When Erik and Lyle Menendez were found guilty of the brutal murder of their parents, the world was watching. The family was a Beverly Hills fixture that became a tabloid sensation: Gallons of ink were spilled and hours of television commentary aired discussing the brothers’ crimes. Now you can hear the story in their own words.
In a new documentary, The Menendez Brothers, director Alejandro Hartmann pores over decades of material surrounding the crime and the subsequent trial. What emerges may not answer the many questions that still surround the case, but it does offer another perspective — that of the brothers themselves, provided in all-new audio interviews.
You can watch a trailer for the documentary above, and read on for more information about The Menendez Brothers.
In 1996, Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted of the murders of their parents in what became one of the most famous criminal cases of the late 20th century. For the first time in almost 30 years, and in their own words, both brothers revisit the trial that shocked the nation.
Erik and Lyle Menendez were both interviewed for the film, which also features new interviews with their cousin Diane Vander Molen and prosecutor Pamela Bozanich.
Yes. Listen to an exclusive conversation between Lyle and Erik Menendez and director Alejandro Hartmann, conducted from prison, here.
The brothers’ chances of getting out of prison appear unlikely at this time. At an Aug. 21 hearing, Erik Menendez was denied release by the California Board of Parole Hearings, and Lyle Menendez was also denied parole at his own hearing the next day. The brothers will be eligible for parole again in three years. Attorneys for the brothers have filed a separate petition in a Los Angeles Court challenging their detention and arguing for a new trial. That case is still pending.
The Menendez Brothers is now streaming on Netflix. Ryan Murphy’s true-crime drama series about the brothers, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, is also streaming on Netflix.
