Previously publicity shy Menéndez brothers both speak publicly about killing their parents in the wake of the success of NBC’s ‘Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders’
Erik and Lyle Menéndez, the brothers convicted of murdering their allegedly abusive multi-millionaire parents José and Mary ‘Kitty’ Menéndez at their home in Beverly Hills, California in 1989, have generally been pretty quiet in the years since their conviction at their second trial in 1994.
Now, however, in the wake of the immense success of NBC’s eight-part series, Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders, about the case Erik Menéndez has given his first interview since 2005 to A&E. Set to be screened in America on 30th November, The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All will also include previously unseen photographs and new interviews with family and friends.
In two trailers for the show, Erik, now 46, speaks through the phone from the Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California and states:
“I’m Erik Menéndez… I’m serving life in prison without the possibility of parole. I’ve heard many different versions of my life told in the media, and those stories are fictional. I think it’s time people hear the truth in my own words without the restrictions of a courtroom.”
“From the moment after, I wanted to go back in time. It was so wrong. I didn’t want my parents dead – I just wanted the abuse to stop. Years and years of pain exploded that night in an unimaginable violence. It is my own personal hell.”
“My only hope in speaking out is that people have a more complete understanding of the events that led up to my actions on the night of 20th August and really a fuller picture of what happened in my life.”
“All I can hope for is that people will come to realise that the truth is not a simple one-line explanation that many people have tried to make it out to be. That really, that my life was unfolding of a complicated life that I lived that had all of these things that came into being and that led up to what is an ongoing and enduring family tragedy.”
“The tragedy didn’t end on that night, as devastating as that night was. It didn’t end there for my family, and it continues on to this day, and that sadness is something that I am trying to make up for them and with my parents for the rest of my life. It will never end.”
Elsewhere, on the @MenendezBrothers Facebook page this weekend, through an intermediary seemingly in his presence at the Mule Creek State Prison where he is housed in Ione, California, Lyle Menéndez participated in what appeared to be a live Facebook chat.
Aside from sounding quite upbeat and referencing how his second wife (he has married twice since being imprisoned) had visited him earlier in the day, Lyle answered a question about which Spice Girl he liked most with the answer “Posh, of course!” and stated that “no one is good enough to play [me] for it be enjoyable” of “paddle tennis” in the prison. He shared news that he is “currently re-reading Shogun” as it is “a book centered [sic] around great patience and spirit under terrible circumstances” and in response to a question about what music he likes most added: “I like the stories that country music tells so for me it is most uplifting to listen to country music. It puts me in touch with my emotions. But I do like all sorts of music.”
More tellingly, especially given he is likely never to leave prison during his lifetime, Lyle, in referencing a question about the unauthorised @FreetheMenendezBrothers Facebook page stated:
“People have filled me in. We are not affiliated with it in any way. We have told people that writing letters to the governor right now is not helpful to our release and could actually be a detriment. We know that it is frustrating to people but these are serious legal matters that have very specific avenues that require serious legal planning. I know it is frustrating and that we cannot stop people, but what I am saying now are my wishes.”
Plainly this statement shows that Lyle still has hope that he could actually be released and given that the allegations of appalling abuse and sexual assault by their parents seem to be finally attracting worthy examination also, it does indeed seem time that the severity of the duo’s sentences again be looked at.
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The juror you wrote about is right. This should have been a manslaughter verdict and not a murder. Those boys were treated disgustingly. There was a photo of daddy Menenendez groping one of the sons in a photo and he even had drilled spy holes above their bedrooms. Another relative mentioned abuse independently and yet it all got ignored. Justice was not served.
I am the juror that The Steeple Times featured on October 16.
I understand completely why people hate the Menendez brothers. If I hadn’t witnessed 5 months of testimony, and deliberated the issues for a month (not to mention a month of jury selection), and if all I’d ever seen and heard were the prosecution-biased headlines, news stories, articles, books, documentaries, comedy sketches, and dramatizations, I would too.
Now we have the Law & Order True Crime series. My book — Hung Jury: The Diary of a Menendez Juror — is available again, and Robert Rand’s book — The Menendez Murders — is available for pre-order. Both on Amazon.
More people are finally learning the truth.
WTF????????? They shot their parents in cold blood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They should have got the electric chair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Or better still, there should have a f***ing firing squad that began at their f***ing knees and slowly worked upwards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Those poor parents continue to be defamed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF???????????? Sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good parents?? Good parents don’t rape and molest their children? I take it you didn’t watch Court TV back in the day or the new Law and Order special that is on this evening. The parents own brothers and sisters testified for the boys and outlined the abuses they witnesses.
Whether you live in a good neighborhood or a poor one, abuse and rape can occur. You might want to take a minute and review the case
Really????
“Poor parents continue to be defamed”???
You might want to look at just who is “defaming” them. Some of their own family – brothers and sisters of the parents for starters!
What is wrong with you people? You effectively endorse supporting an examination of the case of two spoilt brats who shot their loving parents yet you do NOTHING to aid dear Gerry and Kate McCann in their search for their beloved missing daughter Madeleine. Do the right thing and write about Madeleine and the wonderful search the police and others like Richard Branson and Philip Green and Stelios and JK Rowling have helped with. FIND MADELEINE, FIND HER NOW.
GOD, Have you escaped again??
HJP is right and this should never have been a murder verdict. Having watched the drama series I can see it should have been manslaughter most acutely.
There were moments when I watched what I’ve seen of the NBC True Crime series that I thought the brothers were innocent but there must be reasons they were convicted that are just as compelling. Can we not be told more about those please?
I was a juror in the first trial which resulted in 2 hung juries. “Innocent” was never on the table. It was essentially a matter of murder vs manslaughter. The reason they were successfully convicted of murder in the second trial was that the judge reversed many of his previous rulings and gutted the defense case. My own book, Hung Jury: The Diary of a Menendez Juror, and Law & Order True Crime are the best sources for more information until Robert Rand’s book, Menendez Murders, comes out later this year.
Their case should absolutely be revised!
Years of abuse, trial by media, political interference, pathetic witnesses ie, Oziel!
If it weren’t for some of the jurors they’d be dead by now
From what I have seen of this case, I don’t think it should have been a murder verdict. However that was probably the only verdict that could be handed down as it was premeditated. I do believe the whole thing should be revised.
It’s a terrible crime and they have served their sentence. They have to live with the fact they killed their parents. They have gone from one hell to another. Erik did run away but his father always found him. Being threatened every day is not living. What if it was you and your little brother ? Let them go home.
They deserve a 3rd trial. They were slided on the 2nd. They SHOULD of only received Manslaughter & time in a mental institution! They Prosecution screwed them bad. But OJ & the cops who beat Rodney King walked free!!? That’s bullshit & y’all know it