34 years after brothers Eric and Lyle Menendez killed their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion, Netflix released a documentary detailing the murder trials alongside a show depicting different perspectives of the events that unfolded.
In the summer of 1989, the Menendez brothers killed their parents, Kitty and José Menendez, striking the nation for years. The case brought multiple different theories surrounding their motives, blurring the truth and causing speculation, which made their trial especially difficult. In July of 1996, they were convicted of first-degree murder after two lengthy trials and were sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. The public seemed to forget about the brothers in the following years, but recently, there has been a resurgence of interest with more coverage of the case from Netflix.
The Netflix documentary titled, “The Menendez Brothers”, was released Oct. 7, 2024 and tells the
story of the brother’s murder trial and features commentary from the brother’s cousin, Diane Vander Molen, prosecutor Pamela Bozanich and the Menendez brothers themselves. The documentary features clips from the real trials and focuses mainly around audio interviews from the brothers from prison. The brothers tell their side of the story and open up regarding their reflections over the time they have been incarcerated. They talk about the sexual and emotional abuse they experienced from their parents and what could have been if they didn’t act towards their parents the way that they did.
Along with the documentary, Netflix released “The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” Sept. 19, 2024, as
the second season of their “Monster” anthology series. Notable actors from the series include Cooper Koch as Erik, Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Lyle, Javier Bardem as José and Chloë Sevigny as Kitty. The series focuses on portraying the case from different perspectives at the time, starting from before the murders. Directed by Ryan Murphy, the show has received worldwide recognition for the cast’s compelling and emotional performances. While the series has helped the brothers receive more attention, some viewers argue that the series has sensationalized the case and portrayed the brothers in a more negative light than they deserve.
In recent news, the Los Angeles County District Attorney (DA), George Gascón, revealed that their office obtained new evidence that would reopen the Menendez brothers’ case. Evidence is continuing to further prove the sexual abuse the brothers endured from their father. Family members of the brothers push to release them before Thanksgiving this year, which is Nov. 28. Many petitions continue to circle the internet in increased hopes of the long-awaited release of the brothers.
Additionally, there was a conference with the DA’s office, Oct. 16, where family members and supporters awaited a verdict of whether or not the brothers would be released but no answers have been given to the public.
