He was in charge of building up the labels Latin music line. The two handsome young men wore to court what one might wear to cocktail hour at the country club, as if they were chilly after a tennis match. In 1996, Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted of the murder of their parents, Jos and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menndez. The case especially gained attention as the world faced the COVID-19 pandemic. Though Oziels disclosure violated doctor-client privilege, it was enough for investigators to take a closer look at the brothers. The initial cases ended in mistrial because of a convincing (and surprising, when it was introduced) argument from the defense: Attorney Leslie Abramson and her team contended that both Lyle and Erik had been molested by their father since childhood. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Current one is: August 20. Abramson, whom the Washington Post called "a 4-foot-11, fire-eating, mud-slinging, nuclear-strength pain in the legal butt," helped the boys depict a lifetime of gruesome and relentless sexual assaults starting from childhood and continuing into their teens. Erik married Tammi Saccoman, an attractive blonde with whom he'd been exchanging letters for six years. Fabienne Bersching, who is 20 and lives in Germany, also launched an Instagram page about the brothers, according to The Times. The investigation eventually turned to Lyle and Erik. Stream It Or Skip It: Kiss, Kiss! on Netflix, a Polish Rom-Com With an Oogy Womanizer Protagonist. The firearms matched the weapons used to kill Jos and Kitty, prompting the district attorney to file charges. A Tourists Guide to Love Filming Locations: Where Was the Rachael Leigh Cook Movie Filmed? 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. They are still in prison, and have become a sort of internet sensation on social media with the growing interest in true crime. Pointing to a picture of Jose in the preview, To learn more about the case and all of its key players, watch Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed, premiering May 2 on. Others, like some of the detectives in the initial investigation, disagree. The second installment of the anthology series from Murphy and Ian Brennan will focus on Lyle and Erik Menendez . 1,516, This story has been shared 1,358 times. Prosecutors argued that the brothers murdered their parents, Jose and Kitty, with a shotgun in their Beverly Hills home to gain control of the couple's $14 million estate . Left: A scene from the Lifetime movie, which aired in June. Police began their investigation by looking into Jos, a Cuban immigrant whod become a self-made millionaire in the video business. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}G. Gordon Liddys Wild Career After Watergate. When Lyle and Erik were caught burglarizing neighbors' homes for the thrill of it, Jose used his money and influence to shield them from any real consequences, according to Vanity Fair. Finally, the Supreme Court of California ruled that two of the three tapes were eligible to be used in the trial, including one that contained Lyles admission of guilt. Despite their requests to be placed in the same prison, the Menendez brothers were separated and are still serving their life sentences miles apart to this day. When on tour, Roy always slept in Diazs bedroom, and if he stepped out of line, he was physically attacked. Erik said that he fired first, but in the end Lyle fired best: He landed the bullet in the back of Joses head, and shot the fatal blow into Kittys face. Thats where he met his future wife, Mary Louise, who was known as Kitty. They were kept in separate prisons and did not reunite until 2018 after having served almost 22 years of their life prison sentences. He hired two friends at Princeton to help oversee and advise on his investments, as they later testified, and foresaw a portfolio of restaurants, real estate, and (like their father) the entertainment industry. They would high five each other because they pulled it off.. Prosecutors argued that the brothers were driven by greed, pointing out that Erik and Lyle spent an estimated $700,000 of their inheritance in the months following their parents' deaths. Who Is Suspected Pentagon Leaker Jack Teixeira? Lyle gave graphic testimony. It was just in the news, constantly, said family friend John Burnett. The defense also attacked Kitty as a husk of a woman, an alcoholic, drug addict, broken wife and useless mother who was devastated by Joss many affairs. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Jos was worth $14 million at the time of his death, and within six months, the brothers spent an estimated $700,000 of his fortune. He signed famous groups like the Eurythmics, Duran Duran and Menudo, Vanity Fair reported. Parents Jos and Kitty Menendez were shot multiple times with a shotgun in the den of their mansion. Why did Lyle and Erik Menendez kill their parents? Weve had lots of trials like that since, but that was really the one that proved that people would be interested in watching big trials.. Lyles hysterical whine of Someone killed our parents! in his 911 call would later be lampooned in a Jim Carrey movie. 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 fathers obsessive intervention, and wound up as a nationally ranked player in his age bracket. Close your eyes and conjure the Menendez brothers, and theyre wearing matching sweaters the vivid, unnatural colors of jelly beans. He landed at the independent film company Carolco Pictures, which produced the Rambo big-screen franchise. The therapist reached out to Erik soon after the murders and began meeting with the younger Menendez brother, and soon enough, Erik confessed to killing his parents. After their arrest in 1990 and a second trial in 1996, the Menendez brothers became notorious media sensations. In a particularly dark October 1993 sketch, Saturday Night Live imitated their smoothly flat voices and the way their faces would crumple into crocodile tears. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed, the new Peacock docuseries premiering May 2, explores a provocative new allegation against the brothers late father. Former Member of '80s Boy Band Menudo Says He Was Drugged and Raped by Father of Menendez Brothers Supporters hope the allegations Roy Rossell made in an upcoming Peacock docuseries will get the . We know these details exist because the brothers confessed them all, eventually. The duo committed the crime after years of sexual abuse suffering at the hands of their father. But the woman ended up going to the police with her information and, in March 1990, Lyle, 22, and Erik, 19, were arrested. Nonbinary 'Yellowjackets' Star Liv Hewson Is Sitting out of Emmy Season Over Gendered Categories, 'Yellowjackets' Season 2 Episode 5 Recap: Digging the Antler Queen, Drew Barrymore Admits She's "Not Sure" She's "Drawn to the Manscaper" on 'The Drew Barrymore Show': "I Love Funk", Drew Barrymore Opens up About Up Close and Personal Interview Style: "I Feel This Magnetic Pull", Why Isn't 'The Drew Barrymore Show' on Today? This will be the second season of the Netflix anthology series, which previously broke records with its dramatized recap of Jeffrey Dahmers heinous murders in Season 1. Born in Cuba to "well-to-do business people and star athletes," Jose was 16 when his parents sent him to the U.S. in the late 1950s, the Los Angeles Times reported. 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. The brother is serving life in prison for killing their parents on August 20, 1989. Here's When It Returns With New Episodes, Drew Barrymore Halts Segment After "Severely Old" Mac and Cheese Noodle Flies off Her Desk: "It's Rock Hard". Youre a normal kid who killed your parents, Walters said. After the verdict in their final trial and before their sentencing, the brothers sat down with Barbara Walters for one final interview. 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. The brothers during one of the court hearings This younger generation is learning about the Menendez case. They were shot multiple times at close range with a shotgun and rendered unrecognizable. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. This comes as explosive news to journalist and author Robert Rand and his colleague Nery Ynclan, who have spent years working to exonerate the Menendez brothers because theyre convinced that the siblings were wrongly convicted of first-degree murder rather than manslaughter, which would have saddled them with a lighter prison sentence. By the time the brothers opened up about this abuse, the public had been hating them and eating up the spoiled-rich-boys narrative for years. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. It was their goal to inherit their parents' fortune that drove them to murder their parents. While completing his degree in accounting at Queens College, Jose washed dishes at the Manhattan restaurant 21. But during his trial, Lyle testified that they killed their parents out of fear after experiencing years of sexual and mental abuse in their household. Thats something that happened, Lyle said, "but I dont think characterizing it that way is putting it in the right context.. It was so brutal that police thought the killings were a mob hit, and early investigations focused on that possibility. Brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted of the 1989 murders of their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez at their Beverly Hills mansion. "He had an incredible dedication to business. In 1988, after getting caught in a string of burglaries, Erik was required by the court to meet with a therapist named Dr. Jerome Oziel. Menendez was affiliated with Menudo because he had signed the group to RCA Records. Per the LA Times, Jose was earning $500,000 a year. That defense earned them separate mistrials in 1993 but didn't succeed in their subsequent 1996 retrial, which concluded with convictions and life . We strive for accuracy and fairness. The Menendez brothers were the only children of entertainment businessman Jose Menendez and his wife Mary Louise, otherwise known as Kitty. 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. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. The men would likely be out of prison by now if that were the case. Relatives claimed Jos had a business deal go south with Live Entertainment President Noel Bloom, who was allegedly connected to the mob. For the most part, the lack of a conviction was considered a travesty. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. The Menendez brothers' dad had a lucrative job. When I saw a clip of Erik testifying about the molestation by his father, I was shocked to say the least, Whynn told The Times in an email. She added: My mom is a person that says like, You know, they killed their parents, and thats wrong.'. Justice was served, Det. The brothers were very vocal in the aftermath of the murders, and were even interviewed by Barbara Walters in 1996. Even now, 30 years since the murders first took place, the brothers crime continues to fascinate and perplex. Unfortunately, though, Roys encounter with Jos winds up being an afterthought for long stretches of Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed. He lived with a cousin in Pennsylvania before winning an athletic scholarship to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. After being found guilty of the crime . During the trials, they claimed their father routinely administered physical and. The officers who responded to the 911 call found Erik sobbing on the lawn before entering the crime scene. They then drove. Immediately, it was announced that they would be retried. Many continue to urge politicians and prosecutors to take a new look at the Menendez brothers case. Lyle was arrested near their home on March 8, 1990, while Lyle, then competing in a tennis match in Israel, was arrested at LAX airport upon his attorney-arranged return to the United States. 1,964, This story has been shared 1,768 times. He wooed and married Kitty, a beauty pageant queen, and then rose from washing dishes to becoming a successful young entertainment executive. Oziel's mistress overheard the taped session, and she went to police. Lyle and Erik Menendez had grown up as children . 1,110, This story has been shared 998 times. Pointing to a picture of Jose in the preview, Rossell says, That's the pedophile.. One by one, family members testified to the abuse, with a cousin confirming that the boys told them about the sexual abuse years earlier. All Rights Reserved. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 1,559, This story has been shared 1,516 times. Courtesy Brian Anderson Ex-Menudo Singer Makes Shock Claim About Menendez Brothers Dad. Right: The Menendez Murders, a Law & Order mini-series, will depict the infamous court case. Approximately $14 million is expected to be the net worth of Jose and Kitty Menendez. On the outside, things seemed quite normal for the family, begging the question: who would want to kill L.A.s newest executive and his wife in cold blood? 1,358, This story has been shared 1,126 times. Lyle and Erik continue serving life sentences, regularly leading therapy groups behind bars. We took a first vote: Six women, manslaughter, six men, first-degree, said Delahunt. On August 20, 1989, the brothers brutally shot their parents multiple times in the den of their $5 million dollar family home in Beverly Hills, where they staged the murders to look like a mob hit. His first wife was a former model; his current wife, Rebecca Sneed, is a magazine editor-turned-attorney. Lyle and Erik Menendez remain incarcerated at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. It would take months for them to be arrested and placed on trial for the murders, during which Lyle and Erik lived lavishly, spending money on clothes, sports cars and business ventures. They feared for their lives. Both have gotten married while behind barsLyle twice. He practiced up to 10 hours a day and flew to the Middle East to compete. It seemed like Jos was so competitive, he was doing everything he could to try to make him better, their former swim team coach told the Los Angeles Times in 1990. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. After a merger with a Minnesota-based record company, IVE became known as Live Entertainment and is now known as Artisan Entertainment. Erik! Or is there something so evil at the core of this family that the brothers actions might have been justified? It wasnt until April 17, 1996, that a third and final jury found the brothers guilty together. The abuse had many negative effects on the boys, most importantly it made them hyper-vigilant and fearful and anxious nearly all the time. On a recent Sunday morning, Lyle Menendez sat in the day room at California's Mule Creek State Prison quietly talking on the phone about his dad Jose and mom Kitty, who he and his younger.
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