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The story of the infamous Menendez Brothers is equal parts shocking and gruesome. Accused of shooting their parents at their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez were sentenced to life in prison in 1996, after a jury convicted them of their crimes.
Although prosecutors alleged that the brothers killed their parents Jose and Kitty to acquire the family's fortune, a series of harrowing and disturbing family secrets revealed during the lengthy trials pointed to years of trauma and abuse endured by the brothers before they shot their parents to death.
This divided the case in the eyes of the public, with some of them supporting the brothers' actions while others condemning it.
However, the reckless spending by the Menendez brothers in the months following the murder and before the trial, worked in favor of the prosecution's case, who alleged that the crime was committed for financial gains.
Now that the case has resurfaced owing to ID's upcoming documentary special titled Menendez Brothers: Misjudged?, here are five lesser-known facts about the infamous duo and their shocking story.
Trigger warning: This article contains information about graphic violence.
Five significant facts to know about the Menendez Brothers, ahead of the documentary release on ID
1) The Menendez brothers spent about $1 million after their parents' murder
Erik and Kyle Menendez allegedly spent $1 million on parties, trips, and shopping sprees in the six months following their parents' death. Their new inheritance was used to purchase Rolex watches, lavish vacations, and designer clothes. The brothers reportedly moved out of their Beverly Hills mansion days after the funeral and stayed in expensive hotels before ultimately renting overpriced condominiums.
At the same time, the Menendez Brothers also tried to fulfill their life goals and pursued business opportunities in order to follow in their father's footsteps. Apart from fantasizing about achieving greatness in music, sports and the arts, the brothers also harbored political aspirations, as revealed by Erik Menendez:
"My brother wants to become President of the U.S. I want to be senator and be with the people of Cuba. I’m not going to live my life for my father, but I think his dreams are what I want to achieve. I feel he’s in me, pushing me."
2) They were s*xually assaulted by their father, Jose
Over the course of the trial, Erik testified that things worsened when he confided to Lyle that their father was s*xually abusing him. During the trial, a cousin of the brothers, named Andy Cano, also testified that Erik had told him about the assault, back when they were both children.
Lyle also disclosed that his father had penetrative s*x with him between the ages of six and eight. Breaking down during the trial, he further revealed that Jose would attempt to molest him using objects like "a toothbrush and some sort of shaving utensil brush." He also accused his father of r*ping him.
3) Lyle and Erik would argue over who got to sleep with their mother
The Menendez brothers' cousin, Diane Vander Molen, allegedly admitted in an interview that the brothers would quarrel over who got to share their mother's bed while their father was away. She said:
"This was when Lyle was 15 and Erik would have been 12, and when Jose wasn’t supposed to be home that night, the two of them would argue over who got to sleep with their mom. I thought it was strange, because, I mean, they were already teenagers … but again, because it was Kitty, I never questioned it."
Diane also revealed that during a sleepover, Lyle had requested if he could sleep in the bed next to her because he was afraid his father would molest him. However, when she drew Kitty's attention to Lyle's claims, the latter dismissed it.
4) The brothers claimed they acted in self defense
The Menendez Brothers believed that their parents would have killed them and stated that they acted in self-defense when they decided to shoot them in their Beverly Hills mansion. Erik reportedly testified during the trial, saying,
"I was just sitting on the couch with my hands on my head saying we’re going to die, I can’t believe this. Dad was going to kill us."
Lyle added:
"I thought they were going ahead with their plan to kill us."
In a later interview, their cousin Diane stated:
"I know that they would never, ever have done what they did unless they felt that they had no choice -- that it was either them or their parents. I believe that very strongly."
5) The Menendez brothers are both married now
Lyle and Erik married their respective wives while they were serving time in prison.
According to reports, Lyle is now married to a woman named Rebecca Sneed, a defense attorney with a history of working as a magazine editor. His first wife was an ex-model.
Meanwhile, Erik married Tammi Saccoman, whom he first met when she came to visit him in prison. The two had exchanged letters before that.
Menendez Brothers: Misjudged? will air on Investigation Discovery and Discovery+ on Sunday, August 7, at 9 pm ET.
