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- [00:00]
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There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondery plus in the Wondery app as a member of Noiser plus at Noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts. Or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts@intohristory.com A listener note this episode contains references to child abuse and murder and may not be suitable for all audiences. It's just before 10pm On August 20, 1989, in a mansion in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. In a darkened ground floor hallway, brothers Lyle and Eric Menendez stand beside the closed doors to the family room. Each of them carries a loaded shotgun loosely by their side as 21 year old Lyle paces back and forth on the tile floor. 19 year old Eric has his eyes on the crack beneath the door while watching the flickering glow from the television. The brother's parents, Jose and Kitty, are watching a movie inside. Or maybe they're just pretending to, Eric thinks. Maybe they're really plotting, getting ready to kill their own sons. Eric feels his heart beat faster. He can't take the waiting anymore, so he reaches out and puts a hand on Lyle's shoulder. The brothers lock eyes and nod. Eric grips his shotgun tight in one hand and with the other he throws open the double doors to the family room. It's dark inside and the light from the TV is the only thing illuminating their parents. Sitting on the plush couch, Eric and Lyle storm into the room without saying a word. They simply raise their weapons and start firing. In the coming days, the brutal murder of Jose and Kitty Menendez will make headlines around the country. Gossip about the crime will ripple through Los Angeles as people struggle to make sense of the wealthy couple's deaths. But these initial shockwaves will be nothing compared to what happens when Lyle and Eric Menendez are eventually unmasked as the killers. Although both will confess to murdering their parents, their explanation for why they pulled the triggers will be what keeps the world talking. And for decades to come, people will still be debating what led to the slayings of Jose and Kitty Menendez on August 20, 1989.
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You know that person in your life who just can't stand Mayo? Call them traumatized. Call them close minded. We get it. They're stuck in their ways. But here's the thing. They just haven't tried Hellman's flavored mayo. We're talking bold flavors that will flip even the biggest skeptics. Spicy mayo that adds the perfect kick to your burger. Garlic aioli that transforms ordinary fries into something extraordinary. Chipotle mayo that turns your basic wrap into a smoky sensation. So to all the mayo haters out there, yes, we're looking at you. It's time to eat your words. Because with mayo this flavorful, any hater is just a mayo lover waiting to be convinced. Hellman's Flavored Mayo. Get ready to eat your words. Why are there ridges on Reese's peanut butter cups? Probably so they never slip from her hands. Could you imagine? I'd lose it. Luckily, Reese has thought about that. Wonder what else they think about? Probably chocolate and peanut butter.
- [03:28]
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From Noiser and Airship I'm Lindsey Graham and this is History. Daily history is made every day on this podcast. Every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is August 20, 1989. The Menendez murders it's August 15, 1989, less than a week before the murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez in his family's Beverly Hills mansion. Eric Menendez is walking downstairs to grab a snack when he hears raised voices. It's his mom, Kitty, and his brother Lyle arguing about something. Eric doesn't want to get in the middle of it, so he stops a few feet away from the kitchen door to listen. He's never heard his mother this angry before. She's practically screaming something about a tennis tournament. Eric can't quite make it out though. They're both yelling over the top of one another, so after waiting a few moments, Eric decides to let them know he's there, thinking maybe his presence might help diffuse the tension. He steps into the doorway to see Kitty and Lyle right in each other's faces. Neither of them notice Eric. 47 year old Kitty's lips are curled into a snarl, and as Eric watches on, she grabs hold of Lyle's thick dark hair and pulls like she's trying to yank his scalp off. Lyle cries out in pain and tries to get away, but Kitty doesn't let go. Then, with a sick ripping noise, Lyle's hair seems to come clean off, revealing a cleanly shaven crown beneath. Eric just stares. He had no idea Lyle wore a hairpiece, and he never realized their mother could be so aggressive. Kitty tosses the toupee to the ground and it lands near Eric's feet. That's when she and Lyle finally realize he's standing there. No one says a word. Clutching his scalp, Lyle turns and heads out through the kitchen's other door. Kitty pushes past Eric, stubbornly not looking at him as she goes. Eric is left standing alone, trying to wrap his head around what he just saw Then he goes looking for his brother. He finds Lyle in the guest house in the backyard. Lyle explains that their father made him get the toupee. A few years ago. He'd noticed Lyle's hair was thinning and insisted on doing something about it. Jose is obsessed with the family's image. They have to be perfect all the time. And when Lyle is finished explaining, Eric says he has a secret secret of his own. Their father is molesting him. Lyle doesn't say anything at first. Jose used to abuse him, too, but stopped years ago. So it's shocking to hear that Eric is still being targeted. At age 17, Eric is due to go off to college in a few weeks. He had hoped that that would finally put an end to it. But Jose and Kitty have recently told him that he has to live at home with them for half the time. They say it's so that they can help him with his schoolwork. But Eric doesn't believe it. He thinks Jose just wants to keep him close. So that afternoon, the brothers come up with a plan. Instead of going to the University of California in Los Angeles, Eric will go to the east coast and stay with Lyle when he returns to Princeton in the fall. That will put him well out of Jose's clutches. And if Jose objects, Lyle and Eric are resolved to tell someone about what's been going on. They're certain that will make their father agree. His pride is too important for him to allow their dark family secret to get out. So a few days later, Lyle is the one to confront Jose. He corners his father when he arrives home from a business trip and demands to see him. In the den, Jose is exhausted from traveling, but follows his son all the same. Sitting across from his father, Lyle lists his Jose is going to stop abusing Eric, and he's going to let him move out and go to New Jersey with Lyle. Jose Menendez has never been a man who reacts well when given orders, and today is no different. Jose explodes, telling Lyle that what he does with Eric is no one's business but his own. Frustrated, Lyle plays what he thinks is his ace card. He swears that he and Eric will tell people about what's been going on. The police, other members of their family, anyone who will listen. Jose's reaction to this is strangely calm, though. He tells his son that he and Eric have made their decision, and now they'll just have to live with that. These words terrify Eric and Lyle. The next day, they drive to San Diego and purchase a pair of shotguns. They know that their parents own guns and are afraid that their threat to go to the police will provoke Jose and Kitty into using them. After years of abuse, Lyle and Eric feel certain that it's only a matter of time before their parents make a move, so the two brothers will make a snap decision. In their minds, they will see only two options kill or be killed. But once they pull the triggers, their life will never be the same.
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- [09:05]
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- [10:07]
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It'S just after midnight on August 21, 1989, in Beverly Hills, several hours after Lyle and Eric Menendez shot their parents to death, the usually quiet North Elm Drive is a hive of activity. The flashing lights of police cars throw eerie shadows on the street, while residents stand at the end of their driveways in designer sweatsuits and plush bathrobes. Lyle and Eric sit on the curb while a police officer stands watch behind them. More officers move through the Menendez home, documenting the crime scene in the family room and taking note of any evidence that could be used to trace the killers. Earlier in the evening before the shooting, Lyle and Eric had tried to leave the house, but they were stopped by their father, Jose, who then retired to the family room to watch A movie with Kitty. Lyle and Eric were already deeply paranoid and assumed their parents didn't want them to leave because they were planning to kill them that night. So they ran upstairs for their shotguns, then burst into the family room and fired until they ran out of ammunition. After they shot their parents, Lyle and Eric expected to hear sirens immediately, but the street outside stayed quiet. It seemed that no one had called the police. So Lyle and Eric realized that if they acted quickly enough, they might get away with their crime. The two brothers spent the next few hours disposing of the murder weapons in their bloody clothes. Then they tried to establish an alibi by arranging to meet a friend across town. When they finally returned to North Elm Drive a little after midnight, they called 911 to report their discovery that their parents had been murdered. Now, as investigators search for clues, Lyle and Eric wonder if they've done enough to cover their tracks. When questioned, Lyle tries to throw the police further off the scent by telling them his father had a number of shady business contacts, implying that Jose was somehow involved with a mob and that the murders might have been a hit. And although there is no real evidence to back up this claim, this is one of the best leads detectives have in the early days of their investigation into what seems an otherwise baffling crime. The late night slayings of Jose and Kitty Menendez are splashed across newspapers and the evening news for weeks. But as the police investigation struggles for headway, interest in the case wanes. Meanwhile, Lyle and Eric have inherited their parents wealth and start speaking, spending it lavishly. They buy Rolexes, designer clothes, cars and property. Lyle even lays out hundreds of thousands of dollars to open a chicken wing restaurant. These showy purchases arouse suspicion with investigators, who then start taking a closer look at the brothers. But their search for evidence against them proves fruitless. Until one woman comes forward to say that she knows something. She tells the police that Eric Menendez confessed to the murders to her former partner, therapist Dr. Jerome Ozil, and that he has tape recordings of the sessions that will prove it. Police serve Dr. Ozil with a warrant to seize the records. Initially, he objects to being forced to hand over the tapes. But then he invites the detectives to sit down and listen to the recordings with him on them, both Eric and Lyle openly discuss shooting their parents. The police waste no time. Just hours after Dr. Ozil plays the tapes for a for investigators, Lyle is driving along North Elm Drive, not far from the family home, when police cars surround his vehicle. Within seconds, armed officers pull him from the driver's seat and force him to the ground. He's placed under arrest, and soon he is joined in custody by his younger brother, Eric. At a hastily arranged press conference. The police hail their breakthrough in the case. They tell journalists that greed was the sole motive in the crime. Jose and Kitty Menendez were worth somewhere between eight and $14 million. The detectives suggest that Lyle and Eric wanted that money and they were willing to kill to get it. It's a simple narrative that quickly takes hold among the public. But it's not the full story, and it won't be until the trial that a darker side of the picture perfect Menendez family will be revealed. Then it will be up to the jurors to decide who they want to believe.
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- [14:54]
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- [15:20]
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It's May 21, 1996, in a courtroom in Van Nuys, about six miles north of Beverly Hills. It's been almost seven years since Lyle and Eric Menendez shot their parents, and today they're waiting to learn their fate. Eric, now 25, stands beside his attorney, Leslie Abramson. Her arm is draped over his shoulder. This is their second time going through a trial together. The first began in the summer of 1993, but the jurors were left divided after Lyle, Eric and other witnesses gave testimony about the sexual abuse. The brothers survived, but at the second trial, the judge has disallowed most references to the abuse. The prosecutors argued that this matter was irrelevant to the case, and the judge agreed it was a devastating blow for the brothers. With their main defense ruled ineligible, they stood little chance. So now, as the clerk announces the verdict, it's not a surprise to hear the single word guilty ring out. The following month, Lyle and Eric are sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. After that, the Menendez brothers are sent to separate facilities, and their story begins to fade from public consciousness. All attempts to lodge an appeal fail, and it seems Lyle and Eric will spend the rest of their days behind bars. But then, two decades later, there's renewed interest in the case. Thanks to a 2017 television series about the murders. It comes in the middle of a national reckoning with sexual abuse by powerful men. So Lyle and Eric's claims about their father so suddenly carry more weight. More television programs follow, including another scripted series and multiple documentary Specials. Then, in 2023, one man comes forward to say that he was also sexually abused by Jose Menendez as a child, seemingly corroborating the stories Eric and Lyle have been repeating for decades. In 2024, a judge grants Lyle and Eric's appeal for re sentencing. In light of the brothers rehabilitation and the abuse that contributed to their crime, their new sentence is reduced to 50 years to life, which makes them immediately eligible for parole. But as the world waits to see if and when Lyle and Eric will be freed, not everyone is convinced they should be. Some say that even if the brothers were abused, there is no excuse for murder. Others go further and insist that the allegations against Jose are all lies from cold killers. So more than three decades after the crime, debate still rages about whether justice was truly served after Lyle and Eric Menendez killed their parents on August 20, 1989. If you're interested in more of the story of Lyle and Eric Menendez, listen to series one of the podcast American Criminal, next on History Daily. August 21, 1911. A handyman steals the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in one of the most notorious art thefts of the modern age. From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily. Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing by Mohammed Shazzi Sound design by Gabriel Gould Supervising sound designer Matthew Philip Music by Thrum this episode is written and researched by Joel Cowan. Edited by William Simpson. Managing producer Emily Burke. Executive producers are William Simpson for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.
- [18:52]
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