Mug shots of Lyle (left) and Erik Menéndez (right)
Born
Joseph Lyle Menéndez (1968-01-10) January 10, 1968 (age 56) New York, New York, U.S.Erik Galen Menéndez (1970-11-27) November 27, 1970 (age 53) Blackwood, New Jersey, U.S.
Joseph Lyle Menéndez (born January 10, 1968) and Erik Galen Menéndez (born November 27, 1970) are American brothers who were convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents, José and Mary ("Kitty") Menéndez.
During the trial, the brothers stated that they committed the murders in fear that their father would kill them after they threatened to expose him for years of sexual and emotional abuse. They were first tried separately, with one jury for each brother. Both juries deadlocked, which resulted in a mistrial. For the second trial, they were tried together by a single jury, which found them guilty, and as a result, they were sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Background
Lyle and Erik's father, José Enrique Menéndez, was born on May 6, 1944, in Havana, Cuba. At age 16, he moved to the United States, shortly after the beginning of the Cuban Revolution.[2] José attended Southern Illinois University, where he met Mary Louise "Kitty" Andersen (1941–1989). They married in 1963 and moved to New York City, where José earned an accounting degree from Queens College.[3] The couple's first son, Joseph Lyle Menéndez, who goes by his middle name, was born on January 10, 1968.[4]
Kitty quit her teaching job after Lyle was born, and the family moved to New Jersey, where Erik was born on November 27, 1970, in Gloucester Township.[5][6][5] In New Jersey, the family lived in Hopewell Township in Mercer County, and both brothers attended Princeton Day School.[3] In 1986, José's career as a corporate executive took the family to Beverly Hills, California.[5][3] The following year, Erik began attending high school at Beverly Hills High, where he earned average grades and displayed a remarkable talent for tennis, ranking 44th in the United States for 18-and-under players.[7]
Crimes
On the evening of August 20, 1989, José and Kitty were sitting on a couch in the den of their house in Beverly Hills when Lyle and Erik entered the den carrying shotguns.[8] José was shot in the back of the head with a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun.[9] Kitty was awakened by the shots and got up from the couch. She was shot in the leg and fell, and was then shot several times in the arm, chest, and face, leaving her unrecognizable.[10][11]
When they returned home later that night, Lyle called 9-1-1 and shouted "Someone killed my parents!"[12] When officers from the Beverly Hills police department arrived, the brothers told them that the murders occurred while they were at a movie theater seeing Batman, and then they attended the annual "Taste of L.A." festival at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The police did not order the brothers to undergo gunshot residue tests to find out whether they recently used a firearm,[13] since at that time, there was no clear evidence that suggested they might be involved.
In the months after the murders, the police connected the brothers' lavish spending to the murders of their parents.[13] Lyle bought a Rolex watch, a Porsche Carrera, and Chuck's Spring Street Cafe,[14]aBuffalo wing restaurant in Princeton, New Jersey, while Erik hired a full-time tennis coach and competed in a series of tournaments in Israel. They eventually left the family mansion unoccupied, as they decided to live in adjoining condos in nearby Marina del Rey.[15] They also drove around Los Angeles in their deceased mother's Mercedes-Benz SL convertible, dined expensively, and went on overseas trips to the Caribbean and London.[16] It is believed that they spent somewhere around $700,000 during the period between the murders and their arrests. However, the suspicion on the brothers for their spending was later refuted by family members, stating that there were no changes with their spendings before and after the killings.[13]
During the early stages of the investigation, the police tried to narrow their search to people who had motives to kill José and Kitty. They also investigated potential mob leads, but nothing came of them. As the investigation continued, the police believed that the brothers were most likely the perpetrators, since they had obvious financial motives, and were liberally spending money in the wake of the murders. In an attempt to get a confession from Erik, the police convinced Craig Cignarelli, one of Erik's close friends from high school and a tennis buddy, to wear a wire while having lunch with him at a local beachfront restaurant.[17] When Craig asked Erik if he killed his parents, Erik said "no", but he eventually confessed to doing so to his psychologist Jerome Oziel. Oziel then told his mistress, Judalon Smyth, about the murders. She later broke up with Oziel and told the police about the brothers' involvement.[18] Lyle was arrested on March 8, 1990, and Erik turned himself in three days later after returning to Los Angeles from Israel. Both were held without bail and separated from each other.[19]
In August 1990, Judge James Albrecht stated that tapes of the conversations between Erik and Oziel were admissible evidence since Oziel alleged that Lyle threatened him and violated doctor–patient privilege. Albrecht's ruling was appealed, and the proceedings were then delayed for two years. The Supreme Court of California ruled in August 1992 that most of these tapes were admissible, accepting the tape in which Erik discussed the murders.[20] After that decision, a Los Angeles County grand jury issued indictments in December 1992, charging the brothers with the murders of their parents.[21]
Trials
The case became a national sensation when Court TV broadcast the trial in 1993.[22] Their defense lawyer, Leslie Abramson, became known defending the brothers, particularly Erik. Lyle and Erik revealed that they were driven to murder by a lifetime of abuse at the hands of their parents, especially sexual abuse at the hands of their father, who was described as a cruel perfectionist and pedophile. Meanwhile, their mother was described as an enabler, selfish, mentally unstable alcoholic and drug addict, who encouraged her husband's abuses and was also sometimes violent towards them.[23] The allegations against the couple were supported by their families, with multiple witnesses testifying. The brothers' cousin, Andy Cano, revealed that as a child, he was told by Erik about the sexual abuse, which they both described as "penis massages."[24] Another cousin of theirs who testified is Diane Vander Molen, who revealed that she once told Kitty about José's molestation of Lyle, although Kitty told her that it was false.[25] Physical evidence was also provided by the defense, which included nude and sexual photographs showing Lyle and Erik's genitalia taken by their father when they were children. The prosecution argued, however, that the murders were done for financial gain. Lyle's prosecutor, Pam Bozanich, argued that "men could not be raped because they lack the necessary equipment to be raped."[26][27] Erik's prosecutor, Lester Kuriyama, suggested that Erik is a homosexual, and that the sexual abuse was actually consensual.[28][29]
A few weeks before the night of the murders, Lyle and Erik say that the sexual abuse started again, leading to several confrontations in the family. They say that the father threatened to kill them if they did not keep the abuse a secret. At this time, the brothers found out that their parents were hiding rifles in their bedrooms, which led them to buying their own shotguns for protection. The last confrontation happened inside the house den on August 20, 1989, a few minutes before Kitty and José were killed. The brothers then stated that their father closed the den's door at that time, which is unusual. Paranoid and afraid that they would be killed by their own parents, Lyle and Erik went outside of the house to load their shotguns. Erik stated, "as I went into the room, I just started firing."[30]
The trial ended with two deadlocked juries, and as a result, Los Angeles County District AttorneyGil Garcetti announced immediately that the brothers would be retried. The second trial was somewhat less publicized, in part because Judge Stanley Weisberg did not allow cameras in the courtroom.[31] During the second trial, Weisberg also did not allow much defense testimony about the sexual abuse claims[32] and did not allow the jury to vote on manslaughter charges instead of murder charges.[33]
Both brothers were eventually convicted on two counts of first-degree murder and of conspiracy to commit murder; in the penalty phase of the trial, they were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The jury said that the abuse defense was not a factor in its deliberations, but decided not to impose the death penalty because both brothers had no criminal record or history of violence prior to the murders of their parents. However, unlike the juries in the previous trials, the jury in the penalty phase rejected the defense's theory that the brothers killed their parents out of fear, despite all the evidences and testimonies, as it is believed that they committed the murders in order to inherit their father's wealth.[34]
During the penalty phase of the trial, Abramson apparently told a defense witness named William Vicary to edit his own notes, but the district attorney's office decided not to conduct a criminal investigation of Abramson.[35] Both brothers also filed motions for a mistrial, claiming that they suffered irreversible damage in the penalty phase as a result of possible misconduct and ineffective representation by Abramson. On July 2, 1996, Weisberg sentenced the brothers to life in prison without the possibility of parole, and also sentenced them to consecutive sentences for the murders and the charges of conspiracy to commit murder.
Incarceration
As in their pretrial detention, the California Department of Corrections separated the brothers and sent them to different prisons. Since they were considered to be maximum-security inmates, they were segregated from other prisoners.
On April 4, 2018, Lyle was moved into the same housing unit as Erik, reuniting them for the first time since they began serving their sentences nearly 22 years earlier. The brothers burst into tears and hugged each other at their first meeting in the housing unit. The unit where they are housed is reserved for inmates who agree to participate in education and rehabilitation programs, without creating disruptions.[37][38][39]
Appeals
On February 27, 1998, the California Court of Appeal upheld their murder convictions, and on May 28, 1998, the Supreme Court of California declined to review the case, thus allowing the decision of the appellate court to stand.[4] Both brothers filed habeas corpus petitions with the Supreme Court of California, which were denied in 1999. Having exhausted their appeal remedies in state court, they filed separate habeas corpus petitions in the United States District Court. On March 4, 2003, a magistrate judge recommended the denial of the petitions,[citation needed] and the district court adopted the recommendation. They then decided to appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. On September 7, 2005, a three-judge panel denied both their habeas corpus petitions,[40] although Judge Alex Kozinski stated that the trial judge changed many of his rulings during the two trials.[41]
Marriages and interviews in prison
On July 2, 1996, Lyle married Anna Eriksson at a ceremony attended by Abramson and his aunt Marta Menéndez, and presided over by Judge Nancy Brown; they divorced on April 1, 2001[4] after Eriksson discovered that Lyle was allegedly cheating on her with another woman. In November 2003, Lyle married Rebecca Sneed at a ceremony in a supermax prison visiting area of Mule Creek State Prison; they knew each other for around ten years before their engagement.[42][43]
On June 12, 1999, Erik married Tammi Ruth Saccoman at Folsom State Prison in a prison waiting room. Tammi later stated: "Our wedding cake was a Twinkie. We improvised. It was a wonderful ceremony until I had to leave. That was a very lonely night."[44][45] In an October 2005 interview with ABC News, she described her relationship with Erik as "something that I've dreamed about for a long time. And it's just something very special that I never thought that I would ever have."[46]
In 2005, Tammi self-published a book titled They Said We'd Never Make It – My Life with Erik Menéndez, but she said on Larry King Live that Erik also "did a lot of editing on the book."[47]
"Not having sex in my life is difficult, but it's not a problem for me. I have to be emotionally attached, and I'm emotionally attached to Erik ... My family does not understand. When it started to get serious, some of them just threw up their hands."[44]
Tammi also stated that she and her daughter drive the 150 miles (240 km) every weekend to visit Erik, and that her daughter refers to him as her "Earth Dad".[44] Despite his life sentence, Erik stated: "Tammi is what gets me through. I can't think about the sentence. When I do, I do it with a great sadness and a primal fear. I break into a cold sweat. It's so frightening I just haven't come to terms with it."[44]
In 2010, A&E released a documentary about Tammi titled Mrs. Menéndez.[48] In late 2017, A&E aired a five-part documentary titled The Menendez Murders: Erik tells all in which Erik describes via telephone the murders and the aftermath. The series also shows never-before-seen photos and new interviews with prosecutors, law enforcement, close family and friends, and medical experts.[49]
In popular culture
Documentaries
In 2000, an episode from a documentary series by Court TV (now TruTV) titled Mugshots: Menendez Brothers – Blood Brothers was aired at FilmRise.[50]
In 2015, Barbara WaltersPresents: American Scandals featured the Menendez brothers in an Episode titled "Menendez Brothers: The Bad Sons".[51]
In 2016, the Menendez brothers were featured in the true-crime documentary Snapped.
In 2017, the Menendez brothers were featured in a documentary titled Truth and Lies: The Menéndez Brothers – American Sons, American MurderersonABC.
In 2017, HLN launched the new series How it Really Happened – with Hill Harper, with an episode featuring the Menendez brothers story. The episode is titled "The Menéndez Brothers: Murder in Beverly Hills", and it ends with a telephone interview of Lyle from jail with Chris Cuomo.[52]
In 2020, BuzzFeed Unsolved features the Menendez brothers in a one-episode special titled "How They Were Caught: The Menendez Brothers".[53]
In 2021, the Menendez brothers were subjects in ABC's 20/20 special titled "Inside the Menendez Movement". The special features the popularity of the brothers in the video-sharing social media app TikTok, and their growing number of supporters from young adults and teenagers outside of the United States.[54]
In 1994, the television film Honor thy Father and Mother: The True Story of the Menendez Murders features Lyle and Erik Menendez portrayed by Billy Warlock and David Berón, respectively.
In 1994, the Menendez brothers were loosely depicted in the crime film Natural Born Killers.
In 1991, Season 4's first episode of Jake and the Fatman, titled God Bless the Child, appears to be based on the Menendez killings, with the son and daughter of a shipping magnate killing him and their stepmother, so they won't lose their inheritance.
In 2008, the season 3 episode of 30 Rock titled "Gavin Volure" features Tracy Jordan making multiple references to the Menendez brothers as he fears that his own children will similarly attempt to kill him for his wealth, an act he termed as "Menendez-ing".
In 2016, the Menendez brothers were mentioned several times in the FX drama The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016). Based on the true story of O. J. Simpson's highly televised trial, the series was set at the same time as the Menendez brothers' trials. There are several characters who have worked in the brothers' and O. J. Simpson's respective cases, such as Robert Shapiro, Lance Ito, and Gil Garcetti. Shapiro (portrayed by John Travolta) mentioned Erik in Episode 2 stating, "In fact, I arranged the surrender of Erik Menendez from Israel." This statement is based on the actual speech by Shapiro during Simpson's infamous Bronco chase, in an attempt to have him surrender to the police.[56]
In 2017, NBC aired Law & Order: True Crime — The Menéndez Murders. An 8-episode special from the Law & Order franchise, the series depicts the detailed killings, investigation, arrests, and trials of the Menendez brothers. Compared to its predecessors, the series portrays the brothers more sympathetically, focusing on the defense lead by lawyer Leslie Abramson, and the physical and sexual abuse allegations. Lyle was portrayed by actor Miles Gaston Villanueva, who received a Best Actor nomination at the 33rd Imagen Awards, while Erik was portrayed by actor and singer Gus Halper. Its premiere at the Paley Center for Media was attended by Lyle's family and friends, who praised the series' depiction of the brothers.[57] In an interview with Megyn Kelly Today after the first episode premiere, Lyle revealed that the series was "painful to watch", but the depiction of him by Villanueva is "surprisingly accurate" despite the producers and the actor not being able to communicate with him.[58] At the 2018 Primetime Emmy Award, the series made its entry with a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series, with Edie Falco nominated for her portrayal of Abramson.[59]
Parody and bleak comedy
In 1993, Saturday Night Live aired a comedy sketch featuring guest host John Malkovich where the Menendez brothers blame the murder of their parents on their identical twin brothers.[60] In 2015, the Menendez brothers are referenced again in the sketch song "First Got Horny 2 U" from a Season 41 episode hosted by Elizabeth Banks.[61]
In 1996, the media hype surrounding the first trial was parodied in the dark comedy film The Cable Guy.
In 2016, the Menendez brothers were subjects of the weekly comedic ‘true-crime’ podcast The Last Podcast on the Left.
Others
The Menendez brothers are seen in the background of the 1990–1991NBA Hoops’ Mark Jackson basketball card in which the New York Knicks point guard is seen making a bounce pass and they appear to be sitting courtside behind Jackson.[62] In December 2018, eBay began terminating any auctions in which they are mentioned in the listing. The New York Knicks had played 28 games during the period when the Menendez brothers went on a spending spree after the murders of their parents. Some e‑Bay sellers have continued to sell the card and have also altered the images accompanying the listing so that the Menendez brothers are neither mentioned in the listing, nor seen in photos of the card accompanying the listing.[63]
^ abcDunne, Dominick (October 1990). "Nightmare on Elm Drive". Vanity Fair. Beverly Hills police claimed to have been suspicious of the Menéndez brothers from the beginning.... But there was no proof – nothing to go on – merely gut reactions.
Davis, Don (1994) Bad Blood: The Shocking True Story Behind the Menéndez Killings St. Martin, New York, ISBN0-312-95334-8
Menéndez, Lyle; Novelli, Norma; Walker, Mike; and Spreckels, Judith (1995) The Private Diary of Lyle Menéndez: In His Own Words! Dove Books, Beverly Hills, California, ISBN0-7871-0474-4
Menéndez, Tammi (2005) They Said We'd Never Make It: My Life With Erik Menéndez NewGalen Publishing, Santa Clarita, California, ISBN0-9768744-0-7
Soble, Ronald L. and Johnson, John (1994) Blood Brothers: The Inside Story of the Menéndez Murders Onyx, New York, ISBN0-451-40547-1
Thornton, Hazel; Wrightsman, Lawrence S.; Posey, Amy J. and Scheflin, Alan W. (1995) Hung Jury: The Diary of a Menéndez Juror Temple University Press, Philadelphia; new "20 Years Later" edition updated with new material, Graymalkin Media (2017) ISBN978-1631681622
Rand, Robert (2018) The Menendez Murders: The Shocking Untold Story of the Menendez Family and the Killings that Stunned the Nation BenBella Books ISBN978-1946885265