16 Surprising Facts They Left Out of Monsters The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

16-Surprising-Facts-They-Left-Out-of-Monsters-The-Lyle-and-Erik-Menendez-Story

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re breaking down the real-life details that didn’t make it into Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s true-crime miniseries “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”

Lyle & Erik Were Almost Caught Immediately
We’ll get into Lyle and Erik’s quote-unquote “alibi” a little later. For now, just know that this alibi was masterfully constructed, and prevented the brothers from immediately being pegged as suspects in their parents’ 1989 deaths. Interviewed for the 2024 Netflix documentary “The Menendez Brothers,” the two retrospectively expressed disbelief that they weren’t apprehended right at the crime scene. This might have actually occurred — had the responding police officers thought to test Lyle and Erik’s hands for gunshot residue, which would have almost assuredly proven their guilt in that moment. The brothers wouldn’t be marked as suspects until 1990, when their “mob slaying” theory began to run dry.

The Brothers Were Separated Following Their Arrest
As the audience sees at the very end of Murphy’s “Monsters,” Lyle and Erik Menendez were broken up and sent to separate prisons following their 1996 sentencing of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The two brothers would not see each other face-to-face again until 2018, when Lyle was transferred to the same prison as Erik. However, one thing “Monsters” takes creative liberties with is the fact that, immediately after being arrested, the duo were imprisoned separately at the Los Angeles County Jail. This is as opposed to being confined within feet of each other, as Murphy’s miniseries depicts.

The Menendez Family Was Friendly With O.J. Simpson
One of Monsters’ most surprising scenes has nothing to do with the Menendez brothers’ heinous crime, or the sordid family secrets that they claim pushed them to do it. The closing minutes of “Seismic Shifts,” the miniseries’ eighth episode, hint at the fact that the infamous O.J. Simpson murder case was about to overshadow the media circus surrounding the brothers. Simpson was, in reality, friendly with the brothers in prison, but had encountered the Menendezes before. José Menendez, at one point a high-powered executive at Hertz Global Holdings, had invited Simpson to dinner at his home on several occasions — the disgraced football player and movie star had memorably starred in a popular advertising campaign for the car rental company.

Pam Bozanich’s Controversial Argument
Bozanich, the fiery litigator for the prosecution in the Menendez brothers’ lengthy trial, has made no secret of her contempt for Lyle and Erik. The lawyer, who kept a relatively low public profile in the years since her involvement in the case, resurfaced for the aforementioned “Menendez Brothers” documentary. Bozanich was unapologetic in stating her belief of the brothers’ guilt, as well as her criticism of Leslie Abramson, the lawyer for the defense. However, one surprising element left out of both “Monsters” and the Netflix doc? Bozanich’s incendiary argument that “men lacked the proper equipment” to be assaulted and taken advantage of. Suffice to say, her statement has aged extremely poorly, and led to renewed backlash against Bozanich in 2024.

Discussion of Abuse Was Limited at the Brothers’ Second Trial
Those familiar with the Menendez brothers’ trial are likely all too aware of Leslie Abramson’s much-discussed “abuse excuse.” That is to say, Abramson argued that Lyle and Erik Menendez did not deserve the death penalty or even a lifelong prison sentence, owing to their father José’s alleged abuse. Judge Stanley Weisberg’s position was abundantly clear. The presiding judge over the Menendez trial, Weisberg sought to avoid another hung jury in the brothers’ second trial. How did he accomplish this? By barring cameras from the courtroom (ensuring that another media frenzy would not occur), and crucially, limiting testimony about Lyle and Erik’s abuse claims. By restricting what the jury could deliberate on, Weisberg was able to secure a conviction.

Disturbing Photos of Lyle & Erik Appeared In the First Trial
Leslie Abramson’s “abuse excuse” dominated the headlines during the Menendez brothers’ first trial, which took place from 1993 to 1994. The harrowing details of the brothers’ abuse were enough to send the jury into what Judge Weisberg referred to as being “hopelessly deadlocked.” Among those harrowing details were photos of Lyle and Erik, as children, without clothes on. The two accused José of capturing the grotesque snaps, which was denied by the prosecution. It seems worth noting, then, that the photos had been held onto by Kitty, despite the fact that the defense could not prove that José had been behind the camera.

Erik & Lyle Didn’t Immediately Leave the House
As depicted on the Netflix adaptation of the Menéndez case, Lyle and Erik committed their infamous crime and head straight to the movies to start in on their alibi. This is pretty close to the events of August 20th, 1989, but is noticeably streamlined from what actually occurred in real life. In reality, the two brothers didn’t head straight for the movies after taking their parents’ lives — in fact, due to the noise caused by their actions, they actually stayed at home, expecting that a neighbor or bystander would call the police as a result.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_and_Erik_Men%C3%A9ndez

“Monster” (2022-)
Netflix

Erik Was a Tennis Champion
One of the most stomach-churning “Monsters” scenes has nothing to do with grisly crimes or dark family secrets at all. That would be when José berates Erik in the middle of a tennis game. That is, not just verbally — the elder Menéndez takes it upon himself to storm onto the court and publicly embarrass his son in truly cringeworthy fashion. This becomes even more of a head-scratcher once you realize that Erik was a nationally ranked tennis player, ranking as high as 44th in the U.S. Just weeks prior to that fateful night, Erik had reached the second round of the Boys 18 Singles in the 1989 Boys Junior National Championship.

Sources: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/the-wild-true-tale-behind-monsters-the-lyle-and-erik-menendez-story
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_and_Erik_Men%C3%A9ndez

“Monster” (2022-)
Netflix

Erik Wrote His Cousin A Letter About What José Allegedly Did
During the events of “Kill or Be Killed,” the series’ fourth episode, Lyle Menéndez opens up to Leslie Abramson, Erik’s lawyer, about the abuse that he claimed to have suffered at his father’s hands. At one point, Lyle shares that Erik wasn’t the only one who was aware of José’s reign of terror — when his cousin Diane Vander Molen came to live with the family for a time, he confessed to her as well. A letter written by Erik eight months before August 20th and addressed to Andy Cano, another cousin, seemingly alludes to his father’s ongoing abuse. Per the letter, Erik wrote: “I’ve been trying to avoid dad. It’s still happening Andy but it’s worse for me now.”

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_and_Erik_Men%C3%A9ndez
https://lamag.com/news/letter-calls-into-question-menendez-brothers-murder-conviction-attorneys-say

“Monster” (2022-)
Netflix

Erik & Lyle Didn't See Each Other For Over 20 Years
“Monsters’” final scene quite literally shows the brothers going their own ways, unaware that they’d be sent to different correctional facilities following their July 2, 1996 sentencing. This was per California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s real-life decision to separate the brothers, and things remained this way until February 2018. It was at this point that Lyle was moved from Mule Creek State Prison to the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, where Erik was also held. The two were individually imprisoned until April, when the Menéndez brothers were reunited. Erik and Lyle hadn’t met face-to-face since their sentencing.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_and_Erik_Men%C3%A9ndez#Incarceration

“Monster” (2022-)
Netflix


The Brothers Bought Luxury Condos
One thing that “Monsters” makes clear — and gets factually right — is that the Menéndez brothers went on a wild spending spree in the aftermath of their parents’ deaths. Although it can be argued that their spending habits were in line with the lifestyle they were used to, those same habits did nothing to help their case. Among their many investments, besides a full-time tennis coach for Erik and a stake in a Buffalo wing restaurant for Lyle, were luxury condos in Marina del Rey, California — not far removed from the family’s now-empty Beverly Hills mansion. Erik and Lyle reportedly spent over $700,000 before their 1990 arrest.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_and_Erik_Men%C3%A9ndez#Crimes

“Monster” (2022-)
Netflix


Erik & Lyle Respectively Got Married in Prison
Despite viewer criticism that Murphy implied a fabricated romantic relationship between Erik and Lyle, they did not get married to each other. In fact, Lyle is now onto his second marriage, having divorced Anna Eriksson, his wife of almost 5 years, after having an affair — yes, while imprisoned. The elder Menéndez brother has been married to Rebecca Sneed since 2003. Meanwhile, Erik has been married to Tammi Ruth Saccoman since June 12, 1999, when the couple wed in a waiting room at Folsom State Prison. Recalling their wedding night, Saccoman has shared that “[o]ur wedding cake was a Twinkie. We improvised. It was a wonderful ceremony until I had to leave. That was a very lonely night.”

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_and_Erik_Men%C3%A9ndez#Marriages_and_interviews_in_prison

“Monster” (2022-)
Netflix

Dr. Oziel Lost His Medical License
L. Jerome Oziel, who is depicted as the Menéndez family’s therapist before focusing on just Erik, was embroiled in a number of scandals of his own. Some of these were unearthed by Leslie Abramson during the brothers’ trial, and included the fact that his license was on probation when the family had hired him. This was due to a blatant conflict of interest in which Oziel had exchanged therapy for construction work on his house. In 1997, the year following the brothers’ sentencing, Oziel surrendered his license voluntarily rather than admit culpability for a number of illicit deeds. These included, among other misdeeds, revealing confidential patient information to Judalon Smyth, as well as assault on her and two other women.

Sources: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/menendez-brothers-therapist-jerry-oziel-judalon-smyth

“Monster” (2022-)
Netflix


Dr. Vicary Tampered With Evidence — At Leslie Abramson's Suggestion
Early on in “Monsters,” Erik Menéndez meets with Dr. William Vicary, a forensic psychiatrist and colleague of Abramson’s. Vicary’s reputation endured substantial damage as a result of the case. In November 1993, the mental health professional was set to testify on the brothers’ behalf, but upon meeting with Abramson beforehand, the lawyer was distressed to find that Vicary’s notes had the potential to hurt their defense. Abramson asked Vicary to edit his notes to remove the most damning parts. Vicary complied, and this went unnoticed until April 1996, when Abramson accidentally submitted Vicary’s original notes to the court. Erik and Lyle’s subsequent request for a mistrial, filed after this had come to light, was unsuccessful.
Sources: https://www.psychcrime.org/news/index.php?vd=3095&t=Disgraced%2C+Dishonest+Los+Angeles+Psychiatrist+William+T.+Vicary+Surrenders+Medical+License
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_and_Erik_Men%C3%A9ndez

“Monster” (2022-)
Netflix


Erik & Lyle Appeared in the Background Of a Trading Card
Did you know that the Menéndez brothers made their mark not only on pop culture, but on sports history, too? To be clear, this wasn’t because of their athletic accomplishments. No, Erik and Lyle’s contribution to sports comes in the form of a totally unplanned, totally left-field coincidence. The brothers, in their months-long, nearly million-dollar spending spree, were photographed at a New York Knicks game, and ended up in the background of a trading card featuring the Knicks’ then-point guard Mark Jackson. This wasn’t unearthed until nearly 30 years later, when Stephen Zerance, a true-crime fan and amateur investigator, was searching for proof that the brothers’ post-crime escapades had happened as described.



Misconduct Allegations Against José Menéndez Have Surfaced
While there was little doubt that Lyle and Erik Menéndez were responsible for taking their parents’ lives, speculation and debate persist to this day as to the why of it all. The two sides are represented on Netflix’s “Monsters”: either you believe that the brothers did what they did because of abuse and trauma, or it was because they feared they’d be denied a substantial inheritance. Regardless of individual beliefs, the former camp was validated by 2023 claims from Roy Rossellò, formerly of Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, who claimed that José Menéndez had assaulted him at the age of 14.