Netflix announced the true crime series will be focusing on the violent case of the Menendez brothers, who were convicted in 1996 of murdering their parents. He landed at the independent film company Carolco Pictures, which produced the Rambo big-screen franchise. Roy Rossell, 53, an ex-member of the 1980s boy band Menudo, claims in the Peacock special that Jose Menendez sexually assaulted him when he was 14. It was those sessions that would lead to their eventual arrest. But they werent arrested until half a year after the murdersand the boys painted Los Angeles red in the interim. Smyth and Oziel had a rocky relationship she claimed he was controlling and abusive and after he allegedly attacked her, Smyth contacted the Beverly Police to reveal that the Menendez brothers confessed to their parents murder. Lyle and Erik Menendez remain incarcerated at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. Thats when they discovered the murder.. By the age of four, both had grown up in the opulent Beverley Hills. When the pair returned home, Lyle called 911 and cried, Somebody killed my parents! The Menendez murders became a national sensation when the new television network, Court TV, broadcast the trial in 1993. Erik bought a Rolex too, and clothes, and lost thousands of dollars gambling. During the pandemic, the trial was streamed on Court TV, and with the new sets of eyes belonging to a generation more compassionate toward sex abuse victims, many voiced their opinion that Lyle and Erik should have been charged with manslaughter. The Menendez brothers' documentary and paper headlines dwelled on the concept of greedy rich kids who killed their parents for money. Subsequently, it is said that the boys obtained an estimated $700,000 payout from their deceased parents' life insurance policy. 1,679, This story has been shared 1,559 times. Jos reportedly made a deal with the district attorney to get Erik who was still a minor a slap on the wrist in exchange for pleading guilty, while both brothers were required to enter counseling. When he awakened in his hotel room the next morning, he discovered physical evidence that hed been violated, but couldnt 100 percent ascertain who had been the culprit. Alongside Roys own sincere commentary, their testimony (including Rauls admission that he once saw Roy and Diaz in bed together, naked) is shocking and persuasive. They went home to get Eriks false identification he had so they could go to a bar, retired Beverly Hills Detective Sgt. Right: Menendez married his prison pen pal Tammi Saccoman, a wealthy widow, in a jailhouse ceremony in 1999. 3,830, This story has been shared 2,229 times. Previously, the Menendez brothers were jailed at separate prisons. Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed, the new Peacock docuseries premiering May 2, explores a provocative new allegation against the brothers late father. He smiled and looked up at her slowly. The brothers were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. My brother wants to become President of the U.S. Lyle and Erik continue serving life sentences, regularly leading therapy groups behind bars. Theres only so many gun stores in San Diego.. Meanwhile, Lyle returned to Princeton, but not to attend classes. Lyle showed promise as an up-and-coming tennis athlete, while Erik had aspirations of getting into politics. Right: The Menendez Murders, a Law & Order mini-series, will depict the infamous court case. PeacockLyle and Erik Menendez claimed that they killed their parents in 1989 because they feared for their safety following a lifetime of sexual abuse perpetrated by their father, Jos, an RCA Records executive, and condoned by their mother, Kitty. During one of those visits, Roy says he saw Erik and Lyle, after which he was drugged and assaultedand he implies that this crime took place as an implicit means of sealing Menudos RCA deal. U kunt uw keuzes te allen tijde wijzigen door te klikken op de links 'Privacydashboard' op onze sites en in onze apps. In compelling testimony lasting over a month, they emotionally described years of sexual abuse by Jose and Kitty Menendez. The brothers have admitted to killing their parents. Smyth claimed Oziel recorded the brothers admissions on tape. The duo committed the crime after years of sexual abuse suffering at the hands of their father. The brothers moved out of the family's Beverly Hills mansion and stayed in a series of expensive hotels before finally leasing condominiums on the water in Marina Del Rey. Maybe they were trying to look younger, or more wholesome, or otherwise less capable of murdering their parents. Nearly seven years, three trials and many thousands of hours of TV coverage later, their sons, .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Lyle and Erik Menendez, were found guilty of their murders and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Thirty years ago this week, a shocking crime unfolded in a Beverly Hills mansion. She became interested in the case after seeing footage of TikTok. Finally, the Supreme Court of California ruled that two of the three tapes were eligible to be used in the trial, including one that contained Lyles admission of guilt. Enter a date in the format M/D (e.g., 1/1), The Menendez brothers murder their parents, Why the Menendez Brothers Killed Their Parentsa Look Inside Their Murder Case, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-menendez-brothers-murder-their-parents, 17-year-old becomes youngest to hit MLB home run, First enslaved Africans arrive in Jamestown, setting the stage for slavery in North America, Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky assassinated in Mexico, First around-the-world telegram sent, 66 years before Voyager II launch, United States decides to support Ngo Dinh Diem, Corps of Discovery suffers its only death, Valley of the Dolls author Jacqueline Susann born, Horace Greeleys The Prayer of Twenty Millions is published. Suspicions were raised when Lyle and Erik used the life insurance money to make head-turning purchases, including a Porsche Carrera, Rolex watches, and a $60,000-per-year tennis coach for Lyles continued lessons. Lyle Menendez was arrested on March 8, 1990 in Beverly Hills. The prosecution contended the brothers' motive was greed, pointing to their spending spree in the months following their parents' murders. Erik married his pen pal, Tammi Saccoman, in 1999, while Lyle has found two women willing to marry him: Anna Eriksson, a former model who divorced him after a year when she found out he had been writing to other women, and then Rebecca Sneed, a journalist who he wed in 2003. Oziel's mistress overheard the taped session, and she went to police. The Mystery Novelist Who Committed a Real Murder, Boston Marathon Bombings Survivors, 10 Years Later, A Complete Timeline of Adnan Syeds Trial, Release. 1,717, This story has been shared 1,679 times. Erik and Lyle Menendez testify about sex abuse in graphic detail: Part 8. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. The investigation eventually turned to Lyle and Erik. The therapy sessions continued and Oziel ultimately got both Erik and Lyle on tape, confessing to the murders. In emotional testimonies, both brothers spoke about how their father Jose Menendez raped and abused them. The publics understanding of childhood trauma and the scars it leaves is significantly greater than it was in the 90s. At the time of the murders, Lyle was 21 years old, and Erik was 18 years old. Born in Cuba to well-to-do business people and star athletes, Jose was 16 when his parents sent him to the U.S. in the late 1950s. Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted in 1996 of murdering their mother, Mary Louise, a former beauty queen who went by Kitty, and their father, Jose, a music executive, despite defense arguments. Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed (May 2) boasts a bombshell in store for viewers who may have (naturally) assumed that the Menendez saga was over. One by one, family members testified to the abuse, with a cousin confirming that the boys told them about the sexual abuse years earlier. Close your eyes and conjure the Menendez brothers, and theyre wearing matching sweaters the vivid, unnatural colors of jelly beans. Where Is Acquitted Murderer Candy Montgomery Now? They believed, "honestly though mistakenly," according to the newspaper, that their parents were going to kill them if they did not act. Well. Where Was 'John Mulaney: Baby J' on Netflix Filmed? Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Lyle and Erik Menendez shot and killed their parents Jose Menendez, 45, a wealthy entertainment executive, and Kitty Menendez, 47, at their Beverly Hills mansion on Aug. 20, 1989. Is The Nurse On Netflix Based On A True Story? Jose set high goals for himself and his sons. The brothers were taken in for questioning but were outwardly distraught. For the next three years, a legal battle was fought over the admissibility of Dr. Oziels tapes. The abuse had many negative effects on the boys, most importantly it made them hyper-vigilant and fearful and anxious nearly all the time. Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed, the new, Roy Rossell, 53, an ex-member of the 1980s boy band Menudo, claims in the Peacock special that Jose Menendez sexually assaulted him when he was 14. Thats when they discovered their parents decimated bodies and dialed 911, they said in their interviews. Jose was 45 years old and chief executive of Live Entertainment when he was killed. The legal team for Lyle and Erik Menendez argued that they were sexually abused by their father. Erik and Lyle Menendez, two brothers who grew up in Beverly Hills, California, were convicted of murdering their parents Jose and Louise "Kitty" Menendez on the night of August 20, 1989.. In a particularly dark October 1993 sketch, Saturday Night Live imitated their smoothly flat voices and the way their faces would crumple into crocodile tears. After shooting their parents to death, Lyle and Erik Menendez partied, gambled, and indulged in pricey shopping sprees. alleges that Jos Menendez, who was an executive at RCA Records at the time. Lyle, however, stayed on the East Coast to attend Princeton University. Lyle Menendez, then 21 years old, called 911 to report that he and his 18-year-old brother, Erik Menendez, had returned from the movie theater and the Taste of L.A. event in Santa Monica to find someone had murdered their mother and father. ", Kim Kardashian Teases 'American Horror Story' Role as Ryan Murphy Calls Her "True Force in the Culture", Does Buck Die on '9-1-1'? He was a sexual predator, Roy says about Jos at the outset of Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed, thereby supporting Lyle and Eriks story about the cruelty they suffered at their dads hands. 'Citadel' Episode Guide: When Do New Episodes Premiere on Prime Video? If you were born before 1980, you probably know all about Lyle and Erik Menendez the brothers arrested and charged in 1990 with the murder of their parents, Jose and Mary "Kitty" Menendez. According to their statements, the brothers left to get their guns, returning a short time later.