True Story Behind Netflix’s 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story', Brothers Who Killed Their Parents

‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ revisits the story of the two brothers Lyle and Erik (played by Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch) who killed their parents Jose Menendez and his wife, Mary Louise 'Kitty' Menendez in 1989. 

Netflix’s ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ revisits the story of the two brothers Lyle and Erik who killed their parents

Source : Netflix

After ‘Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’, Netflix is back with the second installment of its anthology series by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan. ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ revisits the story of the two brothers Lyle and Erik (played by Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch respectively) who killed their parents Jose Menendez (Javier Bardem) and his wife, Mary Louise 'Kitty' Menendez (Chloë Sevigny) in 1989. 

The nine-part series has got mixed reviews with many viewers with claims of factual errors and implications of incest between the siblings. Erik Menendez, currently serving a life sentence, released a statement calling the show a “dishonest portrayal” of their story. 

Erik Menendez's statement on Netflix's series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

The statement read, “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. I can only believe they were done so on purpose. It is with a heavy heart that I say, I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent.” 

Erik continued, “It is sad for me to know that Netflix’s dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime have taken the painful truths several steps backward — back through time to an era when the prosecution built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused, and that males experienced rape trauma differently than women. Those awful lies have been disrupted and exposed by countless brave victims over the last two decades who have broken through their personal shame and bravely spoken out. So now Murphy shapes his horrible narrative through vile and appalling character portrayals of Lyle and of me and disheartening slander.” 

“Is the truth not enough? Let the truth stand as the truth. How demoralizing to know that one man with power can undermine decades of progress in shedding light on childhood trauma. Violence is never an answer, never a solution, and is always tragic. As such, I hope it is never forgotten that violence against a child creates a hundred horrendous and silent crime scenes darkly shadowed behind glitter and glamor and rarely exposed until tragedy penetrates everyone involved. To all those who have reached out and supported me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” he concluded. 

Here’s the true story behind the gruesome murder and what happened afterward: 

Lyle and Erik Menendez's parents' murder and their arrest

On August 20, 1989, the affluent Beverly Hills community was shaken when Jose and Kitty Menendez were brutally gunned down in their family room. Lyle (21) and Erik (18) told the police that they found their parents dead when they reached home. 

Initial suspicions pointed to organised crime due to the brutal nature of the killings. However, investigators soon shifted focus to the brothers, who were splurging on luxury items like Rolex watch and real estate. Six months after the murder, police received a tip from Judalon Smyth, mistress of Erik's psychologist, Jerome Oziel. Smyth reportedly told police that Erik confessed to the crime to his therapist and there are audio tapes of their sessions. 

What happened at Lyle and Erik Menendez's trial 

During their highly publicised 1993 trial, Lyle and Erik claimed self-defense, alleging years of physical and emotional abuse by their parents. Lyle testified that his father's sexual abuse began when he was six and continued until he was eight. Erik stated that the abuse never stopped and he told his brother Lyle about the abuse just days before the murder. They said that they believed their life was in danger and their parents would kill them after Lyle confronted his father about the abuse. 

Prosecution argued that the motive was financial, citing the brothers' extravagant spending after the murder. It also said that the killings were premeditated, highlighting the brothers' shotgun purchase days before the crime.  

After a deadlocked jury and mistrial, the 1995 retrial yielded guilty verdicts for first-degree murder. Lyle and Erik were sentenced to two consecutive life terms without parole. 

Lyle and Erik Menendez's marriages and who are their wives 

Erik Menendez has been married to Tammi Ruth Saccoman for over 20 years, a relationship that began with a letter that she sent to him in jail in 1993. According to reports, in 1997, Tammi met Erik for the first time at Folsom State Prison. In 1999, and they tied the knot in a prison ceremony. 

In an earlier interview to MSNBC, Tammy said, "We did get very close through letters and then you know the relationship moved forward when I did meet him. But it was the correspondence that he became a really good friend of mine and understood what I was going through and I understood what he was going through.” 

Lyle Menendez has married twice since his conviction. Lyle's first marriage was to Anna Eriksson, a model who reached out to him through letters during his highly publicised trial. Their relationship blossomed through correspondence, and Anna relocated to Los Angeles to be closer to Lyle. According to People, they tied the knot over the phone in 1996, on the day Lyle received his life sentence. However, their union ended in 2001 when Anna filed for divorce, alleging that Lyle exchanged letters with other women without her knowledge. 

In 2003, Lyle found love again with Rebecca Sneed, a journalist-turned-attorney. According to NBC News, the couple had known each other for a decade before their relationship began.  

According to People, Rebecca resides in California and visits Lyle weekly. 

In a 2017 interview with People, Lyle talked about the strength of their relationship."Our interaction tends to be very free of distractions and we probably have more intimate conversations than most married spouses do, who are distracted by life's events. We try and talk on the phone every day, sometimes several times a day. I have a very steady, involved marriage and that helps sustain me and brings a lot of peace and joy. It's a counter to the unpredictable, very stressful environment here,” Lyle told People. 

Neither Lyle nor his brother Erik has been allowed conjugal visits, making their marriages platonic. 

Where are Lyle and Erik now 

After their sentencing, both the brothers were sent to different prisons. They were relocated to the RJ Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego in 2018. This marked the first time the brothers had laid eyes on each other in nearly 22 years.