Netflix's Monsters Series Reignites the Menendez Brothers Case

Netflix released Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story in 2024 as the second season of the Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan anthology series. The drama centers on one of California's most infamous crimes: the August 20, 1989 murders of José and Kitty Menendez in their upscale Beverly Hills home by their sons Lyle, 21, and Erik, 18.

That evening, the brothers used 12-gauge shotguns purchased from a San Diego sporting goods store to kill their parents. José, an entertainment executive, was shot approximately six times. Kitty, attempting to flee, sustained over 10 gunshot wounds. The brothers had initially failed to purchase firearms at stores in West Los Angeles and Orange County due to waiting periods and licensing issues before finally succeeding at Big 5 Sporting Goods in San Diego.

Initially, police treated the killings as a double homicide with no obvious leads. The public speculated wildly—mafia involvement, business revenge plots—until the confession came from an unexpected source. On Halloween 1989, Erik confessed details of the murders to his therapist, Dr. Jerome Oziel, who recorded the conversation. Lyle later made admissions to the same therapist. These recordings became pivotal evidence after Dr. Oziel's mistress, Judalon Smyth, tipped off police, effectively breaching therapist-patient confidentiality.

The brothers were arrested in March 1990 on first-degree murder charges. Their legal defense rested on claims of years of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse inflicted by José, with Kitty portrayed as an emotional abuser. The defense argued the murders were an act of self-defense born from sustained fear. The prosecution, however, painted a different picture: premeditated killings motivated by a desire to access a $14 million inheritance. Evidence of a post-murder spending spree—luxury purchases and lavish lifestyle changes—supported this narrative.