The Menendez brothers: One of the worst true crime tales ever?

Can the chilling past of a notorious crime be revisited with a fresh perspective? This is the question posed by Netflix as they prepare to unravel the infamous Menendez brothers’ case in their next true-crime hit. This series is not for the faint-hearted, as it explores the dark twists of a story involving two brothers, Lyle, 55, and Erik Menendez, 52, who were convicted in 1996 for the brutal murder of their own parents.

If you are ready for it, take a deep dive into all the gritty details that have social media still talking about it.

Twisted tales

The Menendez brothers claimed they were propelled into the gruesome act by years of enduring sexual abuse at the hands of their father, Jose Menendez. The brothers recounted horrifying tales of molestation, leaving the nation in a state of shock and divided on the question of their deserving life imprisonment.

Netflix intends to dissect the chilling murders and the consequential trial in the second season of its anthology series Monster, set to premiere in 2024. The series, orchestrated by Ryan Murphy, is a follow-up to his highly successful first season focusing on Jeffrey Dahmer. Netflix also plans to release a separate documentary feature on the brothers.

The Menendez brothers’ case has recently been reignited by startling new evidence. Almost thirty years after the brothers’ conviction, Roy Rossello, a former member of the boy band Menudo, accused Jose Menendez of sexually assaulting him during his teenage years. 

Rossello’s claims, made in a recent three-part Peacock docuseries titled Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed, could potentially reshape the narrative around the Menendez trials.

Desperate plea

Both Erik and Lyle have expressed their hope that Rossello’s allegations could trigger a reopening of their case. “That would have made a difference at trial,” Lyle said, emphasizing the potential impact of the new information.

Following the airing of the Peacock documentary, the Menendez brothers’ legal team filed a petition for their release. They cited newly discovered evidence supporting their claims of sexual abuse by their father, including a distressing letter from Erik to his cousin Andy Cano, written about eight months before the murders.

The letter details Erik’s fear of his father and his efforts to avoid him. The defense argued that had the jury seen this letter, along with the information about Jose’s assault on Rossello, the prosecution’s claim that the abuse “never happened” would have been undermined.

The facade

Jose Menendez, originally from Cuba, and his wife Kitty seemed like a successful, happy couple, raising their two sons while Jose’s career flourished. The family eventually settled in Beverly Hills, California, in 1986. On the surface, they appeared to be an average household, but behind closed doors, the brothers claimed they endured years of trauma.

On August 20, 1989, Lyle and Erik shattered the illusion of their perfect family. They shot their parents dead in their Beverly Hills mansion, firing five times at Jose and nine times at Kitty. Prosecutors suggested that the brothers were driven by greed, with eyes set on their parents’ $14 million estate. After the murders, both brothers indulged in lavish spending, fueling suspicions about their motive.

Following two trials, the first of which ended in a hung jury, the Menendez brothers were found guilty in 1996. They defended themselves by stating that their father’s alleged abuse had pushed them into a corner, leading to the murder. 

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Will this new evidence prompt a fresh look at their claims? Could a change in public perception influence their fate now after all of these years? Let us know in the comments!