The Untold Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez

The Untold Story of Lyle & Erik Menéndez

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking over the harrowing true story of brothers Lyle and Erik Menéndez.

The American Dream Turned Nightmare

Following the Cuban Revolution, teenager José Enrique Menéndez immigrated from his home country to the United States. Attending Queens College on a swimming scholarship, Menéndez worked as a dishwasher while earning his accounting degree. In 1972, Menéndez became the Hertz rental company’s executive vice president of U.S. operations. He most notably oversaw Hertz’s endorsement deal with O. J. Simpson. During the 80s, Menéndez became the COO of Hertz’s then-parent company, RCA. A year before RCA went defunct, Menéndez accepted a new job as the head of International Video Entertainment, later renamed Artisan Entertainment. On the road to becoming a self-made millionaire, Menéndez married former beauty queen and his college sweetheart, Mary Louise “Kitty” Andersen, with whom he had two sons.

Joseph Lyle Menéndez was born in 1968 with Erik following two years later. On the surface, the Menéndezs seemed like an idyllic family living the American dream. Something darker was brewing beneath the surface, however. Although they wouldn’t publicly discuss it until adulthood, Lyle and Erik claim their father abused them mentally, physically, and sexually from a young age. In 1976, Lyle confided in cousin Diane Vander Molen, who informed their mother. Kitty denied the accusations, although the brothers say that their mother turned a blind eye to the abuse and later took part in it. Supposedly, Lyle and his mother inappropriately shared a bed shortly before he became a teenager. There were other signs that not all was well at the Menéndez household.

Upon graduating from high school, Lyle was accepted into Princeton after his father donated $50,000. Following his first semester, Lyle was suspended for plagiarism and ultimately dropped out. Despite their family’s immense wealth, the brothers started committing “hot prowls” and burglaries, stealing $100,000 in cash, jewelry, and other items. Lyle and Erik were caught - in a stolen vehicle no less - but José made the issue go away by writing checks to their pilfered neighbors. Selling their house in Calabasas for $950,000, the Menéndezs bought a new mansion in Beverly Hills for an estimated $4-5 million. The brothers were aware that their parents were considering taking away their inheritance around this time, but they claim this isn’t what motivated what came next.

The Murders of José & Kitty Menéndez

After years of alleged abuse, Lyle and Erik believed their father might kill them. On August 20, 1989, the brothers confronted their parents in their den, armed with shotguns. José and Kitty were fatally shot multiple times. At one point, their sons retrieved more ammunition from the car before finishing off Kitty, who attempted to crawl away. Waiting to call 911, the brothers disposed of their guns and bloody clothes, purchased movie tickets, and tried tracking down a friend in Santa Monica to provide an alibi. Unable to find him, Erik and Lyle returned home where the latter contacted the police at 11:47 p.m. The two told the authorities they had been at a “Batman” screening, unable to get into “License to Kill.”

Initially, the cops didn’t view Lyle and Erik as serious suspects. The gruesome crime scene looked more like a mob hit with Kitty’s face practically gone. They grew more suspicious as the brothers went on an extravagant spending spree. The two stood to inherit at least $14 million and $500,000 from life insurance. In the subsequent months, Lyle purchased a Rolex, a Porsche, and multiple restaurants. Erik flew to Israel for tennis tournaments, bankrolling a full-time coach. Between overseas trips, courtside Knicks tickets, and other lavish expenses, the brothers spent around $700,000. The authorities and some family members theorized that the brothers staged their parents’ murders to look like an organized crime job, motivated by financial gain.

Craig Cignarelli was a friend of Erik’s, together writing a screenplay in high school in which the protagonist murders his parents. Persuaded by the police, Cignarelli tried to get Erik to confess while wearing a wire. While Erik denied any wrongdoing to Cignarelli, the truth came out during a therapy session. After Erik pleaded guilty to the burglaries, the court ordered him to see Dr. Jerome Oziel in exchange for no jail time. Erik got back in touch with his psychiatrist following the murders, eventually telling him everything. Supposedly believing his family might be at risk, Oziel avoided telling the police, but he shared the brothers’ secret with his mistress, Judalon Smyth. Once Smyth went to the cops, they moved in on the Menéndez brothers.

Arrests, Trials, & Convictions

While Lyle was arrested on March 8, 1990, Erik played tennis in Israel. Robert Shapiro, who later represented O. J. Simpson during his murder trial, arranged Erik’s surrender in L.A. after three days. Shapiro also attended Erik’s arraignment, but the brothers’ defense was subsequently handed to Leslie Abramson, who had won similar cases. Although Lyle and Erik pleaded innocent, the prosecution had a taped confession from a session with Dr. Oziel. With little doubt surrounding what the brothers had done, the defense leaned into the alleged abuse José and Kitty inflicted. In addition to hearing testimony from Lyle and Erik, cousins Diane Vander Molen and Andy Cano supported the brothers’ claims. Not every family member was convinced, most notably Milton Andersen, Kitty’s brother.

The self-defense argument was hard to back up, especially considering how their parents died. Meanwhile, the prosecution remained adamant that money motivated the Menéndezs. Although Erik and Lyle were tried separately, both juries failed to reach a verdict. This mistrial reflected the divided public reaction. Even those who believed the brothers had been abused were torn on whether they should be punished. In many respects, the media circus surrounding the Menéndez brothers was a predecessor to the O. J. Simpson trial. Coincidentally, Erik’s cell was adjacent to Simpson’s after his 1994 arrest. Lyle, who also crossed paths with Simpson behind bars, felt the former football star should accept a plea bargain. Instead, Simpson was found not guilty on October 3, 1995.

Not long after Simpson was freed, Erik and Lyle’s second trial commenced, this time being tried together. Given the controversial reaction to the Simpson verdict, Erik sensed that the District Attorney would be even more determined to make an example of them. Whether or not this factored in, Erik and Lyle were convicted on March 20, 1996. Four months later, they were sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. September 1996 was the last time the brothers saw each other for 22 years, as they were sent to different prisons 500 miles apart. On the day of his sentencing, Lyle married pen pal Anna Eriksson. Although this relationship didn’t last, Lyle remarried long-time acquaintance Rebecca Sneed while Erik tied the knot with author Tammi Ruth Saccoman.

The Menéndez Brothers Now

In 2018, the brothers shared a tearful reunion when Lyle was moved into Erik’s housing unit. Although they had maintained contact via letters, this was their first face-to-face interaction in decades. Over the years, the brothers have appealed multiple times. Recently, they’ve pushed for their case to be reevaluated, having uncovered a letter Erik wrote to Andy Cano highlighting the abuse before the murder. In 2023, Puerto Rican singer Roy Rosselló came forward, alleging that José had sexually abused him as well. Although many continue to doubt their innocence, Lyle and Erik have gained numerous supporters, even going viral on TikTok. Despite already being the subject of numerous shows and movies, the brothers remain in the zeitgeist, inspiring Season 2 of the Netflix anthology, “Monster” - or “Monsters.”

While all signs indicate that Lyle and Erik killed their parents, their case is one with no easy answers, which is why we’re still talking about it 35 years later.

Do you think the punishment matched the crime? Do you think the Menéndez brothers should be released? Let’s have a civil conversation in the comments.