Netflix is diving back into the world of infamous true crime stories. This time, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan focus on the Menendez brothers in their latest season of the Monster Anthology series, titled Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
Premiering on September 19, the 10-episode series stars Nicholas Chavez as Lyle Menendez and Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez, alongside Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny as their parents, Jose and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez.
Let’s remember this comes two years after Dahmer became a pop culture phenomenon, amassing over one billion viewing hours in just 60 days on Netflix. However, it also stirred controversy for how it humanized Jeffrey Dahmer, the notorious serial killer. Murphy has spoken about this backlash, saying, “I was never interested in Jeffrey Dahmer, the monster. I was interested in what made him.”
Now, with The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Murphy shifts the focus to a similarly complex question: Were the Menendez brothers cold-blooded murderers, or were they victims of unspeakable abuse? The show aims to explore both sides of the case that captivated the nation in the ’90s.
The Menendez Family
By the standards of the 1980s, the Menendez family appeared to embody the American Dream. José Menendez, originally from Cuba, fled to the United States as a teenager following the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s. He lived in a relative’s attic until he earned a swimming scholarship for college.
While in school, he met Mary Louise Anderson, known to everyone as Kitty, a former beauty queen a few years his senior. They tied the knot in the early 1960s and relocated to New York City, where José pursued an accounting degree from Queens College. His career began modestly, washing dishes, but he eventually climbed the ranks to become a successful young executive in the entertainment industry.
After heading the U.S. operations for Hertz car rentals, José took the helm of RCA Records in the early ’80s, where he was instrumental in signing acts like Duran Duran, The Eurythmics, and Menudo.
The family then moved from Princeton, New Jersey, to Los Angeles just a few years before the tragic murders, as José transitioned to a role in the movie industry. Their Beverly Hills home, where the murders took place, was located on one of the city’s most exclusive streets and had previously been occupied by the likes of Michael Jackson and Elton John.
Lyle was a standout tennis player with a promising future, seemingly set to follow in his father’s business footsteps, whom he openly admired. On the other hand, Erik, coached obsessively by his father, surpassed Lyle’s tennis achievements and became a nationally ranked player in his age group.
But once in California, Erik’s teenage rebellion escalated, culminating in a series of burglaries in 1988. Though he avoided jail, he was ordered to undergo therapy with Dr. Jerome Oziel. Meanwhile, Lyle enrolled at Princeton University but was suspended for a year after being caught plagiarizing, hinting at darker times ahead.
How Lyle and Erik Menendez Murdered Their Parents
The brutal crime occurred on the evening of August 20, 1989. Lyle and Erik Menendez walked into their Beverly Hills home armed with 12-gauge shotguns and shot their parents 14 times. Initially, the violence was so extreme that authorities suspected mob involvement. However, the case took a dramatic turn when Erik confessed to his therapist, Dr. Jerome Oziel, who recorded the sessions.
The brothers were arrested in March 1990, and the battle over the tapes became a legal spectacle of its own. Eventually, the Supreme Court of California ruled that most of the tapes could be used as evidence, setting the stage for one of the most publicized trials in American history.
The Trials: A Story of Abuse
The Menendez brothers’ trial began in July 1993 and quickly became a national obsession. At the heart of the trial was the question of motive. Prosecutors argued that Lyle and Erik murdered their parents to inherit a $14.5 million fortune, noting the brothers’ lavish spending in the months following the murders. On the other side, the defense, led by attorney Leslie Abramson, painted a harrowing picture of years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse inflicted by their father, Jose Menendez.
The courtroom became a stage for shocking revelations. Cousins of the Menendez brothers testified about the abuse, and allegations of sexual molestation by their father were laid bare. The case became a media spectacle, broadcast live on Court TV, which had launched just two years earlier. It was a soap opera that captivated the country, with the two brothers at the center of it all.
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Despite the intense media coverage, the first trial ended in a mistrial when the jury couldn’t agree on whether the brothers were guilty of manslaughter or murder. A second trial in 1995 limited the focus on the abuse allegations, and both brothers were ultimately convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1996.
The Aftermath
For decades, the Menendez brothers remained behind bars, resigned to their fate. In 2017, Lyle Menendez told ABC News that he had accepted his role in the crime, stating, “I am the kid that did kill his parents, and no river of tears has changed that.”
However, in recent years, new evidence has reignited interest in the case. In early 2023, Roy Rosselló, a former member of the boy band Menudo, came forward with claims that he was sexually assaulted by Jose Menendez in the 1980s. Additionally, a letter allegedly written by Erik Menendez in 1988 surfaced, detailing the sexual abuse he endured at the hands of his father:
“I’ve been trying to avoid dad. It’s still happening, Andy, but it’s worse for me now…Every night I stay up thinking he might come in…I’m afraid…He’s crazy. He’s warned me a hundred times about telling anyone, especially Lyle.”
These developments have led the brothers’ attorney, Cliff Gardner, to file for a new hearing, though the outcome is still uncertain.
Ryan Murphy’s Monsters
With Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan explore the dark and complex family dynamics that led to the murders. The show doesn’t just focus on the crime itself but asks viewers to consider the larger question: Who were the real monsters? Were Lyle and Erik simply greedy killers, or were they acting out of desperation after years of abuse?
Some may see it as a sympathetic portrayal of the brothers, while others will view it as another entry in the growing genre of “true crime entertainment.” Either way, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story will once again thrust a notorious case back into the spotlight.
This dramatization will likely lead to renewed discussions around the brothers’ motives, the role of media in shaping public opinion, and whether justice was truly served. As viewers tune in, the Menendez brothers’ story will continue to evoke strong reactions—much as it did nearly 30 years ago when their trial first captivated the nation. Will you be watching?
