11-30-2022, 09:47 PM
On August 20, 1989, José and Mary “Kitty” Menendez were shot to death in their Beverly Hills home. Nearly seven years, three trials and many thousands of hours of TV coverage later, their sons, Lyle and Erik Menendez, were found guilty of their murders and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In between, the Menendez murders became one of the most famous criminal cases of the late 20th century thanks to its potent mix of family drama, Hollywood connections, dramatic testimony and cable TV’s ability to blanket the airwaves with coverage.
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 father’s obsessive intervention, and wound up as a nationally ranked player in his age bracket. In a sense, they had no choice but to be successful; José was known as a hard-driving father who would work his children to the bone in athletics and everything else.
The Menendez murders were a gruesome, barbaric crime; José and Kitty were not so much killed as rendered nearly unidentifiable by 15 rounds from two 12-gauge shotguns.
Unable to profess their innocence, Lyle and Erik instead claimed that their father’s reign of terror went far beyond emotional abuse and the pressure of high expectations. José, they said, had molested them since childhood, a claim filled with graphic descriptions that shocked the nation and split friends and family members.
Their lawyer, Leslie Abramson, who became a star during the trial, argued that the two were acting in self-defense after growing up in such a violent and traumatizing home. Lyle gave graphic testimony. Years later, a cousin told ABC news that she believed his story because he’d told her similar things when he was a child. The defense also attacked Kitty as a husk of a woman, an alcoholic, drug addict, broken wife and useless mother who was devastated by José’s many affairs.
The first trial lasted four and a half months and resulted in two hung juries — one for each brother — unable to agree on whether they were guilty of murder or acting in their own self-defense. Immediately, it was announced that they would be retried.
The second trial took place in 1995 and was far less sensational, as the judge did not allow TV cameras into the courthouse. Instead, people still interested in the Menendez Brothers’ fate had to wait for written news accounts of the events. Oddly enough, Judalon Smyth testified for the defense this time, insisting Dr. Oziel had manipulated the brothers into confessing. The effort fell short; both Lyle and Erik were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996. They were sentenced to life without parole. They were sent to separate prisons until 2018 when they were reunited and allowed to serve their sentences at the same facility.
Even now, 30 years since the murders first took place, the brothers’ crime continues to fascinate and perplex. There have been multiple TV movies, miniseries and documentaries about the murders, and it’s been spoofed throughout the years, as well. The case closed a decade of me-first capitalism and ushered in a new era of true crime hype, which is stronger than ever.
Do you believe the justice system failed the Menendez brothers? Was their sentence too severe as they were also victims of lifelong abuse? Were they wrongly portrayed as monsters when the real monster was their father and mother? How do you feel about other defendants who have suffered from their "victims" taking justice in their own hands and being punished so severely for it?
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 father’s obsessive intervention, and wound up as a nationally ranked player in his age bracket. In a sense, they had no choice but to be successful; José was known as a hard-driving father who would work his children to the bone in athletics and everything else.
The Menendez murders were a gruesome, barbaric crime; José and Kitty were not so much killed as rendered nearly unidentifiable by 15 rounds from two 12-gauge shotguns.
Unable to profess their innocence, Lyle and Erik instead claimed that their father’s reign of terror went far beyond emotional abuse and the pressure of high expectations. José, they said, had molested them since childhood, a claim filled with graphic descriptions that shocked the nation and split friends and family members.
Their lawyer, Leslie Abramson, who became a star during the trial, argued that the two were acting in self-defense after growing up in such a violent and traumatizing home. Lyle gave graphic testimony. Years later, a cousin told ABC news that she believed his story because he’d told her similar things when he was a child. The defense also attacked Kitty as a husk of a woman, an alcoholic, drug addict, broken wife and useless mother who was devastated by José’s many affairs.
The first trial lasted four and a half months and resulted in two hung juries — one for each brother — unable to agree on whether they were guilty of murder or acting in their own self-defense. Immediately, it was announced that they would be retried.
The second trial took place in 1995 and was far less sensational, as the judge did not allow TV cameras into the courthouse. Instead, people still interested in the Menendez Brothers’ fate had to wait for written news accounts of the events. Oddly enough, Judalon Smyth testified for the defense this time, insisting Dr. Oziel had manipulated the brothers into confessing. The effort fell short; both Lyle and Erik were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996. They were sentenced to life without parole. They were sent to separate prisons until 2018 when they were reunited and allowed to serve their sentences at the same facility.
Even now, 30 years since the murders first took place, the brothers’ crime continues to fascinate and perplex. There have been multiple TV movies, miniseries and documentaries about the murders, and it’s been spoofed throughout the years, as well. The case closed a decade of me-first capitalism and ushered in a new era of true crime hype, which is stronger than ever.
Do you believe the justice system failed the Menendez brothers? Was their sentence too severe as they were also victims of lifelong abuse? Were they wrongly portrayed as monsters when the real monster was their father and mother? How do you feel about other defendants who have suffered from their "victims" taking justice in their own hands and being punished so severely for it?
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