whatever their motive, the case of the Menendez brothers remains one of the most captivating true crime tales of the 1990s. Menendez brothers convicted of killing parents reunite in jail The brothers claimed the fatal shooting of Jose and Kitty Menendez in their The verdict was a resounding victory for the prosecution and the searing story of blood, money and parricide that it had presented. Their father, a 45-year-old Hollywood executive, was shot six times with a shotgun the brothers had purchased days before the attack. Jos allegedly threatened to kill their sons to keep the truth from getting out, according to the brothers testimonies. 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. The key, in my book, was Judalon Smyth told us that the shotguns were brought in San Diego, according to Det. The same panel will decide whether the Menendez brothers should be sentenced to lethal injection or life without parole. The couple's will made them the sole beneficiaries of a $14 million estate in the event that the husband and wife died together. WebLyle and Erik Menendez shoot their parents, Jose and Kitty, to death in the den of the familys Beverly Hills, California, home. "They can and do interact with each other, all the inmates in that facility," state corrections department spokeswoman Terry Thornton told the Associated Press on Thursday. They didn't need the money. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Young people who were not alive at the time of the 1989 murders have been speaking out about the case, thanks in part to social media. Then, they made shocking allegations of abuse in Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. According to Rolling Stone, the Menendez brothers grief seemed so genuine that police didnt follow protocol as they examined the crime scene. Homicide detectives wondered if money could have been the motive after learning Lyle and Erik stood to inherit $650,000 in the event of their fathers death, as well as the multi-million-dollar mansion. When asked why she has chosen to speak out for the first time in support of her cousins, Vander Molen said she wanted to defend them against the trials prosecutors claims that there had been no sexual abuse in the family. And then Jose and Kitty would turn on the charm when they had people over, which wasnt very often., 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. A detective who investigated the slayings said the partners might conspire to escape together. When Erik and Lyle Menendez were first accused of murdering their parents Jose and Mary "Kitty" Menendez back in the early '90s, the brothers claimed self-defense. Lyle Menendez, who was then 21, and Erik Menendez, then 18, admitted they had fatally shot their entertainment executive father and their mother, but said they had feared their parents were about to kill them to prevent the disclosure of the fathers long-term sexual abuse of Erik Menendez. Diane Vander Molen has no doubt Lyle and Erik Menendez were sexually abused. The brothers were then tried together and were found guilty in 1996. Ted Soqui / Sygma / Getty "Free the Menendez brothers, it's time," the former talk show host concluded her video.. Erik and Lyle killed their parents on 2021 Associated Newspapers Limited. Date apprehended. The Menendez brothers killed their parents in 1989, but their case is still talked about today. Weapons. WebErik and Lyle Menendez were convicted today of murdering their wealthy parents by shotgun blasts as they watched television in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. WebAttorneys for brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were convicted of the 1989 murder of their parents, say new evidence shows the convictions and life sentences should be I didn't write him back because I felt afraid, and I wasn't ready to touch the subject, and you know, it was 1996.". Menendez WebUpdated September 24, 2022 In 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez brutally murdered their parents in their Beverly Hills home. They were completely different people when nobody was around. The Menendez brothers, who were convicted in the brutal killings of their parents in a Beverly Hills mansion, have been reunited in federal prison after decades apart. 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 raped me., Erik also claimed that hed suffered sexual abuse at his fathers hands, telling the jury: He would have me give him oral sex, and he would stick the needles or tacks into my thighs as he was doing this., The brothers also claimed that theyd had an incestuous relationship with their mother, Kitty. Why did Lyle and Erik Menendez kill their parents? | The US Sun She added: My mom is a person that says like, You know, they killed their parents, and thats wrong.'. And, you know, he was right. "Its so painful and complicated and confusing," he told ABC News. They left the house before Theyre now looking at the murders through the lens of the values of 2021 especially with regard to the claims of sexual abuse.. Whats more, Lyle had told a friend that hed deleted his fathers amended will shortly after his death. But some of their family members refuse to believe their allegations. WebOn August 20, 1989, Jos and Mary Louise Kitty Menendez were shot to death in their Beverly Hills home. I think the motive was strictly money.. Relatives claimed Jos had a business deal go south with Live Entertainment President Noel Bloom, who was allegedly connected to the mob. TheMenendez brothers, who wereconvictedin the brutal killingsof their parents in a Beverly Hills mansion, have been reunited in federal prison after decades apart. WebA jury found Erik, now 52, and Lyle, 55, guilty of first-degree murder in 1996 for the gruesome shooting deaths of Jos and their mother, Mary Louise Kitty Menendez, at their Beverly Jurors eventually rejected a death sentence in favour of life without parole. Menendez brothers who killed parents reunited in California prison On August 20, 1989, a seemingly hysterical Lyle Menendez, then 21, called 911. Vander Molen spent summers living with the Menendez family and testified at the brothers first trial that Lyle confided in her about the alleged sexual abuse in the summer of 1976. Everyone thought this was a funny target. Of course, there are people from America, but I also met people from Hungary, and from France, she told the newspaper. 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. As a transfixed nation watched, Lyle and Erik Menendez described years of alleged maltreatment at the hands of their mother and father. Wagner's network in Africa faces uncertain future, Prigozhin's soldiers rage while others cry conspiracy, Cyclone survivors go hungry as junta blocks aid, Trafficked for a kidney and now forced into hiding. Though Oziels disclosure violated doctor-client privilege, it was enough for investigators to take a closer look at the brothers. You could hear things breaking and you could hear the ringing noises from the booms, Lyle testified. Justice was served, Det. the Menendez Brothers Brian Andersen, Kitty Menendezs brother, dismissed allegations that his sister abused his nephews. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. At the time, the brothers claimed their 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. Menendez Los Angeles District AttorneyThe bloodied crime scene following Jose and Kitty Menendezs murder. But the abuse rationale, the centerpiece of the defense, became largely a moot point when early in the trial Judge Weisberg ruled that the defense had shown insufficient evidence that the brothers had been sexually and psychologically abused by their father and had killed out of duress and fear. Money was not what it was about.". 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. Why Did The Menendez Brothers Kill Their Parents? | Crime News Joss mother, the boys grandmother, also supported Lyle and Erik throughout the trial, according to Delahunt. The firearms matched the weapons used to kill Jos and Kitty, prompting the district attorney to file charges. They were arrested after the girlfriend of a psychologist that had been treating Erik Menendez went to police to say that he had physically threatened the doctor. Police began their investigation by looking into Jos, a Cuban immigrant whod become a self-made millionaire in the video business. According to Robert Rand, a journalist who has covered the case since 1989 and was a consultant for a 2017 television programme about the brothers, the pair both "burst into tears immediately" upon their reunion. Lyle and Erik confessed to buying the shotguns on Aug. 18, 1989 just two days before the murders in case they needed them for protection. By contrast, the vivid scenes in the first trial, with weeping defendants and brawling, full-throated cross-examinations, helped create something of a cult among television viewers. Jos reportedly made a deal with the district attorney to get Erik who was still a minor a slap on the wrist in exchange for pleading guilty, while both brothers were required to enter counseling. WebLyle and Erik Menendez on trial. Can new Menendez docuseries change your mind about the Ted Soqui/Sygma via Getty ImagesThe infamous Menendez brothers, Erik and Lyle Menendez, pictured in court in 1994. Judge Stanley M. Weisberg of Los Angeles County Superior Court said the penalty phase of the trial would start on Monday. The sensationalized trial of Lyle and Erik Menendez during the 1990s continues to be a source of fascination and debate, especially in light of social media and the #MeToo movement. The brothers claimed they had been sexually abused by their father and only committed the murders outof fear their parents were going to kill them to prevent the molestation claims from becoming public. The brothers' defence lawyers claimed that it was revenge for sexual abuse, but no molestation was ever proven in court. Over 30 years since the murders, O'Donnell has no issues in stating how close she's gotten with Lyle. More:Silence broken: A Menendez brother speaks, Review::'Law & Order,' with riveting Falco, takes on (really) true crime in 'Menendez'. They quickly confessed to the murders, but pled innocent and said they were acting in self-defense after a lifetime of abuse. They believe this was an improper prosecution.. After reading about the Menendez brothers, discover the story of Ron and Dan Lafferty, the Mormon fundamentalist brothers who murdered their sister-in-law and niece. Kitty, who apparently tried to flee from her assailants, had been shot 10 times. Their privacy was everything to them. He became very serious about asking me if he could sleep in the other bed next to mine and saying that he was afraid to sleep in his own bed because his father and him had been touching each other down there, indicating that it was his genital area.. One night, I was in my room changing the sheets in my bed, and Lyle came in, Vander Molen told ABC News. The brothers were sent to separate prisons after being sentenced in 1996. Menendez Brothers Opinions nationwide were divided over whether they deserved to live and die behind bars. He also spoke about his mother to NBC's Today programme in September. Jokes about them on Saturday Night Live, jokes from Jay Leno every night. WebBEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Twenty-five years ago, on the night of Aug. 20, 1989, Erik and Lyle Menendez gunned down their parents in the den of their Beverly Hills, Calif. mansion. Back in 1989, the Menendez brothers' parents were brutally shot to death. Brothers Lyle (left) and Erik (right) Menendez appear in court in May 1990. Menendez Their reasoning? "But its the background story thats so much more important to me., 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, [pod_component pod_component_config_id="BB1w9H6DA" pod_component_config_url="https://www.thesun.co.uk/nu-sun-pod-component-config-prod/BB1w9H6DA.json" pod_component_config_loader_url="https://www.thesun.co.uk/nu-sun-pod-loaders-prod/1.71.1/componentLoader.js?74679" src="https%3A%2F%2Fiframe.thesun.co.uk%2Fnu-sun-pod-widgets-prod%2Fiframe-pod.html%3Fid%3DBB1w9H6DA%26script%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.co.uk%2Fnu-sun-pod-loaders-prod%2F1.71.1%2FcomponentLoader.js%3F74679%26config%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.co.uk%2Fnu-sun-pod-component-config-prod%2FBB1w9H6DA.json"], The brothers were convicted of killing their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, Erik (left) and Lyle are serving life in prison, Defense lawyer Leslie Abramson looks over a model depicting entrance wounds in the case, Lyle (left) and Erik sit in a Beverly Hills courtroom. If you ask Rosie O'Donnell, the time has come to grant Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez a compassionate release from prison. The infamous Menendez brothers, Erik and Lyle Menendez, pictured in court in 1994. Their mother died after suffering 10 shotgun blasts to several parts of her body. According to the Los Angeles Times, Jose wanted his boys to be tennis stars and even hired private coaches for lessons. WebRosie O'Donnell is calling for Lyle and Erik Menndez to be free -- the brothers were convicted of murdering their parents in 1989 and sentenced to life imprisonment in one of Spectators were taken aback when, during opening arguments, Lyles defense attorney, Jill Lansing, told jurors, Lyle and Erik Menendez killed their parents.. WebKilled. Leslie Abramson, then Erik Menendezs attorney, had called housing the brothers separately exceedingly cruel and heartless. The brothers had lived in separate housing units and would not have seen each other, Thornton said. They abandoned the juvenile sweaters of the first trial and wore shirts and ties to court. There are accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers entirely dedicated to the Menendezs case, and campaigning for them to be freed. They didnt live through the shock of the crime itself, or even the news reports in the days and weeks to follow. the Menendez Brothers Taped sessions with the doctor, in which the killings were discussed, were later ruled admissible in court by a trial judge. The Los Angeles Times reports that he expected his sons to be able to hold conversations about topics like international politics, and sometimes gave them hours-long lectures. They didnt test the brothers hands for gunshot residue and didnt conduct a formal interview until two months after Jose and Kittys deaths. Smyth claimed her former boyfriend, a psychologist named Dr. Jerome Oziel whod professionally seen the brothers over the previous burglary charges disclosed that Lyle and Erik made in-session confessions to killing their parents. The Menendez brothers: A look at their childhood, the murder, the Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted today of murdering their wealthy parents by shotgun blasts as they watched television in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. Though Lyle and Erik Menendez were sentenced to life in prison in 1996 they were originally in separate prisons but are now housed together in Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego theyve continued to make headlines from behind bars. Ted Soqui / Sygma / Getty "Free the Menendez brothers, it's time," the former talk show host concluded her video. This time, testimony about Jos Menendezs alleged abuse was severely limited. I believe that very strongly.. I was devastated, said family friend John Burnett. The case of the Menendez brothers, who killed their parents in Smyth claimed Oziel recorded the brothers admissions on tape. March 8, 1990 (Lyle) March 11, 1990 (Erik) Joseph Lyle Menndez (born January 10, 1968) and Erik Galen Jose Menendez, a refugee from Cuba, studied accounting at Queens College in New York and had advanced rapidly in business. He used objects a toothbrush and some sort of shaving utensil brush, Lyle testified at their first trial.