Were the Menendez Brothers Villains or Victims? FOX Nation Series Weighs New Evidence
It was one of the most troubling and sensational crime stories of the late 1980s and early ’90s.
August 1989, José and Kitty Menendez were brutally shot and killed in their Beverly Hills, California, mansion. As the investigation ensued, the evidence pointed to the victims’ sons, Erik and Lyle, as suspects.
Shortly after the murders, the brothers began spending extravagantly, leading prosecutors to believe the killings were motivated by a $14 million inheritance they stood to receive.
Erik and Lyle were arrested in 1990 and were charged with the murders of their parents in 1992. Their first trial in 1993 was broadcast by Court TV and captured the nation’s interest. The brothers testified that they were sexually and emotionally abused by their father, that their mother was aware of the abuse and permitted it, and that the killings were done in self-defense. Their first trial ended in hung juries.
In their second trial, which was not televised, Erik and Lyle were found guilty in 1996 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In 2023, new evidence came to light that may result in the brothers’ trial being reopened.
Beginning Monday, March 25, FOX Nation presents the four-part docuseries Menendez Brothers: Victims or Villains. The series includes previously unreleased recordings from Lyle from prison, and interviews with the Menendez brothers’ lawyer Mark Geragos and prosecutor Pamela Bozanich.
Comedian and actress Rosie O’Donnell conducted a 2023 interview with Lyle from prison and contributes throughout the series, which also includes comment from radio personality Adam Carolla and former Saturday Night Live cast member Darrell Hammond, who has advocated for the pair’s release from prison.
In conjunction with the series, The Five cohost Judge Jeanine Pirro, former Westchester County District Attorney, hosts key discussions breaking down the Menendez case.
Separately, Pirro will moderate a panel including the supervising detective on the case, Thomas Edmonds, who will outline why he believes the killings were in cold blood and the convictions should stand. Additional panelists will include FOX News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett and psychologist Caryn Stark.
The Menendez brothers’ case has had a resurgence in interest in recent years. Peacock’s Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed (2023) examined how a former member of music group Menudo came forward with new information on claims of abuse.
Later this year, Netflix will revisit the case in the drama series MONSTERS: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story: