In 1989, one of the most chilling and notorious cases in America took place. In Beverly Hills, California on Aug. 20, 1989, Jose and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez were brutally murdered unexpectedly by their sons, Erik and Lyle Menendez. After the murder, the question stood for years: why would these two boys murder their parents who they claimed to love? Was it all about money and fame, or was there truly a deeper meaning to the boys’ sudden urge?
The Menendez case has been talked about for over 30 years. Documentaries and TV shows have been made, discussing and showing the true events behind the case. On Sept. 19, a newly released show based on the true events of the Menendez case called “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”, produced by Ryan Murphy, has caught the world’s attention. The nine-episode series focuses on the behind-the-scenes of the brothers’ lives and what they truly went through before and after the death of their parents. The haunting life that these boys had as children explains so much about why they murdered their mom and dad. When Lyle was just six years old, he started experiencing horrible sexual and physical abuse from his father Jose. This sickening abuse went on for two years, however, it did not stop there. Jose had moved on Erik and abused him until he was 18 years old. After years of their story being shared, the series is showing the truth behind what happened to these boys, but some watchers are not all content with it.
The television series grew very popular when it was first released on Netflix, however, viewers are unhappy with the production. Although the show had exhibited the experience and “true events,” it was inaccurate to the actual story. Many people dislike producer Ryan Murphy saying he is making the brothers look worse than they already do and are extremely upset that the storyline is not the full truth. Erik Menendez made a statement saying that the series was a dishonest portrayal of what happened which made people even more upset at the show, including celebrity Kim Kardashian. Recently on social media platforms, especially TikTok, people have made hundreds and thousands of posts sharing their thoughts about the brothers, saying they deserve to be free from prison. Although the boys did murder their parents, were their actions just a form of self-defense? However, the brothers may be on the cusp of freedom now. On Nov. 28, the world will hear back from the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office regarding their decision on Erik and Lyle’s appeal for freedom that was filed last May. Many people hope and pray for the two to be finally released.
35 years. That is how long the Menendez Brothers have been locked up for the murder of their parents. The possibility of them being released in the next few months could be exciting, scary, and overall wild. Although the two committed a cruel crime, the things they had to go through in their adolescent years were heartbreaking, and maybe they do deserve to live the life they never got to experience before.
