How Were the Menendez Brothers Arrested? Behind the Scenes of Erik and Lyle's Investigation

TRIAL OF PARRICIDE BROTHERS LYLE AND ERIK MENENDEZ (Photo by Ted Soqui/Sygma via Getty Images) — Photo credit: Sygma via Getty Images

Lyle And Erik Menendez continue to serve life sentences for the brutal murders of their parents on Aug. 20, 1989, when the brothers, then 21 and 18, gunned them down in the family’s Beverly Hills mansion.

Today, 35 years later, the Menendez brothers are the last subjects of Ryan Murphy And Ian Brennan‘s Monster anthology series. Titled Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendezthe series features Nicolas Alexandre Chavez And Cooper Koch like Lyle and Erik, with Javier Bardem And Chloe Sevigny representing their parents, Jose And Kitty Menendez.

The 10-episode season aims to explore whether the siblings were cold-blooded killers seeking to inherit their family fortune, as the prosecution argued, or victims of a lifetime of physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents, as the defense alleged and as the brothers maintain to this day.

Before diving into the new series, now streaming on Netflix, here’s more information about the MonsterThe true story of and what led to the brothers’ arrest.

What did the Menendez brothers do?

Lyle and Erik shot their parents to death in August 1989 with shotguns, firing a total of 14 shots into their Beverly Hills home. When police investigated the crime scene, they initially suspected mafia involvement due to the extreme violence of the killings.

How were the Menendez brothers captured?

After Jose and Kitty were brutally gunned down in their Beverly Hills mansion, Lyle and Erik Menendez spent money recklessly, burning through approximately $700,000 of their parents’ wealth on cars, jewelry, and even buying restaurants and cafes.

Although the brothers were not initially suspected, police received a tip from Judalon SmythErik’s psychologist’s mistress, Dr. Jerome Oziel. Smyth revealed that Erik had confessed to the murders during a therapy session and that there were audio recordings of the confession. The brothers were later arrested in March 1990, leading to a lengthy legal battle over the admissibility of Dr. Oziel’s recordings. A judge eventually ruled that the recordings could be used as evidence because Erik had allegedly threatened his doctor, violating his doctor’s confidentiality.

“I never thought I believed in evil, but when I heard those boys talking, I did,” Smyth told the investigative reporter. Dominique Dunne in 1990.

What happened after their arrest?

In 1992, Erik and Lyle were formally charged with the murder of their parents, and their 1993 trial made national headlines. During the trial, both brothers claimed they had killed their parents after enduring years of abuse. They accused their late father of sexual abuse and their late mother of alcoholism and drug addiction.

Their first trial, which began in 1993, ended in a tied jury. At the second trial, the judge limited testimony about the alleged abuse and barred the jury from considering the manslaughter charge instead of murder. Both brothers were convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, call National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, non-judgmental support and local resources to assist with healing, recovery and more.

If you or someone you know is struggling with drug addiction, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).