Menendez Brothers Murder Case
Jose and Kitty Menendez
José Menendez was a wealthy entertainment executive, earning $2 million annually, while his wife Kitty was a former beauty queen. Together, they had two sons who seemed to embody success and privilege. Their 21-year-old son, Lyle, was attending Princeton University and excelling as a standout player on the tennis team, while 18-year-old Erik had recently graduated from Beverly Hills High School and was preparing to start college at UCLA.
To the outside world, the Menendez family appeared to have it all—wealth, status, and a bright future. But this image shattered when José and Kitty were brutally murdered in their Beverly Hills mansion. In a shocking turn of events, Lyle and Erik were arrested for the murders, and the media quickly painted them as spoiled, wealthy heirs who killed their parents in cold blood for financial gain.
Menedez Family
Early Life of Menendez Family
José Enrique Menendez was born on May 6, 1944, in Havana, Cuba. At age 16, he moved to the United States while his parents remained in Cuba until their properties were confiscated by the Castro regime. His father, once a soccer star, and his mother, a former champion swimmer, stayed behind until the political situation forced them to leave.
An accomplished athlete himself, José excelled in swimming, basketball, and soccer and earned a swimming scholarship to Southern Illinois University. It was there that he met Mary Louise “Kitty” Andersen, a fellow student born in 1941. In 1963, when José was just 19 years old, they married and moved to New York City.
In New York, José pursued an accounting degree at Queens College while working part-time as a dishwasher at the Club “21.” After graduating, he began his career at Hertz, managing car and commercial leasing for RCA, where he quickly rose through the ranks in the rental-car business. His career trajectory accelerated further when he founded his own video and music software distribution company, Live Entertainment Inc., and joined the board of Carolco Pictures, the producers of the *Rambo* films.
The couple’s first son, Joseph Lyle Menendez—known by his middle name, Lyle—was born on January 10, 1968, in New York. Kitty left her teaching job after his birth, and the family relocated to Princeton, New Jersey. On November 27, 1970, their second son, Erik Galen Menendez, was born in Gloucester Township, New Jersey. The family settled in Hopewell Township, where both brothers attended Princeton Day School and excelled in sports like soccer and tennis.
In 1986, the Menendez family moved to Beverly Hills, California, after José was appointed CEO of Live Entertainment. They purchased a six-bedroom Mediterranean-style house on Elm Drive, featuring a red tile roof, courtyard, swimming pool, tennis court, and guesthouse.
While in California, Erik attended Beverly Hills High School, where he was an average student but showed exceptional talent in tennis, ranking 44th nationally as a junior. However, in 1988, Erik was arrested twice for burglary. He avoided jail time by attending court-ordered therapy.
Meanwhile, Lyle had enrolled at Princeton University but struggled academically. He was placed on academic probation due to poor grades and was eventually suspended for plagiarism. In 1989, Erik competed in the Boys’ Junior National Tennis Championship and reached the second round of qualifying in the Boys’ 18 singles division, showcasing his potential in the sport despite the family’s growing troubles.
This combination of success and underlying issues marked the Menendez family’s life until tragedy struck, forever altering the perception of this seemingly perfect family.
1989: The Murders
On August 20, 1989, José and Kitty were shot and killed at home, in their Beverly Hills neighborhood. When detectives arrived at the family home on North Elm Drive, they found doors to the home unlocked, with no signs of forcible entry and Jose Menendez slumped on a couch in the family’s first-floor library; Kitty Menendez was on the floor nearby. The couple were dressed casually in shorts, and both apparently had been watching television. Fresh bowls of berries and cream were still on a coffee table.
Kitty tried to flee after her husband was shot, caught five shotgun blasts, one of which nearly severed one of her wrists, and Another shotgun blast ripped into a library wall.
- Jose was shot six times with a shotgun,
- Kitty suffered 10 gunshot wounds.
- The killers then picked up the empty shell casings and left the house.
- Nothing of value was missing from the house, according to Lyle Menendez.
The crime was so brutal that police initially believed the slayings were a mob hit
Lyle called the police to report the murders, nearly two hours after they had taken place. Early investigations focused on business rivals and a porn executive who previously had problems with José.
Menendez Autopsy
Autopsies – August 23, 1989
Dr. Irwin Golden of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office conducted their autopsies.
Jose Menendez Autopsy
- The first wound that Dr. Golden examined was the shotgun wound to Jose’s head.
- the wound as a “gaping laceration,” that was five inches by four inches, large enough for an adult to thrust his fist through the wound.
- The brain had been pulverized.
- There was also a “deformity of the face” caused by multiple fractures of the facial and jawbones.
- Soot was also found in the wound, indicating that when the fatal shot was fired, the gun had literally been placed against the back of Jose’s head.
The remainder of Jose’s wounds would not have been immediately fatal, although all resulted in much loss of blood.
- There were two shots to the right arm, one below the shoulder that fractured the humerus and the other to the right forearm.
- There was a shot to the left elbow.
- The trajectory of the shot was from back to front, indicating that this shot could have been one of the first shots fired at Jose as the killer walked around to the front of the couch to face him.
- Jose was shot in the lower left knee, creating a three-inch wound that fractured left femur.
- There was bleeding into Jose’s body tissues along all of the wound paths. This meant that Jose’s heart had been pumping blood and that the wound at the back of his head, which investigators initially thought was the first shot fired at Jose, was not.
- ME could not determine the order of the shots fired at Jose.
Mary Louise “Kitty” Autopsy
Kitty’s autopsy revealed that she had been shot in the left cheek which caused a one-inch hole in her face that had fractured her upper jaw and dislodged four of her upper teeth.
- bird shot in Kitty’s wounds which confirmed the investigator’s suspicions that Kitty’s killers had reloaded their weapons. None of Jose’s wounds contained bird shot.
- Kitty had three wounds to her face.
- she had been shot in the left cheek which caused a one-inch hole in her face that had fractured her upper jaw and dislodged four of her upper teeth.
- The most damaging was four inches and extended from Kitty’s right cheek across her nose to her left cheek.
- There were additional wounds to Kitty’s skull, fractures to her lower jaw, and pellet wounds to her tongue. A shot had also lacerated her brain.
ME discovered that Kitty’s right thumb was almost severed. Kitty had extended her hand to block the shotgun blast that caused the four-inch wound in her face as a last effort at self-preservation.
- Kitty’s hand was on the palm side, not the back of her hand.
- Kitty’s wound indicated she extended either her blocking hand in a strange position, or she did not want to see who was shooting at her.
- Kitty also had shotgun wounds to her right forearm and left breast and three wounds to her left leg.
- The final wound was to her left knee. The shot was from front to back and that was odd because it came from a different angle than the other shots fired at her leg.
Investigators theorized that this might have been the last shot fired at Kitty and an attempt to make the murder appear to be a mob hit.
Menendez Murder Timeline
Crime Timeline
This timeline highlights key events in the Menendez family’s history, offering insight into the events that led to the tragic conclusion of this once-prominent family.
1940s – 1980s: Family Background and Early Years
- May 6, 1944: José Enrique Menendez is born in Havana, Cuba.
- 1960: At age 16, José moves to the United States alone. His parents remain in Cuba until their properties are seized by the Castro regime.
- 1963: José marries Mary Louise “Kitty” Andersen after meeting her at Southern Illinois University.
- 1968: The couple’s first son, Joseph Lyle Menendez (known as Lyle), is born on January 10 in New York City.
- 1970: Their second son, Erik Galen Menendez, is born on November 27 in Gloucester Township, New Jersey.
- 1986: The family moves from Princeton, New Jersey, to Beverly Hills, California, after José is appointed CEO of Live Entertainment. They purchase a Mediterranean-style home on Elm Drive.
1980s: The Family in Beverly Hills
- 1987: Erik starts attending Beverly Hills High School, earning average grades but excelling in tennis, where he is ranked 44th in the U.S. as a junior.
- 1987, Princeton accepted Lyle’s second application. He was accepted to the college more because of his background and tennis ability, over his actual academic success. Lyle had pretty average high school grades.
- 1988: Erik is arrested twice for burglary but avoids jail time by participating in court-ordered therapy.
- 1989: Lyle, a student at Princeton University, is placed on academic probation due to poor grades and is eventually suspended for plagiarism.
1989: The Murders
- August 20, 1989: José and Kitty Menendez are brutally murdered in their Beverly Hills home. Both sons, Lyle and Erik, claimed to have discovered the bodies upon returning from a movie.
1989 – 1990: Investigation and Arrest
- 1989-1990: Lyle and Erik display unusual behavior following the murders, including extravagant spending.
- March 1990: Erik confesses to the murders during a session with his therapist, Dr. Jerome Oziel. The therapist’s mistress later tips off the police.
- On March 7, 1990, a magistrate in the Municipal Court of the Beverly Hills Judicial District of Los Angeles County issued a search warrant, pursuant to Penal Code section 1524, authorizing a search of the offices and residence of Leon Jerome Oziel, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist who was Lyle’s and Erik’s psychotherapist, and seizure of specified items if found therein, including audiotape recordings containing information relating to the killings. It seems that at or about the time of issuance, the magistrate appointed a special master pursuant to subdivision (c) of Penal Code section 1524 to accompany those who would serve the warrant.
- On March 8, 1990, accompanied by the special master, among others, officers of the Beverly Hills Police Department served the search warrant. The special master informed Dr. Oziel of the items sought. Dr. Oziel provided the materials. Claiming the psychotherapist-patient privilege on behalf of the Menendezes
- March 8, 1990: Lyle Menendez is arrested at the family’s mansion.
- March 11, 1990: Erik Menendez returns from Israel and surrenders to police.
- On March 12, 1990, a felony complaint was filed on behalf of the People against the Menendezes in the Municipal Court of the Beverly Hills Judicial District of Los Angeles County.
- March 19, 1990, Dr. Oziel filed a motion in the Los Angeles Superior Court under Penal Code section 1524, subdivision (c), effectively claiming for the Menendezes the psychotherapist-patient privilege, as established by Evidence Code section 1014, fn. 3 as to the items seized pursuant to the search warrant.
- On August 6, 1990, the superior court rejected the claim of the psychotherapist-patient privilege as to each and every one of the three audiotape cassettes
1993 – 1996: Trials and Convictions
- July 1993: The first trial begins. The defense argued that Lyle and Erik killed their parents out of fear after enduring years of abuse. The trial ended in a hung jury.
- October 1995: A second trial begins. Much of the abuse testimony is excluded, and the prosecution focuses on the brothers’ greed as the primary motive.
- March 20, 1996: Lyle and Erik Menendez are convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
- July 2, 1996: Both brothers are sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Post-Conviction
- 1996-Present: Lyle and Erik are serving their sentences in separate California prisons. They remain a subject of public fascination, with ongoing discussions about their case in documentaries, books, and media.
Another look into Conviction
May 2024 The Menendez brothers asked the court to vacate their conviction, which resulted in a life prison sentence without the possibility of parole, citing new evidence.
2024 Gascón, the DA, announced that his office is reviewing new evidence in the case of now 53-year-old Erik and 56-year-old Lyle Menendez.
Gascón stated that there is no question that the brothers killed their parents — a fact the two have admitted. But, he said, his office has a “moral and ethical obligation” to review the evidence. That evidence includes a photocopy of a letter from one of the brothers to another family member mentioning him being a victim of molestation. Another is testimony from one of the members of the hit Latin band Menudo who said Jose Menendez molested him in his early teens while he was an executive at RCA Records.
Menendez Family Timeline
Family Timeline
Complete timeline in the Menendez family’s history, offering insight into the events that led to the tragic conclusion of this once-prominent family.
José Enrique Menendez was born on May 6, 1944, in Havana, Cuba. At age 16, he moved to the United States. His father, a onetime soccer star, and his mother, a former champion swimmer, stayed behind until their properties were seized by Castro. Jose, who excelled in swimming, basketball, and soccer, won a swimming scholarship to Southern Illinois University.
1961 Jose’s parents had fled Cuba.
1962 Jose was a freshman at Southern Illinois University, where he met Mary Louise “Kitty” Andersen who was a senior. After only a short time, Kitty and Jose became inseparable.
Mary Louise “Kitty” Andersen was born in 1941, the youngest of four children of Charles and Mae Andersen. Her family lived in Oak Lawn, a suburb south of Chicago. During her early childhood, Kitty’s family was solidly middle class. Her father owned a heating and air-conditioning business that did well and her mother stayed at home to care for Kitty and her two older brothers, Milt and Brian, and Kitty’s older sister, Joan.
1957 in her senior year of high school, Kitty applied to and was accepted by Southern Illinois University. In 1958, her freshman year of college, Kitty began to work in the university’s broadcasting department where she learned to produce dramas for radio and television. Kitty gained a great deal of confidence through her participation in these activities.
1962 During her senior year, Kitty competed in beauty pageants and won the Miss Oak Lawn beauty pageant sponsored by the VFW. Kitty planned to pursue a career in producing and directing commercial radio and television programs in New York City.
In 1963 at the age of 19 They were married and moved to New York City where José Enrolled into an accounting program at Queens College while working part time as dishwasher at the Club “21”.
1967, Jose graduated from Queen’s College with a CPA degree. He went to work for Coopers & Lybrand, an international accounting firm. Kitty continued to teach grade school.
1968 Joseph Lyle, born on January 10, 1968. Kitty quit her teaching job after Lyle was born,
In 1969, Jose was sent to Chicago to audit Lyon Container, a client of Coopers & Lybrand. Jose so impressed the management of Lyon Container that they asked him to come to work for them as the company’s controller.
In 1970, Jose was named president of Lyon Container. The position did not last long because Jose and the chairman of the board became involved in a fight over the direction of the company.
1971 Jose joined Hertz, where he was in charge of car and commercial leasing to the RCA. He quickly rose rapidly in the rental-car business. He founded his own video- and music-software distribution company, Live Entertainment Inc., and joined the board of directors of Carolco Pictures Inc. producer of the Rambo films. The family moved from Illinois to the East Coast and settled in New Jersey
on November 27, 1970 Erik Galen was born in Gloucester Township. The family lived in Hopewell Township and both brothers attended Princeton Day School, where they played soccer and tennis. Erik attended Calabasas High School and Lyle enrolled at Princeton University.
1977, Erik was admitted to the E.R. at the Princeton Medical Center. Report said: Hurt posterior pharynx, uvula, and soft palate. Healing well. Symptomatic treatment.
1980 Jose setup a will that stated if Jose and Kitty died in a common disaster, Lyle and Erik would receive the entire estate.
1981, Kitty uncovered one of Jose’s extramarital affairs and left Jose, but he managed to convince her to come home after several days.
1986 Kitty learned out about Jose’s affair with Louise. Jose told Kitty about Louise and his other affairs. This sent Kitty into a depressive spiral and she talked about committing suicide.
In 1986, the family moved to Beverly Hills, California, when he was appointed as the CEO of Live Entertainment.
1987 Erik attended Beverly Hills High School where he earned average grades but displayed a remarkable talent for tennis, ranking 44th in the US as a junior.
1987, Princeton accepted Lyle’s second application. He was accepted to the college more because of his background and tennis ability, over his actual academic success. Lyle had pretty average high school grades.
1988 Erik was twice arrested for burglary and avoided jail time but attending court-ordered therapy.
July 1988, Erik and Lyle began breaking into homes in Calabasas. The brothers burglarized the homes owned by parents of their friends and were surprised by the large amounts of cash and jewelry that they were able to steal. The brothers had found an easy source of spending money, rather than having to ask Jose.
The amount of money and jewelry that Lyle and Erik stole was estimated to be more than $100,000, large enough to be classified as a felony offense called grand theft burglary. The Los Angeles County sheriff’s detective who investigated the burglaries received a break in the case after Erik was stopped for a driving violation in Calabasas and stolen property was found in his car trunk. Later the detective discovered that a safe in one of the homes that the brothers had burglarized was found in another home burglarized by the brothers. It appeared that the thieves had developed a guilty conscience and returned a safe they had stolen to the wrong home.
Jose did not want his sons to spend any time in jail and hired Gerald Chaleff, a well-respected criminal defense attorney to represent them. Chaleff was able to work out an agreement with the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office that would absolve Lyle of any participation in the burglaries, if Erik took responsibility for all the crimes.
Erik was a juvenile and had no previous record. Chaleff was able to convince a judge to sentence Erik to community service with the homeless and for the brothers to undergo psychological counseling. Jose wrote a check for $11,000 to the victims to cover items that had been stolen by the brothers, but that had disappeared and could not be returned.
The burglaries were the talk of Calabasas. It seemed that neighbors of the Menendez family were uncomfortable knowing that Lyle and Erik were free and not the least bit remorseful. Jose blamed Erik’s friends, instead of Erik for the burglaries, just as he had blamed Princeton for Lyle’s plagiarism rather than Lyle. Jose probably had a difficult time understanding the brothers’ behavior and why Lyle and Erik had victimized friends, people they supposedly valued.
Jose told associates that he felt that he and his family would be safer living in Beverly Hills. Jose bought the house on Elm Drive, a six-bedroom Mediterranean-style house with a red tile roof, a courtyard, a swimming pool, a tennis
court, and a guesthouse.
In April 1988, two burglaries took place at the New Jersey office of the Sierra Club and the office of the Princeton Friends of Open Spaces. In these burglaries, office equipment was stolen with a value of approximately $1,100. The offices were housed in the same property that the Menendez family owned just before they moved to California and the house in which Lyle had lived in before entering Princeton. Jose and Kitty had sold the house in November 1987. The police were left with few clues as to who committed the burglaries. In both burglaries, the burglar had entered the home through a second floor bathroom.
The police were finally able to connect Lyle to the burglaries after a confidential police informant came forward. The informant told the police that one day during the summer of 1988, he had been riding to the beach with the Menendez brothers when Lyle played a cassette tape. The tape was a recording of voices talking. There was also background noise. Lyle bragged to the police informant that they were listening to a tape recording of a burglary that Lyle committed at his old house in Princeton. Lyle was never charged with these burglaries. By the time the police were able to connect Lyle to these crimes, he was already in jail on more serious charges.
In in the fall of 1988 Lyle returned to Princeton, he continued his relationship with Jaime Pisarcik. Lyle’s return to Princeton began badly when he discovered that he was assigned a roommate. Lyle wanted a single. According to the hall’s student advisor, when Lyle saw the belongings of the other student in the room, he threw them in the hall. Jose wrote a letter to Princeton and Lyle received a single room.
1989 Erik entered Boys’ Junior National Tennis Championship and reached the second round of qualifier in the Boys’ 18 singles.
On July 19, 1989, Kitty went to her therapist and told him that she feared her sons were sociopaths, Kitty’s therapist made notes of the session that indicated that Kitty was concerned that her sons were “narcissistic, lacked consciences and exhibited signs that they were sociopaths.”
1989, Lyle began to date a model named Christy. Christy was 30 years old, nine years older than Lyle was. This relationship upset both Jose and Kitty. There was another issue that upset Jose even more and that was Lyle’s continued desire to transfer to UCLA. Lyle was tired of Princeton, but Jose would not entertain any thoughts of Lyle transferring to another school.
Spring of 1999 Lyle’s girlfriend Christy told him that she was pregnant. Jose found out and went to see her and According to Kitty who told one of her friends that Jose paid Christy $100,000. After paying Christy off,
Jose and Kitty demanded that Lyle give her up for good.
Summer 1989 LIVE, the company invested in a “key man” life insurance policy that would guarantee that if Jose died, the company could continue operating without worrying about going under. The policy was valued at $15 million. LIVE also purchased a policy for Jose’s family that was valued at $5 million.
In June 1989, Jose and Kitty purchased a red Alfa Romeo for Lyle as a high school graduation gift. Jose also, purchased a condominium outside of Princeton for Lyle. The condo had two bedroom suites and would be perfect when Kitty and Jose came to visit. They could stay in one of the bedrooms without intruding on Lyle. Lyle asked Kitty to decorate the condo for him.
August 1989, Erik returned to Beverly Hills to begin college at UCLA. Erik was also been accepted at UC Berkeley but chose to attend UCLA instead and to play on a better tennis team.
August 19, 1989, the Menendez family chartered a boat from Marina delRey and went shark fishing. According to the crew of the boat, they did not seem to be much of a family. Jose stayed in the back of the boat and fished, while Kitty went below and stayed in the boat’s cabin because she was seasick. The brothers stayed to themselves at the bow of the boat.
The Murder
August 20, 1989 11:47 p.m. a 911 call was received at the Beverly Hills Police Department.
- Dispatcher: Beverly Hills emergency.
- Lyle Menendez: Yes, police, uh…
- Dispatcher: What’s the problem?
- Lyle: We’re the sons (caller begins to sob)…
- Dispatcher: What’s the problem? What’s the problem?
- Lyle: (Still crying) They shot and killed my parents!
- Dispatcher: What? Who? Are they still there?
- Lyle: Yes.
- Dispatcher: The people who…
- Lyle: No, no.
- Dispatcher: They were shot?
- Lyle: Erik, man, don’t.
- Dispatcher: (Talking over the background sounds of screams and Lyle shouting, “Erik, shut up!”) I have a hysterical person on the phone. Is the person still there?
- Second Dispatcher: What happened? Have you been able to figure out what happened?
- Lyle: I don’t know.
- Second Dispatcher: You came home and found who shot?
- Lyle: My mom and dad.
- First Dispatcher: Are they still in the house, the people who did the shooting?
- Lyle: (Screaming) Erik! Get away from them!
- Second Dispatcher: Who is the person who is shot?
- Lyle: My mom and dad!
Beverly Hills police officer Michael Butkus and Officer John Czarnocki, arrived at 722 Elm Drive. After walking around the outside of the mansion for several minutes the police officers heard screaming and watched as two men ran out of the front door. The men ran past the officers and through the gate in front of the driveway and fell to their knees on the grass between the sidewalk and street. Over and over again they shouted, “Oh my God, I can’t believe it!” The two cops tried to get information out of the men, but the younger one was irrational, running around and trying to ram his head into a tree. The older one was trying to restrain and calm the younger one.
Officers found no signs of forcible entry and Jose Menendez slumped on a couch in the family’s first-floor library; Kitty Menendez was on the floor nearby. The couple were dressed casually in shorts, and both apparently had been watching television. Fresh bowls of berries and cream were still on a coffee table.
Kitty tried to flee after her husband was shot, caught five shotgun blasts, one of which nearly severed one of her wrists, and Another shotgun blast ripped into a library wall.
- Jose was shot six times with a shotgun,
- Kitty suffered 10 gunshot wounds.
- The killers then picked up the empty shell casings and left the house.
- Nothing of value was missing from the house, according to Lyle Menendez.
Lyle and Erik were taken to the police department for questioning. During the interview, Erik became distraught. He began to sob and was unable to sit still. Lyle was under control and answered questions methodically. After twenty minutes, the questioning ceased because Erik broke down uncontrollably.
The brothers provided the police with a timeline of how they spent August 20, 1989:
They described how they had played tennis in the morning on the tennis court behind the house, watched part of a tennis match on television and spent the afternoon shopping at the Beverly Center, a local shopping mall.
- Around 5:00 p.m. they made plans to get together with a friend at “Taste of LA,” a local food festival in Santa Monica.
- The brothers said they left home around 8:00 p.m., to go to Westwood Village to see License to Kill, the new James Bond film, but the lines were too long, so they went to the Century City mall to see Batman.
- After Batman, the brothers drove to Santa Monica, but got lost on the way and missed their friend. From a pay phone, the brothers called their friend, Perry Berman. Berman and the brothers made plans to meet at the Cheesecake Factory in Beverly Hills.
- After they called Berman, the brothers drove home to get Erik’s fake ID so Erik could buy alcoholic drinks.
- The brothers told the police that when they returned home, they noticed smoke in the house, especially in the family room.
- This statement was odd tto investigators as they had not seen anything smoke.
- Lyle told Detective Edmonds about his mother’s nervous mood and her locking doors. Lyle said that his mother was on the verge of contemplating suicide and that she “was very edgy and suicidal in the last few years.” Lyle didn’t explain that Kitty had emotional problems for many years and that she had made a half-hearted suicide attempt two years earlier using prescription drugs.
- Edmunds asked Lyle who hated his parents enough to want to kill them. Edmunds was surprised when Lyle answered “maybe the mob.”
August 21, 1989 at 5:30 a.m. the brothers returned to the crime scene and asked for their tennis rackets. The brothers were not allowed inside the house because the coroner was examining the bodies of Jose and Kitty
Menendez
August 23, 1989 The brothers spent $15,000 on Rolex watches and money clips.
The brothers’ shopping sprees were funded by Jose’s personal life insurance policy of $650,000. They spent money on new cars, designer label clothes and jewelry.
The estate Jose and Kitty left was valued at $14 million, Lyle and Erik would each inherit about $2 million after loans and taxes.
- The bulk of the estate’s assets were a house on fourteen acres in Calabasas that Jose and Kitty had purchased, but never lived in, and the Beverly Hills mansion. After the loans on both properties value of the real estate was $5.7 million.
- Jose owned 330,000 shares of LIVE Entertainment that had been trading around at $20 per share.
- Added to all of this were Jose and Kitty’s personal property and automobiles.
August 25, 1989 Memorial Services was held for Jose and Kitty at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles.
August 28, 1989, a traditional church service was held at the university chapel in Princeton. Brendan Scott conducted the service.
on August 31, 1989 brothers because called a computer expert to erase the files on Kitty’s computer.
August 31, 1989, Lyle and Erik met with executives at LIVE Entertainment to discuss any assets the brothers might receive from the company. But to their surpirse brothers they learned that the $5 million “key man” life insurance policy that LIVE had purchased for Jose was not valid because Jose had failed to take the physical exam required by the insurance company.
LIVE Entertainment paid an $8,800 bill at the Bel Air Hotel which included $2,000 of the bill for room service for the Menendez Brothers five-day hotel stay. LIVE also paid for limousine rides and bodyguards for the brothers.
After living at various hotels in Beverly Hills, the brothers rented adjoining apartments in the Marina City Towers in Marina del Rey. Lyle’s apartment rented for $2,150 per month and Erik’s apartment rented for $2,450 per month. The brothers tried to put $990,000 down payment on a penthouse they liked, but the financing fell through.
Lyle hired bodyguards to travel with him for several weeks after the murders.
On September 4, 1989, Lyle told the bodyguards he no longer needed their services because his uncle had contacted someone in the mob and arranged some type of deal.
October 1989, Lyle had charged more than $90,000 to Jose’s American Express card. He frequently traveled between New Jersey and California on the MGM Grand, an airline that catered to business people with expense accounts, he was trying to establish Menendez Investment Enterprises.
- Lyle registered his friends from Princeton as an fficers of Menendez Investment Enterprises.
- He rented an office for $3,000 a month in a Princeton shopping mall and furnished it with expensive furniture. Menendez Investment Enterprises never moved into the suite.
Lyle decided to buy Chuck’s Spring Street Caffe a snack shop in Princeton that specialized in spicy chicken wings. Lyle paid $550,000 for Chuck’s. Lyle’s uncles authorized the sale and took out a loan against the estate to finance the deal. Lyle expanded the home delivery hours from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. and changed the name of the restaurant to Mr. Buffalo’s. Merchants in Princeton.
October 24, 1989 Les Zoeller interviewed Erik Menendez at the Beverly Hills mansion. He told Erik that he had heard that the brothers were not getting along. Erik complained that Lyle was spending too much money. Erik also complained that Lyle was “being just like my father.”
October 31, 1989 Erik had a session with his psychotherapist, Jerome Oziel. During the session, Oziel encouraged Erik to talk about his depression and suicidal thoughts. A short time later, Oziel and Erik walked back to Oziel’s office. As they neared the office, Erik stopped walking and leaned against a parking meter and said, “We did it. We killed our parents.” He told Oziel
- about a trip to San Diego to purchase shotguns
- how the brothers thought that they had committed the perfect crime.
- They had been careful and cleaned up the shotgun casings.
- They did not have to worry about fingerprints because the crime was committed in their own home so naturally their fingerprints would be everywhere.
- Once they had finished cleaning up, Lyle drove Erik’s car to Mulholland Drive, a winding road that runs from the Pacific Ocean to the San Fernando Valley.
- Erik was too shaken to drive so he gave directions to Lyle as he drove.
- They stopped on Mulholland Drive and Erik waited until the area was cleared of cars and then threw the shotguns into a nearby canyon.
- They headed for a gas station where they dumped their blood-spattered clothing and shoes into a dumpster along with the shell casings. Then they drove home.
- They had intended to drive to the Cheesecake Factory to meet up with their friend Perry, but Erik was falling apart, so they went home and called the police.
November 2, 1989 the brothers met with Oziel again. Lyle threatened Oziel told him they have considered killing him in order to keep their secret. Oziel made notes and tape recordings of his sessions with the brothers.
On November 17, Zoeller and Linehan interviewed Erik’s friend Craig Cignarelli. Cignarelli told the detectives that shortly after the murders had occurred, he had visited Erik at the Beverly Hills mansion. Erik had
asked Craig if he wanted to know how it happened. Craig knew immediately what “it” was. Erik told Craig that on the night of the murders, he and Lyle had come home to get his fake ID. As Erik was walking toward his car, after finding
his ID, Lyle met him with their shotguns. “Let’s do it,” Lyle said. According to Craig, the plan was that Lyle was to shoot Jose and Erik was to shoot Kitty. Craig told the detectives that Erik told him he and Lyle went into the
family room, Lyle pointed his gun at Jose and shot him. Lyle then went behind Jose and shot him in the head. Erik told Craig that he was unable to shoot his mother and that when she tried to get away, Lyle shot her. Craig recalled
that Erik said, “after it looked like my mother was dead, I shot her twice with my gun.” Craig told the detectives that he didn’t know whether to believe Erik or not. District attorney’s office suggested that Craig wear a body wire
and meet with Erik to get the story on tape.
October 29, 1989 Craig met Erik for dinner at Gladstone’s 4 Fish on Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades. At the dinner, Erik told Craig that he had been lying and the he and Lyle had nothing to do with
their parents’ murders.
March 5, 1990, the detectives received a break in the case from Dr. Jerome Oziel’s girlfriend Judalon Smyth.
She told the detectives that Oziel had asked her to eavesdrop on a therapy session he had with the Menendez brothers on October 31, 1989. Smith told the detectives she overheard a shouting match between Lyle and Erik in which Lyle
shouted,
“I can’t believe you told him!” “We’ve got to kill him and anyone associated with him.”
According to Smyth, Erik screamed back,
“I can’t stop you from what you have to do, but I can’t kill any more.”
The session ended when Erik ran out of the office sobbing. Smyth saw Lyle leave the office, followed by Dr. Oziel. Smyth told the detectives that she witnessed Lyle threaten Oziel. Smyth said she heard Lyle say, ” I can kind of understand Erik, but he shouldn’t have done this…” Oziel asked Lyle if he were threatening him and Lyle shook his hand and said, “Good luck, Dr. Oziel.”
On March 7, 1990, 1990, Lyle and two of his friends flew from Newark, New Jersey to Los Angeles. Lyle was flying to Los Angeles to try and find the $40,000 Erik had paid to the concert promoter. During the flight, he called Mr. Buffalo’s and was told that Detectives Zoeller and Linehan was looking for him an hour after Lyle had left for the Newark airport.
On March 8, 1990, Detectives obtained a search warrant for Oziel’s tapes based on the information that Smyth provided. Dr. Oziel handed over 17 audiotapes and seven pages of notes. Oziel played portions of the tapes for the detectives and they finally heard the details of what happened on August 20, 1989 . Afterward the tapes and notes were sealed into a police evidence bag and taken to the Los Angeles County courthouse in Santa Monica.
On March 8, 1990, the board of directors of LIVE Entertainment met in Los Angeles to hear an investigative report by the law firm Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler. The firm hired investigators to examine LIVE’s operations to uncover whether there was any reason for stockholders to be concerned about whether the killings could be tied to the company. Pierce O’Donnell, a partner of the law firm, presented a summary of the investigation to the board of directors. O’Donnell told the LIVE directors that he had learned from the Beverly Hills Police Department that the Menendez brothers were suspects in the killing of their parents. O’Donnell told the board that he believed that the brothers would be arrested soon.
March 8, 1990 1:00 PM Lyle was arrested and booked at the station and then transported to the Los Angeles County Men’s Jail in downtown Los Angeles.
March 8, 1990 4:00 PM Los Angeles County District Attorney, Ira Reiner, held a press conference.
Reiner said that the motive for the crime “was greed.” “I don’t know what your experience is, but it’s been our experience in the district attorney’s office that $14 million provides ample motive for someone to kill somebody.” “Special circumstances had been attached to the charges which meant that if convicted, the brothers could be put to death in San Quentin’s gas chamber.”
On March 11, 1990, Erik was arrested at Los Angeles International Airportand booked into the Los Angeles County Men’s jail.
On March 14, 1990, Detectives went to the Big 5 store on Convoy Street to check firearm records, they found the sale of two Mossberg twelve-gauge shotguns for $199.95 each on August 18, 1989. The form was signed by Donovan Jay Goodreau and listed a San Diego address.
On March 26, 1990, The Menendez brothers were arraigned for the murders of their parents in Judge Judith Stein’s courtroom at the Beverly Hills Municipal Court.
August 6, 1990, judge Albrecht allowed tapes to be used as an evidence.
“I have found by a preponderance of the evidence that Dr. Oziel had reasonable cause to believe that the brothers constituted a threat and it was necessary to disclose those communications to prevent the threatened danger.”
Defence Attorney Leslie Abramson promptly appealed the decision to the California Court of Appeals.
On March 2, 1991, the California Court of Appeals overturned Albrecht’s decision. The prosecutors then filed an appeal with the California Supreme Court.
On June 4, 1992, the California Supreme Court heard arguments on the issue of the tapes. Leslie Abramson and Michael Burt argued for the brothers saying that only the portions of the tapes that dealt with threats to Oziel should be given to the prosecution.
- The Court decided that the release of the tape was not barred by the patient-therapist privilege because Oziel believed that the brothers had threatened him during the sessions covered on the tape.
- The Court barred the release of a tape that covered the November 28 session and the December 11 tape made with Chaleff’s consent. In those sessions, the Court ruled that there was “insufficient evidence of threats to warrant disclosure of the tape.”
To the prosecution, the real loss was the December 11 tape of the brothers discussing the murder. The trial proceed.
June 1990, Erik began weekly therapy sessions with Dr. William Vicary, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist.
December 8, 1992, the Menendez brothers were indicted by the Los Angeles County Grand Jury on charges that they murdered their parents. There were two special circumstances that were attached, which made them eligible for the death penalty: a multiple murder had occurred as they were “lying in wait.” A third special circumstance, that the brothers had committed the murders for financial gain, had been thrown out by the grand jury.
May 14, 1993, Judge Weissberg ruled that the cases of Lyle and Erik Menendez would be tried together in the interests of time, cost and convenience.
on June 9, 1993, Abramson said the defense would admit that the brothers had murdered their parents. The defense would try to prove to the jurors that it was Jose and Kitty and not Lyle and Erik who should be held accountable for why the murders were committed.
Abramson and Lansing argued that the brothers had been instilled with feelings of fear over a long period of time, going back many years, as they were victims of child abuse.
On July 17, 1993, three days before the trial started, Leslie Abramson gave an interview to the Los Angeles Times. Abramson said that was a series of intense confrontations between the brothers and their parents that had led to the murders.
Jose’s side of the family was present During the trial. Grandmother, Maria Menendez and their aunts, Marta Cano and Terry Baralt, supported the brothers. Anderson family Kitty’s side was absent throughout the trial
July 20, 1993, The first day of trial Bozanich’s opening statement layed out the case against Lyle. Bozanich described the brutality of the murders: the six wounds to Jose and the ten wounds to Kitty.
She laid the foundation for her theory that the brothers had killed their parents “while lying in wait” as the parents dozed. She described how Lyle had hired bodyguards after the murders because he feared for his own safety. Bozanich
told the jury that, “From what we now know, this hint that his own life might have been in danger because of his parents’ killings was a lie.”
Bozanich reminded the jurors throughout the trial that if Lyle and Erik could lie so frequently and in such detail to avoid being caught, they could also lie about child abuse to avoid death sentences. Bozanich told the jury about the brothers’ spending sprees. She discussed the Rolex watch purchases and Lyle’s Porsche, the Marina Towers apartments, Lyle’s restaurant and Erik’s tennis coach.
Jill Lansing began her opening statement by telling the jurors that Lyle and Erik Menendez killed their parents. Lansing said,
“We’re not disputing when it happened. The only thing that you are going to have to focus on in this trial is why it happened.”
“What we will prove to you is that the murders were committed out of fear.” “Fear of two parents who were so brutal, so manipulative, so sexually perverse that they drove their own sons to the most desperate act of defilement.”
Lansing did not reveal the details of the perversion or the brutality at this point, and went on to describe the lifestyle the brothers enjoyed growing up: Lyle’s Afla Romeo, private tennis coaches, luxury vacations and the use of their parents’ credit cards. Lansing tried to show that money was not the motive for the murders. Lansing defense:
that the brothers killed their parents because they feared for their lives after confronting their father over a years-long ordeal of sexual, physical and mental abuse. Lansing explained that the “catalyst” for why the murders took place was the fear that the family’s old secrets would be revealed and that those secrets would destroy the reputation of “the perfect family.”
Erik’s revelation to his brother a few days before the killings that his father had been molesting him for twelve years.” This revelation disturbed Lyle “so thoroughly because he, too, had been molested by Jose from the ages of six to eight.”
Lyle had confronted Jose and told him that, “the abuse was going to stop.” Lyle told his father that he was “going to let him take his little brother and leave the house.” According to Lansing, Jose told Lyle that “he would do whatever he wanted with his son, and that no one would threaten him.” Jose “made it very clear to Lyle that this secret would never leave the family, and that the people who held the secret and this power over him would not be allowed to live.”
According to Lansing that is when the brothers drove to San Diego and purchased shotguns using Donovan Goodreau’s driver’s license. Lansing said
that neither brother had talked about the abuse until after they had been arrested and incarcerated for many months because their shame was so great. The brothers had told a family member about the abuse and that family member had
told the defense attorneys.
Abramson described
how Kitty and Lyle had gotten into a screaming fight and how Kitty had reached up and yanked Lyle’s hairpiece off his head. Apparently, Lyle had lost most of his hair when he was 14 and wore a toupee because Jose had once told him that it was better for his image if it appeared that he had a full head of hair. Erik claimed he did not know that Lyle wore a toupee and the shock of this alleged discovery made Erik take Lyle into his confidence.
Erik told Lyle that Jose had been molesting him for years. This led the brothers to attempt to purchase two handguns, however they told their attorneys they could not purchase the weapons because there was a two-week waiting period. Because the brothers were so fearful and felt they had no time to waste; they drove to San Diego and purchased shotguns. Erik looked forward to attending UCLA and moving away from home.
One week before the murders, Jose told Erik that he would have to sleep at home several days a week so that Jose and Kitty could keep track of his schoolwork. Erik thought that this meant that the sexual abuse would continue.
July 26, 1993 Craig Cignarelli testified about his visit to the Menendez mansion twelve days after the murders where Erik described to Craig how “it” happened. Cignarelli and he said Erik had never told him about any physical, psychological or sexual abuse.
Judge Weissberg ruled that Erik and Craig’s screenplay, Friends, could not be used as evidence. Weissberg ruled that the screenplay had been written too long before the murders to be relevant.
Donovan Goodreau testified that his wallet with his ID was left behind in Lyle’s dorm room at Princeton when he had been forced to leave after being accused of stealing. Donovan also testified that he had once confided to Lyle that he had been molested when he was a little boy. Donovan recalled that Lyle did not respond with any similar stories or remarks about himself and never mentioned being sexually abused during the entire time they were roommates.
August 4, 1993 Dr. Oziel testified before both Lyle and Erik’s juries that the brothers wanted to kill Jose because he was dominating their lives and made them feel inferior. Kitty was murdered because the brothers did not want to leave her behind as a witness.
Judge Weissberg ruled that Oziel could not use the word sociopath. Weissberg considered the word sociopath to be a “buzz word” that would be prejudicial to the brothers.
Oziel testified:
- Erik told him that the plan to kill Jose and Kitty was rooted “in a situation where Erik was watching a BBC television show or movie.” Oziel said that Erik told him that Jose “had just been completely dominating and controlling and was impossible to please.”
- the brothers decided to kill their mother because “the brothers did not believe Kitty could have survived emotionally without Jose.”
- “Jose’s near disinheritance of him was an example of why he and Lyle had to kill their father.”
- Oziel described the killings and said that Erik told him that “Jose and Kitty were ‘surprised’ when the brothers burst into the family room.” Oziel described the threats he had received from Lyle after the October 31 session in which Erik confessed to the murders.
On January 13, 1994, after 16 days of deliberation, Erik’s jury announced that it was deadlocked and unable to reach an agreement on any of the counts.
On January 25, 1994 after deliberating for 24 days, Lyle’s jury announced that it was deadlocked. The juries for both brothers were polarized over whether the brothers were killers or long suffering victims of abuse. Judge Weissberg declared mistrials in both cases.
On February 28, 1995, Judge Weissberg set a second trial date of June 12, 1995 for the retrial of the Menendez brothers. The retrial was postponed and began in August 1995.
In April 1995, Judge Weissberg ruled that the brothers would be retried together, in front of a single jury. Weissberg ruled that the advantages of a “single trial greatly outweigh the potential prejudice.”
On August 21, 1995, jury selection began for the retrial of the Menendez brothers.
Trial Transcripts
on October 11, 1995 Opening statements commenced. Judge Weissberg ruled that the trial would not be televised, citing concerns that media coverage could expose jurors to external information and commentary. He also restricted the number of witnesses the defense could call to testify about the abuse allegations. During the retrial, 64 witnesses took the stand, compared to 101 in the first trial and trial Lasted 23 weeks.
On January 30,1996 after presenting 25 witnesses, the defense rested. Judge Weissberg limited the number of mental health experts the defense was allowed to present.
On February 16, 1996, Judge Weissberg ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support the claim that the brothers were in imminent danger when they shot their parents on August 20, 1989. As a result, he denied the defense’s request to include the “imperfect self-defense” instruction in the jury’s deliberation after closing arguments. This ruling was significant because the “imperfect self-defense” theory had been a cornerstone of the defense in the first trial and had led some jurors on each panel to vote for manslaughter rather than murder convictions.
On March 1, 1996 the jury began deliberations. However, on March 14, Judge Weissberg dismissed two female jurors, including the foreperson, for medical reasons—one due to a heart attack and the other because of premature labor. They were replaced by a male and a female alternate juror, and deliberations restarted from the beginning. The reconstituted jury now consisted of eight men and four women. After four days of deliberation, on
March 20, 1996, the jury found the Menendez brothers guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The jury also determined that two special circumstances applied: lying in wait and multiple murders. With these findings, the sentencing options were narrowed to either life in prison without the possibility of parole or death by execution. The same jury would reconvene for the penalty phase, a separate, shorter trial, to decide the brothers’ ultimate sentences.
April 1, 1996 Friends and relatives testified for the defense about the treatment of the Menendez brothers. Eric’s high school sweatheart cried often while describing him as a most kind and generous boyfriend. And
Lyle’s soccer coach told of a father who treated Lyle more like a racehorse than a son.
Transcript
On April 4, 1996, during the second week of the penalty phase, an unexpected and shocking event unfolded in court. Dr. Vicary, the psychiatrist who had been treating Erik Menendez since 1990, revealed that he had altered his notes under the direction of defense attorney Leslie Abramson. Under cross-examination, Dr. Vicary admitted to omitting entire sections of his notes that contained incriminating statements made by Erik Menendez. This revelation had significant repercussions for the defense, casting doubt on the credibility of their case.
On April 5, 1996, Abramson invoked her Fifth Amendment privilege not to incriminate herself when she refused to answer two questions about her possible misconduct regarding Vicary’s notes.
On April 6, 1996, Conn testified about how he discovered the discrepancies in Dr. Vicary’s notes. He explained that in 1993, Abramson had given him a redacted version of Vicary’s notes. During the trial, Conn needed to review the notes at the Van Nuys courthouse but realized he had left his copy at his downtown Los Angeles office. He then borrowed a copy from Dr. Dietz, who had received his version from the defense. Unbeknownst to the defense, Dietz’s copy contained the original, unaltered notes. Conn stated that Abramson must have accidentally turned over the originals, and if not for this mistake, the altered notes might never have been discovered. Dr. Vicary had deleted 24 pages of statements made by Erik and rewritten 10 pages of his notes.
Erik confided to Dr. Vicary that he had wondered what life would be like without his parents. In another part of the notes, Erik mentioned that he and Lyle had discussed doing something “drastic,” although the notes did not clarify what they meant by that term. Erik also claimed that two days before the murders, Jose’s alleged homosexual lover visited the mansion and warned the brothers that their parents were planning to kill them. Dr. Vicary later acknowledged that Erik admitted to him that this story was fabricated.
On April 9, 1996, Judge Weissberg ruled that no conflict of interest existed between Leslie Abramson and Erik Menendez that warranted her removal from the trial. This decision came after two days of closed-door hearings during which Gessler and Levine argued for Abramson’s removal. The ruling followed a private conversation between Erik Menendez and Judge Weissberg, after which Abramson was allowed to remain as counsel. Weissberg stated that he would instruct the jury not to consider Abramson’s alleged misconduct when determining whether the brothers should be sentenced to death or life in prison. Additionally, Weissberg ruled that the prosecution could not question Dr. Vicary about Abramson’s instructions to delete portions of his notes and instead directed them to undermine Vicary’s credibility without referencing her actions. Abramson remained silent for the remainder of the trial.
On April 10,1996, Dr. Vicary completed his testimony, and the prosecution called three rebuttal witnesses: Les Zoeller and Kitty’s two brothers, Milton and Brian Andersen. On April 11, prosecutor David Conn delivered his closing argument, urging the jury to sentence the Menendez brothers to death because they chose to kill their parents in a “horrifying and brutal way.” Conn dismissed the defense’s claims of psychological abuse as “desperate and trivial.” In response, defense attorney Barry Levine argued that the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office arbitrarily determined who was eligible for the death penalty. He referenced the O.J. Simpson case, noting that Simpson was not eligible for the death penalty, and asserted that the prosecution had failed to present evidence of aggravating circumstances beyond the crime itself.
On April 12, 1996 the jury began deliberating whether the Menendez brothers should receive life in prison or the death penalty.
On April 17, 1996, after three days of deliberation, the jury decided that life in prison was the appropriate punishment for both Lyle and Erik Menendez. Jurors later stated that the defense’s claims of abuse did not factor into their decision. They chose to spare the brothers’ lives because neither had a felony record or a history of violence. Although some jurors were sympathetic to the brothers’ upbringing and acknowledged it may have contributed to the murders, they could not use it to justify the killings. Several jurors found some of the claims of psychological abuse credible but expressed skepticism about whether the alleged sexual abuse occurred.
On June 1, 1996, defense attorneys for the Menendez brothers filed a motion in Judge Weissberg’s court requesting a new trial. The motion argued that Judge Weissberg had erred by not allowing the jury to consider manslaughter verdicts. It also contended that the judge made a mistake by permitting the jury to hear the December 11, 1989 tape of the brothers’ confession to Dr. Oziel and by limiting the number of defense witnesses who testified about the Menendezes’ family life.
On July 2, 1996, Lyle and Erik Menendez gave an interview to Barbara Walters.
July 2, 1996 Lyle married Anna Eriksson, The remote wedding was witnessed by Erik’s attorney, Leslie Abramson, and the brothers’ aunt.
On July 2, 1996, Judge Weissberg sentenced Lyle and Erik Menendez to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He ordered consecutive sentences for the murders and the conspiracy to commit murder charges. The brothers were transferred to the North Kern State Prison in Delano, a Department of Corrections reception center outside of Los Angeles, for diagnostic evaluation. To decided whether they would be housed together.
On August 2, 1996, Dr. William Vicary was removed from the panel of mental health professionals appointed by Los Angeles Superior County judges to analyze and testify about defendants in court cases.
September 10, 1996, the California Department of Corrections separated the Menendez brothers. Lyle was bussed from the North Kern State Prison to the California Correctional Institution near Tehachapi and Erik was bussed to the California State Prison, near Sacramento. Lyle and Erik were segregated from other prisoners and classified as maximum-security inmates.
1997, Dr. Oziel surrendered his psychotherapist’s license and moved from California to another state.
On February 27, 1998, the California Court of Appeals upheld the murder convictions of Lyle and Erik Menendez. The court’s opinion did not establish any new precedents and found that Judge Weissberg did not err in his controversial rulings that limited defense testimony about the brothers’ upbringing and mental states during the retrial. The opinion was not published in official law reports, indicating that the justices did not intend for it to serve as a precedent for future cases.
On May 28, 1998, the California Supreme Court voted to uphold the murder convictions and life-without-parole sentences of the Menendez brothers. None of the justices voted to review the case. Lyle’s appellate attorney, Cliff Gardner, announced that he intended to file an appeal in federal court.
2001, Anna Eriksson filed for divorce, according Anna, Lyle was unfaithful because he exchanged letters with other women.
November 2003, Lyle married Rebecca Sneed at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California
April 4, 2018, Lyle was moved to the RJ Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, where Erik is serving his sentence.
October 24, 2024
1:30 PM LA County D George Gascon To announce Decision on Melendez Brothers Case –
5:10 PM LA County District Attorney George Gascon announced that re-sentencing is appropriate and agreed to recommend it.
Sentencing Memo
Lyle Testimony
His testimony was filled with stories about the alleged molestation he suffered from the ages of six to eight and the story that he sexually molested his brother when Erik was five years old.
Both Lyle and Erik cried frequently during Lyle’s testimony. Lyle testified that at 13, he came to believe that his father was molesting his brother.
Lyle testified that his father was so controlling and his mother so emotionally unstable that he sought comfort in his own family of stuffed animals.
Lyle testified over a nine-day period
Lyle testified that Kitty sexually abused him when he was 11 and 12. He claimed that he would touch Kitty “everywhere” even when his father was sharing the same bed with them.
Lyle’s testimony was powerful and rich in detail. Lyle’s testimony built up to his description of events leading up to the night of the murders and he described shooting his father and then his mother for the jury.
Menendez Case
Erik Menendez broke into tears as he testified in his murder retrial giving vivid details about the sexual abuse he said he endured until he and his brother, Lyle, killed their parents. Erik said his father, Jose, threatened to kill him and Lyle if Erik ever told anyone about the abuse by his father. He described the abuse as: ‘knees’ — or oral copulation; ‘nice sex,’ because his father’s attitude was nice; plain ‘sex,’ which was when his father would sodomize him, and ‘rough sex,’ which was when his dad would bring in rope, a knife, needles and tacks, he said. Erik said his father’s sa began with massages of his genitals at age 6 and it progressed into other sa
Life in the Trenches of Criminal Law by Leslie Abramson:His father tells him, “If you ever cry again or scream I’ll make sure I hit you so hard you’ll never be able to cry or scream again. Do you understand?” He slaps him. “Yes.” Okay, so you’ll understand why if I beat you that badly it won’t be my fault– and whose fault will it be?” “Mine.”The sex acts evolve into punishment for the most part. If you lose an important tennis match, it’s up to your room, the slat under the doorknob. Disobey instructions on the tennis court and Father will see you in your bedroom. Do badly at school… try to run away… embarrass the family in any way: you know what will happen.
Menudo was a Latin boy band formed in 1977 by music produced Edgardo Diaz. In the fall of 1983, Menudo signed a multi-year deal with RCA records. At the time, Jose Menendez was an executive at RCA. In 1983, 13-year old Roy Rossello joined the group. In the fall of 1983 or 1984, Menudo was appearing in New York City. During the trip to New York, Edgardo Diaz asked Roy to “do a favor,” instructing him to go downstairs at the hotel and join Jose Menendez in a limousine.Roy did so, and was taken to a home in New Jersey, given wine by Jose Menendez and anally raped. Roy lost consciousness and woke up back in his hotel. He was bleeding from the anus. He was in unbearable pain for a week.
The Menendez brothers’ cousin Andy Cano testified that when Erik was 12 and Andy was 10, Erik told him that his father was “massaging his dick” (5:00) and was trying to find out if these massages were normal. He also told Andy that “these massages are beginning to hurt.” (10:24) Andy suggested asking his mother but Erik swore him to secrecy.
Andy was 15 when the brothers were arrested. He died in 2003 at 29 yeas old after an overdose on sleeping pills. His mother told reporters that she is convinced her son died because he couldn’t cope with the incarceration of his cousins.
“One night, I was in my room changing the sheets in my bed, and Lyle came in,” Vander Molen told ABC News. “He became very serious about asking me if he could sleep in the other bed next to mine and saying that he was afraid to sleep in his own bed because his father and him had been touching each other down there, indicating that it was his genital area.”
Vander Molen said she told Kitty Menendez what Lyle said.“By her demeanor, I could tell that she was not believing any of this,” Vander Molen said. “And [she] went downstairs, and Lyle had already gotten into the bed next to mine, and she went ahead and yanked him by the arm and took him back upstairs and I never heard anything else about that.”