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35 Years Later: Fascinating Details of the Menendez Brothers’ Notorious Murder Case
Reexamining the story and fascinating details that have shaped the legacy of Erik and Lyle Menendez.
When Lyle and Erik Menendez went on trial for the 1989 murder of their parents, it created a frenzy that hasn’t quite faded even 35 years later. Recently, Ryan Murphy’s series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story reignited interest in the case. It’s worth revisiting some of the known and lesser-known aspects of this complicated story.
The Crime
On the night of August 20, 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez executed a plan. Armed with a 12-gauge shotgun, they shot their parents multiple times inside their lavish Beverly Hills mansion.
Their father, Jose Menendez, was found with five bullet wounds, including a shot to the back of his head. Their mother, Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez, suffered nine gunshot wounds to her arms, chest, and face. The brutality of the killings — especially the shots to the kneecaps — suggested a deeply personal motivation behind the crime.
After the murders, the brothers attempted to create an alibi, claiming they had gone to the movies, only to later call 911, sobbing, to report their parents’ deaths.
