The Menendez brothers murdered their parents in their Beverley Hills home on August 20, 1
989. The crime attracted immense media attention because of the TV-like aspects such as money, sexual and physical abuse, and drugs.
It has been 34 years since the murder yet interest in the case never died down; recently a show titled Monsters was
released surrounding the lives of Lyle and Erik Menendez. It was created by Ryan Murphy, a well-known director and producer for shows such as American Horror Story, Glee, and others. When the show was announced social media had an overwhelming positive response; viewers were counting down the days until release and doing background research on the case to prepare. I think most people were expecting more of a documentary-style show instead of the dramatized, exaggerated retelling it turned out to be.
The biggest thing the show got wrong is the characterization of Lyle Menendez, making him seem controlling, mean, crazy, and, domineering. I feel the show forgot that Lyle was also traumatized from his father and while he did look up to him he didn’t want to become exactly like him, just make him proud. Another aspect of the show that rubbed viewers the wrong way was how they tried to make you sympathize with the parents, while they both went through their struggles through life and trauma that doesn’t justify what they did to their sons. Adding both sides’ points of view shows the duality of the situation.
The final overall opinion was that it was full of misinformation, after watching the documentary The Menendez Brothers I think the show depicted the facts to the best of their ability. You have to have a certain level of drama to keep people interested. While the misinformation can change viewers opinion on the case it can still open the door for them to learn more and create their own opinion outside of the show.
Erik Menendez responded to the show through his wife on X, saying, “I believed we had moved beyond the lies and
ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show.” This comment solidified the show as untrue and disliked by one of the brothers it is based on, and it just feels wrong to like the show when you know how the brothers feel negatively towards it.
In 2023 the brothers filed a habeas corpus petition because of new evidence found that could potentially prove the brothers’ actions were done out of self-defense. The evidence is a letter Erik wrote to his cousin when they were younger which mentions the sexual abuse at the hands of his father and Roy Rosello, a former member of the band Menudo was drugged and raped by Jose Menendez. The DA has been reviewing the evidence and overall case for a year and has now planned a hearing about the habeas corpus on November 26. Whether they have made a final decision by then is unknown but the brothers’ attorney is hopeful for a positive outcome.
If you are interested in learning the details of the case I recommend watching shows, documentaries, and court tapes on YouTube through COURT TV.
SHOWS:
- Monsters (a dramatized retelling of the brothers’ lives)
- Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders (An 8-episode series reenacting the court case)
DOCUMENTARIES:
- The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All (a 5-episode docuseries of in-depth interviews with Erik Menendez)
- Menendez+Menudo: Boys Betrayed (a 3-episode docuseries of the abuse Jose Menendez caused to everyone around him)
- Truth and Lies: The Menendez Brothers (a movie full of family and friend interviews)
