We Sort Fact From Fiction In Ryan Murphy's Sensational Menendez Brothers Documentary 'Monsters' — As Murdering Siblings' Hopes of Freedom Grow
The Menedez brothers have been behind bars for three decades.
Oct. 16 2024, Published 3:45 p.m. ET
Ryan Murphy's sensational Netflix documentary series Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menendez Story revived interest in the gruesome 1989 murders of José and Kitty Menendez.
RadarOnline.com has sorted fact from fiction presented in the hit series as Erik, 53, and Lyle, 56, could soon be set free after spending more than three decades behind bars for the murder of their parents thanks to new evidence and allegations against José surfacing.
Erik and Lyle were found guilty of the 1989 murder of parents José and Kitty Menendez.
In the first episode of the series, Kitty is seen ripping off Lyle's toupee during a family argument at their dinner table. The jarring scene was based on the truth.
Lyle was fitted for a $1,450 hairpiece in 1988 at the insistence of his father. The now-56-year-old began prematurely balding as a teen. He even testified about the incident following his parents' murder.
He revealed even his younger brother "didn't know I had a hair piece", adding: "I was completely embarrassed."
Despite his shame around his toupee, the incident drew the brothers closer to one another and eventually they confided in one another about the alleged sexual abuse they suffered by the hands of their father with their mother's knowledge.
The brother were sentenced to life in prison without parole for murdering their parents.
Among the series biggest controversies concerned depictions of incest between the brothers. In a fantasy sequence, Kitty walks in on the brothers as they were showering together. In another scene, Erik and Lyle kissed – and Lyle sticks his thumb in his brother's mouth after using cocaine.
Despite the show's dramatizations, both Erik and Lyle testified that they were never in a sexual relationship with each other, though Lyle told the court when he was 8-years-old, he sexually abused Erik in the woods with a tooth brush.
Author Robert Rand said the act was "what José had done with (Lyle)".
Rand added: "I certainly wouldn't call that a sexual relationship of any sort. It's a response to trauma."
Despite the show's suggestion, Erik and Lyle did not have a sexual relationship with each other.
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The series also painted Kitty as an enabler, while in real life both brothers accused their mother of being abusive, too.
Other inconsistencies from the series to real life included a scene in which José confronted his sons before they fatally shot him. In reality, the music producer was shot from behind at point-blank range.
Scenes featuring the brothers scheming for alibis were also fictional.
Murphy's documentary series additionally skewed reality when it came to the timeline of the brothers' trial and jail time.
The brothers have presented 'new evidence' in hopes of being re-sentenced, including a letter Erik wrote to his cousin mentioning abuse from his father.
After their parent's murder, police investigated the double homicide as a possible mob hit, which was discussed on the show.
Lyle eventually confessed to his therapist, Jerome Oziel, who told his mistress Judalon Smyth.
Smyth went to police and informed them of the brother's involvement after she and Oziel broke up. Lyle was arrested on March 8, 1990, outside of their Beverly Hills home. Erik turned himself in three days later when he returned from a trip to Israel, which was depicted in the series.
Contrary to the series, the brothers were initially tried separately. After their two televised trials ended in mistrials, the brothers were tried again, together, with one jury.
At their second trial, the judge limited testimony regarding sexual abuse and they were found guilty.
Erik and Lyle were given life sentences without the possibility of parole.
As RadarOnline.com reported, new evidence as since surfaced including a letter Erik wrote to his cousin eight months before his parents' murder, in which he claimed he was still being sexually abused by his father.
Additionally, former Menudo boy band member Roy Rosselló claimed he was raped by José, an executive at his record label, as a teenager.
Now, Los Angeles DA George Gascón announced his office was considering a possible re-sentencing in light of the new evidence.
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