The Menendez Brothers: An Episode In America That Deserves To Be Crucified
It was on the fatal day of August 20, 1989 that Lyle, the older brother aged 21and Erik aged 18 brutally butchered their parent at their house in Beverly Hills, California. Ever since, the Menendez Brothers case has been regarded as one of the most contested and most followed cases within the criminal trial history in the United States of America. Before the actual release of Netflix’s documentary film “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” it’s time for us to reflect on the scandals, the trials, and the fresh facts that might change the course of history as we know it.
Why the Division of Man and His Family Amondus Michael Menendez Case?
The Menendez Brothers case started in full gear when Lyle and Erik shot both their parents, who by the way are Jose and Kitty Menendez, with shot guns on some cold sub-urban days of California while they watched television in a house located in a very rich neighborhood of Beverly Hills, California. All the perpetrators received multiple gunshot wounds to the legs including Dennis gunshots to the the knee caps which prosecutors argued was an attempt to make the murders look like they had been done by Italian mafias.
After the killings, Lyle and Erik attempted to fabricate an alibi, attending a local movie and visiting the “Taste of L.A.” festival. Hours later, Lyle made a panicked 911 call, saying that his parents had been shot. Initially, the brothers were not considered suspects, but their extravagant spending and strange behavior after the murders raised suspicions.
The Trial That Evoked Strong Reactionsfrom the Settled Public
The Menendez brothers trial commenced in 1993, in which both brothers maintained that years of Jose Menendez’s sexual, emotional, and physical assault against them made them violent murderers, acting in self-defense. Court documents during the trial indicate that a majority of the witnesses had been aware of the flaws for some years. On the flipside, the prosecutors painted a chilling picture of the brothers as ruthless letches driven to kill their parents for their fortunes.
The first trial shown live on Court TV ended in a hung jury with only 2 juries, one of the first two unable to come to a unanimous verdict. The second trial restrained a lot of the abuse evidence, leading to the 1996 guilty verdicts of both Lyle and Erik Menedez for first degree murder. Thereby making them eligible to be sentenced to life in prison, with no chances of parole.
New Evidence in the Menendez Brothers Case
Although the Menendez Brothers case appeared to be a closed chapter many years ago, the perspective of the public regarding its key figures has changed. It was still a patriarchal society in the early ’90s and male victims of sexual abuse were usually ignored and therefore the arguments of the brothers’ expounded during their trials were rather weak. These past few years, however, the brothers’ case has been revisited in works such as documentaries and podcasts and series like ‘Monsters’ on Netflix exploring the narrative that they were subject to abuse for a prolonged period.
A significant breakthrough came with the discovery of a letter Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin at the age of 17, detailing the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father. This letter, combined with new testimony from a former member of the boy band Menudo, who also accused Jose Menendez of sexual abuse, has sparked a renewed call for the brothers’ release.
Where Is the Case Now?
When it comes to April of the present year, lawyer Cliff Gardner mounted a habeas corpus appeal on behalf of the Menendez brothers. Social media has also been helpful with a sizeable number of people supporting the release of the brothers. In addition, the forthcoming Netflix series, ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,’ is relatively expected to change the narrative of the case once again which will not be pleasant to public view.
As the Menendez Brothers trial is still in the past the public fascination with the trial has grown as it has renewed debate on concepts like Justice, Abuse, and Media. Now with new evidence and the shifting of how the people view things, it is only a matter of time as to how and what will happen to Lyle and Erik Menendez.
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