Monsters, a documentary on the Lyle and Erik Menendez murder case, was ranked #7 on the top ten global favorites on Netflix. Perhaps you haven’t watched the show, or even heard of the case, here’s an overview:
Lyle and Erik Menendez came from a very wealthy family. In 1989, Lyle (21), and Erik (18) used Mossberg 12-gauge shotguns to kill their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. The trial ended with them being sentenced to life in prison.
The why factor of this case makes it so popular. This case shocked the nation and sparked controversy across the whole world. Prosecutors in this case accused them of committing the murders for financial gain, portraying them as spoiled kids. They had an argument with their father in which he was going to cut them out of the will, and prosecutors use that as motivation for the killings. After all, there was no evidence of abuse. Lyle and Erik Menendez had a different story to tell. One of horrific psychological, physical, and sexual abuse. Lyle Menendez even wore a toupee to cover the hair loss due to the excess stress he was going through.
Natalie Moore, a senior at YHS was asked if she thought the sentence they got was fair, “I think that yes they deserved to go to prison for killing their parents but at the same time I don’t think they deserved it because they were acting in self defense. Why let Gypsy Rose out and not them? She killed her mom, manipulated someone into doing it, and the brothers did it for self defense reasons.”
When the brothers were 24 and 27, they were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. However, things seem like they are going to change for them. In May 2023, the Menendez brothers filed for the court to look into if they were lawfully detained, and to investigate new evidence that has come up of another man saying he was sexually abused by Jose Menendez in the 80s. If the judge finds this to be true they could be resentenced, and possibly released.
Julia McCaffrey/Mrs McCaffrey, who formerly worked at a prison, was asked how she felt about this, “They admitted to the murders, right? Well, It’s complicated, I have so much empathy for victims of abuse. And the fact they did so many good things in prison with the knowledge they probably won’t be released shows that they could’ve made a change. Which level prison were they in? I believe that they should be moved to maybe a medium or low security prison just to see how things go before they decide to release them.”
What do you think, do you think they should remain in prison, or have a shot at ordinary lives? The retrial is scheduled for November 29th, 2024.
