A deafening silence hung over the lavish Beverly Hills mansion as if the house itself was holding its breath, masking the events that had just unfolded within it. The home that once housed a family of four fell into a chilling quiet, only shattered by the footsteps of Lyle and Erik Menendez as they fled the scene. On that August night in 1989, the killings of José and Kitty Menendez would mark the beginning of a series of trials and discussions that would shake the country — a tale of privilege, power and secrets absorbed within blood-stained furniture.
But more than three decades later, that silence has been broken once again as the case of the Menendez brothers has returned to the spotlight.
“It’s kinda like we forgot about them until now,” Jaala Goodwin (12) said. “The story has been there for so many years but even then people stopped caring, especially after the O.J. Simpson trial.”
The murder of José and Kitty Menendez on Aug. 20, 1989, by their two sons, Lyle and Erik, initially painted a picture of a family torn apart by wealth and greed. But the brothers’ testimony — that they killed their parents in an act of self-defense after enduring years of sexual abuse — has always held a shadow of doubt. Their first trial in 1993 ended in a hung jury, largely because of these allegations. Then in their second trial, many believed that the defense’s ability to present the abuse story was severely lacking, eventually leading to their conviction for first-degree murder and a sentence for life without the possibility of parole.
“I just think they didn’t dig that deep,” Haven Perkins (10) said. “Yes they had two trials, but the second one they didn’t even try that hard. I would’ve looked deeper into the family and history, and … [I would’ve] tried to contact [their] teachers and coaches, but they didn’t do that.”
However, in 2024, the case was thrown back into the media spotlight with the release of two Netflix productions. Ryan Murphy’s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” released in September 2024, brought the case to life with an account of dramatized theories and depictions that many viewers criticized for downplaying the brothers’ claims of abuse. The portrayal of Lyle and Erik being motivated by greed rather than trauma sparked controversy on social media. Shortly after, Netflix released “The Menendez Brothers,” a documentary that presented a more neutral perspective, with interviews from the brothers, family members, jurors and legal experts. The documentary discusses the abuse allegations, examining the questions surrounding how fair the brothers’ trials were and whether relevant evidence was overlooked or dismissed by the courts at the time.
“I honestly think [‘Monsters’] is a good show, especially if you don’t know about [the case],” RaMaiya Stokes (12) said. “I didn’t know much about it before I watched it, but I finally got a glimpse of what they went through. But I do know there were a lot of lies just to make money; like in the show, they were saying [the brothers] had relations with each other but they’re siblings … When I watched the people in real life, I’ve seen their court appearances … there was no type of sexual tension like that.”
Amidst the public debates, social media, specifically TikTok, has brought back public interest. Several viral videos have set off a movement that is seen to sympathize with the brothers’ claims of abuse, with many now questioning whether societal biases in the ‘90s led to the dismissal of the defense. Many argue that the disbelief around male victims of abuse, along with judgment, prevented a complete understanding of the brothers’ actions and motives. The rise of these online discussions has pushed for a reevaluation of the case, with many petitions calling for a resentencing and more general conversations about how justice is served.
“Back then, there [was] obviously less media and I think the few sources that they had [was] all they believed,” Perkins said. “Everyone’s opinions are online now and you can see everything and the truth … I think especially with the way they’ve been doing stuff in prison to help other people and [publicizing] it makes people feel more seen, and it seems like people are starting to like them and believe them more. It’s been showing people who’ve struggled too [that] you’re not alone.”
In October 2024, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced that he supports the resentencing of the Menendez brothers, potentially making them eligible for parole. This can also be tied to new evidence that was discovered in May 2023, including a letter Erik Menendez wrote in 1989 to a cousin, in which he discusses the abuse he suffered from his father. Supporters of the brothers view this letter as vital evidence for their claims, while others question how authentic and relevant they really are. Still, the case continues to spark debates on whether the brothers should be given a chance at freedom after spending more time behind bars than outside.
“It’s not even about if the abuse is real anymore because they have the letter that Erik wrote months before they even killed their parents, “ Goodwin said. “It’s really whether or not [the justice system] can recognize it … it’s about understanding what they’ve learned through the years they already served.”
As the Menendez brothers’ case re-enters public whispers, it highlights bigger conversations about trauma, justice and how societal attitudes have evolved. Whether the brothers will get to see a change in their sentencing remains uncertain as their official hearing will take place in December 2024, but the new upheaval in the interest of their story shows the ongoing cultural shift of how society has grown to view abuse, mental health and the legal system.
“You see so many cases that are the same, sometimes even worse, but they have way lighter sentencing,” Goodwin said. “I saw this video covering a woman who killed her mother, disfigured her, hid her body in cement, and I think she hid [the body] for 2 years … Her sentencing was only for about 2 years. Her case was more gruesome … so why does she get 2 years while they get life and both cases happened around the same time. I mean when you watch the video tapes [of the Menendez brothers’ trial], it sounds like the judge is completely disregarding the major stuff. No child or anybody in general should have to go through what those boys went through.”
