The Menendez Brothers’ documentary on Netflix, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, may not be over. Despite the documentary drawing flack for implying the brothers had an incestuous relationship and more, the attention grew and gave the brothers a platform. With extensive coverage, new witnesses, and evidence, Attorney George Gascón announced that the case is now under review, paving the way for the Menendez brothers to be possibly retried, resentenced to a lesser term, or even released entirely.
Netflix’s Documentary on the Menendez Brothers
The controversial documentary Monster: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story followed the story of the Menendez brothers, who murdered their parents, Jose and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez. The plot is essentially called a fictionalized version of Lyle and Erik, who are real-life brothers whose horrific abuse was essentially sensationalized. After the documentary charted #1 on the streaming platform, the Menendez brothers and their families recounted the pain and continued to endure. They stand by their original statements that they suffered horrific sexual abuse from their father, and their mother allowed it to happen.
In a statement on X posted by his wife, Erik Menendez called out the show for its dishonest portrayal. The show creator Ryan Murphy only brushed this off, claiming that if the brothers watched the series, they’d be happy with their actors’ performance. With the recent news, Murphy pointed out the irony that Erik, who criticized the series, may now benefit from the attention due to the public discourse about the series. In his opinion, the series could help the brothers secure an early release. Murphy also discussed how giving Kim Kardashian an early look at the series before its premiere on the platform urged her to write an op-ed for NBC News advocating for their release.
New Witness and Evidence
Image from Unsplash by Tingey Injury Law FirmIn 1989, Lyle, then 21, and Erik, then 18, admitted to fatally shooting their entertainment executive father and mother. They argued that they feared their parents were going to kill them to prevent them from disclosing their father’s long-term molestation. Since then, the two have served lifelong sentences. On October 3, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced in a press release that he believes the Menendez brothers’ case should be re-examined after discovering new evidence and questions regarding the testimony permitted during their second trial.
The new evidence includes a letter written by Erik to his cousin, Andy Cano, in December 1988, eight months before the crime. In that letter, Erik talked about being a victim of molestation. Another key witness is a member of the Menudo band who alleged that he was molested by the Menendez brothers’ father, Jose. The new hearing is now set for November 29, leading to a retrial or resentencing of the Menendez brothers. The evidence was presented in May 2023 by the brothers’ lawyer, Cliff Gardner, who filed the habeas petition, presenting the letter and Roy Roselló affidavit as new evidence.
Rosello’s affidavit is featured in the Peacock docuseries “Menendez+Menudo: Boys Betrayed,” which raised allegations that Jose Menendez sexually assaulted a then-underage member of the 1980s pop band Menudo. The three-part series alleged that Edgardo Diaz, the creator of the internationally known music group, took Roy Rosello on a trip to seal a deal between the band and RCA Records, where Jose Menendez worked as an executive. There, the elder Menendez drugged Rosello and raped him.
Final Thoughts
As of now, Gascón stated they’re reviewing information. The Menendez brothers’ attorney, Gardner, was pleased with the district attorney’s decision. Both attorneys believe that given today’s different understanding of how sexual and physical abuse impacts children and remarkable new evidence, resentencing is an appropriate result. In light of the new evidence and testimonies, Monsters documentary creator Ryan Murphy believes that the series will have a continuation.
Murphy shared his interest in creating more episodes for the second installment of his true-crime anthology on the Menendez brothers. However, the decision to continue lies with the show stars Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch, who played Lyle and Erik, respectively. Despite the negative criticism of the Netflix documentary, the case is gaining momentum and support from critics and viewers who believe that the Menendez brothers were tried in a hostile era wherein sexual abuse of boys didn’t exist.
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