Real story of the Netflix show

A dramatic true-crime portrayal of the 1989 trial of the Menendez brothers that roiled the nation is coming to Netflix from producer Ryan Murphy as part of his anthology series “Monster.” Last year, Season 1 of the show, starring Evan Peters as serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, earned six Emmy nominations and a win for supporting actress Niecy Nash.

Now Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story stars Javier Bardem as Jose Menendez and Chloë Sevigny as Kitty Menendez, along with Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch as their sons and murderers Lyle and Erik Menendez, respectively.

It all started on the night of August 20, 1989, when Lyle, then 21 years old, called the Beverly Hills Police Department and said, “Someone killed my parents!” When police arrived at the Menendez family mansion in Beverly Hills, they found Jose and Kitty brutally murdered by gunshot wounds while watching TV. Jose was shot six times and Kitty was shot ten times. Initially, investigators believed the murder was related to Jose’s business dealings at Live Entertainment and possibly related to mafia activities.

Erik and Lyle told police they were in a movie theater watching “Batman” at the time of their parents’ murder. While the police investigated the crime, the brothers started spending money. In just six months after killing their parents, they spent $700,000 of their inherited fortune. Their purchases include a Porsche, a Rolex, a restaurant, a $40,000 investment in a rock concert and more.

However, in March 1990, it all came crashing down for Erik and Lyle when Judalon Smyth reported a tip to the BHPD. She claimed to be in possession of audio-recorded confessions that Erik, then 19 years old, had made during his therapy sessions with Dr. L. Jerome Oziel. Smyth was the mistress of Dr. Oziel.

Upon further digging, evidence against the brothers began to pile up. Their movie alibi could only protect them for a limited time. On March 8, 1990, Lyle was arrested. Two days later Erik surrendered at the airport. It was believed that the brothers killed their parents to make their father’s $14 million fortune.

The already gruesome story took another twist when the trials began in July 1993. During his testimony, Lyle explained how his father and mother had both sexually abused him when he was six to eight years old. Erik followed his brother’s testimony and claimed that his father also abused him from the age of six, but unlike his brother, the abuse never stopped. The alleged abuse ended when he confided in his brother about what had happened, as they had murdered their parents the next day.

In the stands, the brothers cried as they discussed the alleged abuse, explaining how it also caused them to hurt each other when they were children. Andy Cano, one of their cousins, testified that Erik told him about his father’s abuse when he was 10 and Cano was 13. Erik asked if it was normal for his father to give him “massages.” Later he made him promise to keep those entries secret out of fear of his father. Another cousin of theirs, Alan Andersen, testified that when Jose came to visit, he would take a shower with the children and that Kitty would not allow him into the room at those times.

The case ended in a mistrial declared by the judge because the jury could not reach a unanimous decision. The retrial began in October 1995. This trial was more concerned with the facts surrounding the murder and its brutality. The prosecution successfully challenged much of the evidence surrounding the abuse labeled that defense as the ‘excuse for abuse’.

During this trial, Lyle declined to take the stand. On July 2, 1996, the Menendez brothers were found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. In the years since their conviction, the brothers have tried to appeal, but were denied.

There have been other dramatic recreations of the infamous murder, including the Lifetime movie “Menendez: Blood Brothers.”

“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” is now streaming on Netflix.