Lyle & Erik Menendez: Where Are The Brothers Now?
A new Netflix docuseries is coming out that will bring Lyle and Erik Menendez back into the public eye. The brothers murdered their parents in 1989 when the boys were 21 (Lyle) and 18 (Erik). Now, with Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story hitting Netflix, many fans will want to know what is happening with the brothers now.
Here is a look at all you need to know as the docuseries hits Netflix.
Who Are Lyle & Erik Menendez?
With Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story hitting Netflix, many fans are looking at the true story of the brothers and why they killed their parents. The series consists of nine episodes and conducts an intensive look at the brothers, the murder, and the outcome of their trial.
On August 20, 1989, someone shot José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez in their Beverly Hills Home. It took seven years and three trials before Lyle and Erik Menendez were found guilty of the murders. The courts sentenced them to life in prison without the chance of parole.
This was one of the most famous murder cases of the late 20th century, thanks to the non-stop television coverage. The fact that the brothers killed their parents was proven, but the reason for the murder was what captivated the nation.
José Menendez emigrated to America after the Cuban Revolution and worked to achieve the American dream. He got a job in the music industry and became the head of RCA Records. He married a former beauty pageant queen named Kitty, and they moved to Los Angeles to start working in the movie industry.
Lyle was a tennis star who looked like he was moving into the business world like his dad. Erik was an even better tennis star and seemed destined for greatness as well. However, both boys got into trouble. Erik took part in a string of burglaries and avoided jail time with therapy sessions. Lyle attended Princeton but the university suspended him for plagiarism.
How Did The Trial End Up Working Out?
When José, 45, and Killy, 47, were found murdered, they were unrecognizable. Someone shot them with 15 rounds from two 12-gauge shotguns. Within six months of the murders, the Menendez brothers spent around $700,000 of their father’s $14 million net worth.
There was one problem. After the murders, a doctor began counseling Erik and he admitted that they killed their parents. The doctor then got Erik and Lyle to confess to the murders on tape; the boys said they put their mother “out of her misery.” It was the doctor’s mistress who took one of the taped confessions to the police after she and the doctor had a disagreement.
It took two years to determine if the confessional tapes violated doctor-patient privilege. The Supreme Court of California ruled that prosecutors could use two of the three tapes in the trial.
Court TV, a brand-new cable network, broadcasts the trial for the world to see. Lyle and Erik claimed José abused them and the murders were self-defense. Prosecutors claimed the boys just wanted the inheritance.
Where Are Lyle & Erik Menendez Now?
Lyle and Erik ended up being sent to separate prisons until 2018. The prison system reunited them that year and allowed them to serve the remainder of their sentences at the same facility in San Diego. The boys now counsel other inmates who suffered sexual abuse and lead self-help groups.
Erik married his pen pal Tammi Saccoman in 1999. She wrote a book about their relationship. Lyle married Rebecca Sneed, a journalist-turned-attorney in 2003, and Lyle said they talk every day on the phone.
What are your thoughts on Lyle and Erik Menendez and the murders of their parents? Are you going to watch the new docuseries on Netflix? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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