Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menendez Story Trailer: Everything You Need to Know
The first trailer for the second season of Netflix and Ryan Murphy’s Monster explores the claims by real-life brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez that they were subjected to years of sexual abuse at the hands of their father, Jose Menendez.
“In the second instalment of the ‘Monster’ anthology series, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan tackle another high-profile case that captivated the nation in the ’90s,” Netflix said in an Aug. 27 statement. “‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ tells the story of two brothers who killed their parents on Aug. 20, 1989, and the events surrounding the brutal murders.”
Who are Erik and Lyle Menendez?
Erik and Lyle Menendez were the sons of Jose Enrique Menendez and Mary Louise “Kitty” Andersen. Lyle was born on 10th January 1968 in New York. while Erik was born on 27th November 1970 in New Jersey.
Both Brothers were arrested for killing their parents, they became a national sensation when the court TV broadcast the trial in 1993. Also, read – Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke to Have Another Leading Role Produced by Peacock
More detail about the Menendez murder case?
Josh and Mary married in 1963 and soon moved to New York where Jose earned a degree in accounting from Queens College. Mary was a teacher but left the job after their first son Lyle was born. They then moved to New Jersey where the 2nd son Erick was born, both brothers attended Princeton Day School.
In 1986 Jose’s career as a corporate executive took the family to Beverly Hills California, where Erik started attending Beverly Hills High School. Erik was an average student but had an incredible talent for Tennis, he even ranked 44th in the US as a Junior. Almost two weeks before the parent’s murder Erick had reached the 2nd round of qualifying in Boys 18 singles in 1989 Boys Junior National Tennis Championship, While Lay attended Princeton University but his grades were poor and he was later suspended for cheating.
20th August 1989 is the day they eventually take a dark turn. During the evening when Jose and Mary were standing in the Den of the Beverly Hills Mansion Den, Erik and Lyle entered and shot them with shotguns. Jose was shot 6 times while Mary was shot 10 times.
Both brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez then remain in the house expecting the police’s arrival in response to gunshots noise. As the police arrived they told the police that their parents were killed when they were at a movie theater watching Batman and attended the “Taste of L.A.” festival.
The police had no reason to suspect the brothers as they thought it was a traumatic event for the boys to lose both of their parents. However, things soon take a turn when both the brothers start spending money extravagantly on travel, food, buying luxury items like Rolex watches, Porsche etc. They spent almost $700,000 before they were arrested.
Why did Erick and Lyle Menendez kill their parents?
After their arrest, both Erik and Lyle Menendez testified that they were sexually assaulted multiple times for years. Meanwhile, their mother was a selfish, mentally unstable alcoholic and a drug-addicted person who supported her husband’s behaviour and was occasionally violent towards the brothers.
To support this claim of the bother two family members came forward. Their cousin Andy Cano said that when they were kids Erik told him about the abuse and describe it as a “Penis Massage”. Another Cousin Diane Vander Molen stated that Lyle once told her about how his father sexually abused him, Diane even told Mary to help her cousin but Mary discarded the claims of Lyle.
Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder and were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Watch Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story on Netflix