The release of Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, has reignited public interest in the notorious 1989 murder case. Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted of killing their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, at their Beverly Hills home and have spent decades in prison. The case, however, remains complicated, as the brothers have long claimed they suffered s*xual and physical abuse at the hands of their father and that their mother neglected them.
The Menendez brothers’ story took a dramatic turn during the 1994 mistrial and the subsequent retrial, which ultimately led to their life sentences in 1996. Over time, public opinion has begun to shift as more people consider the possibility that they were victims of abuse rather than cold-blooded killers.
The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office is currently reviewing their case following a 2023 habeas corpus petition, which could lead to a reevaluation of their convictions. This recent development has sparked renewed debate about their guilt and whether justice was truly served in their case.