New evidence emerges in the Menendez Brothers case as “Monsters” thrives

Erik and Lyle Menendez, convicted of the brutal 1989 murders of their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez, will appear in court again on November 29 – 28 years after they were sentenced to life in prison without parole. This comes just weeks after the Netflix series “Monsters” reignited public interest in her case.

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón announced the hearing at a press conference, revealing that new evidence had emerged suggesting that the Menendez brothers were abused by their father. “We received a photocopy of a letter that one of the brothers allegedly sent to another family member about being a victim of harassment,” Gascón said.

In addition, Gascón revealed further claims from a former member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, Roy Rosselló, who claimed that he too was harassed by Jose Menendez. The emergence of this information could lead to a retrial or at least a resentencing, although no decisions have been made yet. “None of this information has been confirmed,” Gascón clarified. “We have a moral and ethical obligation to review this evidence and determine whether it warrants resentencing.”

The Menendez brothers were convicted in 1996 after two mistrials – first individually and then together – for the murders at their Beverly Hills mansion. Although they have never denied committing the crime, the brothers have always maintained that they acted in self-defense and claimed that they feared for their lives after enduring years of physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of their father.

However, this defense was not enough to convince the jury at the time. Both Erik and Lyle were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, a sentence that was upheld in subsequent appeals. The California Court of Appeals and the state Supreme Court refused to review the case in 1998 and 1999, and further petitions to the federal courts were also rejected. Despite these legal setbacks, the brothers continue to claim that their father’s abuse drove them to murder – a narrative that could be supported by the newly uncovered evidence.

In May 2023, Erik and Lyle’s legal team requested a new hearing after learning of Rosselló’s allegations of abuse by Jose Menendez. These claims reinforce the brothers’ longstanding argument that their father was a sex offender. However, it remains to be seen whether this new information will be enough to sway the courts.

The court’s decision to grant the hearing also follows the explosion in popularity of the Netflix series “Monsters,” which dramatized the Menendez brothers’ story in its second season. The series, part of Ryan Murphy’s true crime anthology, debuted in late September and quickly gained traction, racking up 19.5 million views in its first full week. However, it also generated considerable controversy, particularly for its portrayal of the brothers’ relationship as at times homoerotic and incestuous.

From his prison cell, Erik Menendez issued a strongly worded statement condemning the series, saying, “It is with a heavy heart that I say I believe that Ryan Murphy cannot be so naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives, um to do this.” without any malicious intent. The brothers’ surviving family members also expressed outrage, calling the show “grotesque,” “full of falsehoods” and a form of “character assassination.”

The criticism of the series has done little to harm its popularity. Netflix’s true crime genre, which combines sensationalism with dramatization, has proven extremely effective at keeping audiences glued to the screen, despite the ethical issues such portrayals often pose. “Monsters” is the latest in a series of such productions that capitalize on the public fascination with notorious criminals while blurring the line between fact and fiction.

What the public – and the courts – must now grapple with is the real impact of these newly surfaced allegations. If the court finds the harassment allegations and related evidence to be sufficiently substantiated, the Menendez brothers’ convictions could be reconsidered. However, Gascón warned that this process is far from safe. “We are not ready to say at this point whether we either believe or disbelieve this information,” he said. “But we have an obligation to check it.”

Erik and Lyle remain behind bars for now after spending more than three decades in prison for a crime that shocked and fascinated everyone in equal measure. Whether the upcoming hearing will change the course of her life remains to be determined, but one thing is certain: the Menendez story, with all its tragic layers, is far from over.