Following the success of Ryan Murphy's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the real-life Menendez brothers are getting a chance to tell their story in their own words in the new Netflix documentary The Menendez Brothers.
In addition to prison phone calls with Erik and Lyle Menendez, director Alejandro Hartmann presents decades of interviews and recently revealed evidence that shines new light on the case.
Erik and Lyle gained global attention after being arrested for the murders of their parents, Jose and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez, in 1989. The brothers claimed that they'd been sexually abused by their father for years, leading them to commit the murders, but police believed they killed their parents for money.
Their trial was televised on Court TV, which turned them into celebrities. The first trial ended up with a deadlocked jury; the second trial was overshadowed by the 1994 Northridge earthquake, escalating tensions after the Rodney King Verdict and the OJ Simpson trial. The brothers were sentenced to consecutive life sentences, narrowly avoiding the death penalty.
Here's everything we know about The Menendez Brothers.
The Menendez Brothers release date
The Menendez Brothers debuts October 7 on Netflix.
As a Netflix original documentary, The Menendez Brothers will only be available on the streaming platform. If you want to check out the current season you must be a Netflix subscriber. Take a look at some of the subscription options available below:
The Menendez Brothers premise
Here's the official synopsis of The Menendez Brothers from Netflix:
"In 1996, Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted of the murders of their parents in what became one of the most famous criminal cases of the late 20th century. For the first time in almost 30 years, and in their own words, both brothers revisit the trial that shocked the nation."
Who appears in The Menendez Brothers
Both Erik and Lyle Menendez were interviewed for the documentary. As they are still incarcerated at Donovan State Prison in southern California, they were not able to do on camera interviews but they were able to record phone interviews with the documentary crew.
Diane Vander Molen, Erik and Lyle's cousin, will appear in the documentary. When they were kids, Lyle told her that his father was sexually abusing him. She went to Kitty, who denied the story and dismissed what Lyle said as lies. Her testimony was considered key to the brothers' defense, but it wasn't allowed in the second trial that ultimately led to their convictions and sentences of consecutive life sentences.
Prosecutor Pamela Bozanich will also appear in the documentary.
The Menendez Brothers trailer
You can watch the sneak peek trailer of The Menendez Brothers below.
