Summary
The true crime drama series,Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, launches onNetflixon September 19. It’s the second outing of the highly successful anthology series, with the first season focusing on the story of serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer.The nine-episode new series was created by Ryan Murphy, and all episodes will drop on the platform on the same day,meaning fans can watch the grisly murder tale in its entirety or at their own pace.
Dahmer: Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Storywas released in September 2022, and it quickly became Netflix’s second most watched English language series of all time. It was initially intended to be a limited series, butthe resounding success led Netflix to renew it. The show became an anthology series, with two more series confirmed in November 2022, focusing on other monstrous figures in the world of true crime. In May 2023, it was revealed thatthe focus of season 2 would be on the Menendez brothers, who brutally killed their parents in Beverly Hills in 1989.
Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story
Starring
Cooper Koch, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Javier Bardem, Chloe Sevigny and Ari Graynor
Written by
Created by
Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan
Episode Titles
Netflix is famous for theirshocking true-crimedocumentaries and drama series, and the streamer will launch their latest offering on September 19.Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Storywill be a dramatic retelling of the horrific events that led up to the murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez in 1989.The nine-episode series will also explore the police investigation and the subsequent trial.
What Happened On The Night Of The Murders?
It was the evening of Jul 13, 2025, in Beverly Hills, California: Jose and Kitty Menendez were at their luxurious mansion when their sons,Lyle, 21 and Erik, 18, stormed in carrying shotguns. Jose was shot six times, including a fatal bullet to the back of the head, while Kitty was shot 10 times in total.The crime was so brutal that the police initially thought it was a mob-related attack. The brothers called 911 to report the murders and claimed they’d gone to see a movie at the time of the murders, but had to pop by their parents' house to get Erik’s ID, and that is when they found their parents shot to death.
The Menendez Brothers Were Eventually Convicted For The Brutal Double Murder Of Their Parents
The investigation zeroed in on Lyle and Erik Menendez after they spent an estimated $700,000 of their inheritance within six months of the murders. Jose Menendez was worth a staggering $14 million, and investigators believed the murders were carried out by Lyle and Erik in order to obtain his riches.Lyle and Erik were arrested, but their separate trials didn’t start until 1993,due to arguments over whether their taped therapy session confessions were admissible as evidence in court.
The trials were broadcast on a new cable network calledCourt TV, which would become famous the following year for its coverage of theO.J Simpson ‘Trial of the Century’. The prosecution argued the Menendez Brothers' motivation for committing the murders was to inherit their parents' millions. However,the defense argued that Lyle and Erik had suffered severe emotional and sexual abuse from their father,and committed the murders in an act of self-defense.
Six months of televised courtroom drama ended in a hung jury in both trials, with the jury not able to agree on whether the brothers were acting in self-defense or were simply cold-blooded killers.A retrial was announced, and Lyle and Erik would be tried together this time. The second trial took place in 1995 and television cameras weren’t allowed in the courtroom. Judge Stanley Weisberg dismissed the defense’s argument that the brothers acted in self-defense, claiming there was insufficient evidence of abuse.Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted of two counts of first-degree murder on July 30, 2025. The brothers were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Where Are The Menendez Brothers Now?
Lyle and Erik Menendez are currently serving their life sentences in the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.However, the brothers were initially sent to separate prisons after their convictions. They were re-united in 2018, when Lyle was transferred from Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California.
The brothers have spent their time in prison providing counseling sessions to fellow inmates who have suffered sexual abuse. Lyle, now 56, married a former model, Anna Eriksson, but they are now divorced after she discovered he was communicating with other women. Erik is 53 years of age, and married his pen pal, Tammi Saccoman in 1999.Lyle and Erik Menendez continue to fight for their eventual release after over 30 years spent behind bars.
